Back to Arizona Rte 66

Last week was George's and my anniversary. We decided to celebrate at one of our favorite places, La Posada in Winslow. We had been in Snowflake for an appointment so drove up to Holbrook to head west on I-40 and parallel Route 66.

We passed several Route 66 icons. We drove by the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook with its old cars parked outside the teepees. You not only get the romance of Route 66, but the sound of trains all through the night. Rebekah (daughter) and I and her two boys spent the night in a Wigwam shortly after Bill passed away. It wasn't luxury but it was fun, especially for the grandkids, to spend the night in one.

We stopped at Jackrabbit Trading Post for a photo of each of us on the giant jackrabbit. Lots of souvenirs and snacks await you inside.

We drove on by the Twin Arrows. It's hard to get close to them and the diner is closed. They have been spruced up, though. The arrow shafts are actually telephone poles.

Winslow itself is working at sprucing up Main Street to draw visitors back downtown. A new park is right next door to the "Standing on the Corner" park commemorating the Eagles song that brought Winslow to the attention of the world. Both "Standing "on the Corner" and La Posada Hotel received "Save a Landmark" signs from the Route 66 Caravan and Hampton Inn's Save A Landmark Campaign. Due to a blurb in the Escapees magazine, I was there that day in 2003! My late husband, Bill, and I joined the Caravan of RVs and went the rest of the way to Chicago. What a way to see Route 66.

The La Posada Hotel is a Fred Harvey Hotel, designed by architect Mary Colter. It served passengers and crew on the railroad. It has been lovingly restored. The Turquoise Room, run by owner/chef John Sharpe, has wonderful food. Most of their food is purchased in Arizona. It is a great place to celebrate a special occasion. There's RV parking on the lot by the train station too. 

Arizona has many stretches of Route 66 you can drive. Often there is more than one alignment. As more funds were received, often the road was rebuilt in a different place. The stretch east of Flagstaff has trading posts and other stops designed to attract tourists eager to see the wild West. If you are crossing Arizona on I-40, take the time to get off see these icons. Drive a stretch of Route 66 and step back in time when this was the main east-west route. Jaimie Hall Bruzenak

Comments

[Ed Greenberg]

Happy Anniversary. We're a bit south of you, heading east.

[Jaimie Hall Bruzenak]

Thanks, Ed! We will be in Tucson in March. Are you headed through there- or already east of there?

Jaimie