Happy Mother’s Day!

This morning we explored the Indian village of Lupton and visited the Teepee trading post. Lots of cool looking Teepees and gifts. There was also a painting on one of the canyon walls with fake animals attached at the top. The wall itself had a giant indent which made for a cool looking cliff. Before hitting the road, I went up to the roof to secure the solar panel so the 50 mph winds wouldn’t jar it loose.

Heading west, our first stop was The Petrified Forest, which is the only national park on Route 66.  The park provided breathtaking views as far as the eye could see, with several opportunities to stop and admire the artist that is Mother Nature. The wind was nasty already and the wide open spaces made it very difficult to take pictures. We almost got caught in a dust devil and when we both tried getting in the rig at the same time, our park pass got blown clear across the road. We recovered it and moved on.

Heading into Holbrook, we stopped at the famous Wigwam Motel, where the rooms are shaped like teepees. This location was added to the National Register of Historic Places back in 2002, ensuring it will be around for many more folks to enjoy for years to come. We also got our Arizona Route 66 passport stamped at the Holbrook Visitor Center.

We made a quick stop at the Geronimo Trading Post to see the world’s largest piece of petrified wood and I tried a few cowboy hats to take some pictures. The Geronimo had several beautiful pieces of petrified wood that were polished to make tables and chairs Very nice and very expensive.
The Jackrabbit Trading Post, home to the famous “Here it is” sign, was unfortunately closed by the time we arrived. However, we took advantage of a traditional 66 photo opportunity astride the giant jackrabbit sitting out front. Good times!

We completed our day with, you guessed it, standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona! For anyone who is not familiar with the reference, it’s a line from the Eagles song “Take It Easy”. The brief mention of Winslow in this popular sing-along has basically guaranteed an infinite stream of visitors from all around the world.  There “Standing on the Corner” gift shop offers tons of trinkets and their radio plays the Eagles 24×7. When Jazz asked the proprietor if she ever plays anything else, she replied: “what else would you want to hear when entering the store?” Point well taken. Winslow is also the home of the largest Route 66 emblem painted onto the road heading east on 66

Tonight, we will rest at a Walmart in Flagstaff. We plan on exploring the area in the morning then will sneak over to the local Camping World for an oil change and general inspection. After that, onward to California!

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•  www.nps.gov/Pefo/index.htm
• www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/wigwam_village_hotel6_holbrook.html 
• www.theroadwanderer.net/RT66holbrook.htm
• www.standinonthecorner.com

~J&J

Started out this morning to find the Route 66 Diner in downtown Albuquerque. There was a ton of vintage 66 and 50’s memorabilia inside and out and the waitresses wore 50’s style uniforms. Jazz couldn’t resist ordering old fashioned “pan fries” (aka home fries) and we shared them as we admired the largest Pez dispenser collection we have ever seen.

We decided to backtrack a bit to visit the one of a kind Tinkertown Museum in Sandia Park, which is located on the historic Turquoise Trail in New Mexico. A total labor of love, the museum was established by artist Ross J. Ward and includes hundreds of hand carved miniature figures and dioramas. Several displays were interactive and we had fun making these elaborate scenes come alive. The museum also houses lots of antique style games and an automated one man band machine that rocked! Tinkertown was an inspiring and entertaining place and definitely worth the short drive off course to see it.

Going back through Albuquerque and on to McCarty’s, we stumbled upon a short side trip to the El Malpais National Monument.” El Malpais” (bad land) has the largest contiguous lava flow in the US. We didn’t get to see the lava but we did see the Southwest’s largest free standing arch, La Ventana. It was an amazing sight! Got some great pictures and took a few beautiful panoramic photos on my phone.

Our next stop was Grants, NM where we saw some vintage signage and then pressed on towards Gallup. Gallup, NM is known for the world famous El Rancho Hotel & Motel, which is right on the 66 strip. This location is still in operation today and all the rooms are named after famous people who stayed there while in town. They called Gallup the “Hollywood of the Southwest” and dozens of stars, such as John Wayne, Clark Gable, May West, and Humphrey Bogart frequented the hotel. The lobby looked great filled with Southwestern-style décor, with a player piano and a fireplace, while the grand staircases revealed several autographed photos displayed on the second-floor walls.

Gallup was our last stop in New Mexico and we could not leave without having ourselves an authentic burrito. On the way out of town, we stopped at El Charrito restaurant and had a bean burrito with all the sides. It was very good and just what we needed to complete our journey through this gorgeous state.

We just stopped at the Arizona border and will spend the night at the Arizona Welcome Center in Lupton. Tomorrow we will continue our adventure on America’s main street. It’s hard to believe that we only have two states left until our Route 66 journey comes to an end. We are enjoying the road more and more each day and we hope it will only get better!

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•  www.66diner.com
• www.nps.gov/elma/index.htm 
• www.route66hotels.org 
• www.elcharritogallup.com

~J&J