This was a big driving day for us, over 300 miles, and we have quickly com to find out that is a lot of miles, especially when you are driving Route 66. Not only are you driving the old highway with slower speed limits, stop signs, etc., but there are also so many historic things to see, and we like to see them all--at least we give it a good try! We especially love getting off the main road and driving the really old parts that are hardly paved or not paved at all. That's when you get a real sense of what it must have been like to drive the old highway through the desert back in the day, as you look around and see hardly anything else around but maybe a gas station or hotel only here and there. We usually end up paying for it later when we run out of daylight and have to drive parts of it in the dark, and that's what happened today....
We started in Flagstaff today, and I love the look and feel of that town. We found that we really love these Northern Arizona towns, many of them settled years and years ago by Mormon pioneers. Just as we were leaving town we turned off the road to make a quick stop and look what we found. Now this is a ride on a school bus!!!! This older guy, retired, travels around the country giving crazy rides on his crazy bus to raise money for a Home Depot charity. It's like riding in a monster truck with quick turns right and left, all within a small area. It was crazy fun!! Look for him in a Home Depot parking lot near you!!
If you are familiar with the Get your kicks on Route 66 song, at one point it says, "...You'll see Amarillo; Gallup, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona..." Well, this is Winona. It's not a big town--a few gas stations and what not, but it's claim to fame, besides the song, is this bridge. It isn't in use anymore, but it was used in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrets was running across the country, and he ran across this bridge. Now we have to go home and watch this movie again--RUN FORREST, RUN!!
This was another side trip we took, to see Meteor Crater in the middle of the Arizona desert. This crater was created over 50,000 years ago when a meteor hit it, and it is amazing to see how huge this hole really is! We didn't stay long because we all were dying for some lunch--can you believe it was our first trip to the golden arches this whole trip?! And it won't be our last
We started in Flagstaff today, and I love the look and feel of that town. We found that we really love these Northern Arizona towns, many of them settled years and years ago by Mormon pioneers. Just as we were leaving town we turned off the road to make a quick stop and look what we found. Now this is a ride on a school bus!!!! This older guy, retired, travels around the country giving crazy rides on his crazy bus to raise money for a Home Depot charity. It's like riding in a monster truck with quick turns right and left, all within a small area. It was crazy fun!! Look for him in a Home Depot parking lot near you!!
If you are familiar with the Get your kicks on Route 66 song, at one point it says, "...You'll see Amarillo; Gallup, New Mexico; Flagstaff, Arizona, don't forget Winona..." Well, this is Winona. It's not a big town--a few gas stations and what not, but it's claim to fame, besides the song, is this bridge. It isn't in use anymore, but it was used in the movie Forrest Gump, when Forrets was running across the country, and he ran across this bridge. Now we have to go home and watch this movie again--RUN FORREST, RUN!!
This was another side trip we took, to see Meteor Crater in the middle of the Arizona desert. This crater was created over 50,000 years ago when a meteor hit it, and it is amazing to see how huge this hole really is! We didn't stay long because we all were dying for some lunch--can you believe it was our first trip to the golden arches this whole trip?! And it won't be our last
Who could resist a picture while "Standin' on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, it's such a fine sight to see..." Daren and I love the Eagles anyway (he took me to see them in concert just before we got married), so we had to get a picture here. The whole wall behind us is painted, and if you look close at the wall between the sign post and Daren, you can see a girl in a flat-bed Ford. There really was a red flat-bed Ford out on the street too. Pretty cool.
We saw the other Cozy Cone, I mean Wigwam Motel, in Holbrook, Az. The cool thing about this one was all the old classic cars parked out in front of the teepees.
This picture, to me, tells quite a story. We got off Pinta Road and after driving on a dirt road for just a short time, joined up with the old Route 66 in northeastern Arizona. We drove a couple of rough miles to reach this point to find the Painted Desert Trading Post, the building in the background. There was some graffiti on it, and had obviously been deserted for many years. In reading what a thriving place it had once been, it almost makes you sad to see it in such condition. The old concrete bridge goes over the Dead River, quite fitting since there is no river underneath anymore. It was a neat place and I'm glad we got to see it.
Our next stop we crossed over the New Mexico state line, ate a yummy dinner at the El Rancho Hotel (Mexican food--finally!) in Gallup, and continued on toward Albuquerque.
We had to stop for a picture at the Continental Divide, though. Pretty cool. After that, we were driving in the dark to Albuquerque. I'm sure we missed plenty of things, but that means we will just have to come back someday!
This picture, to me, tells quite a story. We got off Pinta Road and after driving on a dirt road for just a short time, joined up with the old Route 66 in northeastern Arizona. We drove a couple of rough miles to reach this point to find the Painted Desert Trading Post, the building in the background. There was some graffiti on it, and had obviously been deserted for many years. In reading what a thriving place it had once been, it almost makes you sad to see it in such condition. The old concrete bridge goes over the Dead River, quite fitting since there is no river underneath anymore. It was a neat place and I'm glad we got to see it.
Our next stop we crossed over the New Mexico state line, ate a yummy dinner at the El Rancho Hotel (Mexican food--finally!) in Gallup, and continued on toward Albuquerque.
We had to stop for a picture at the Continental Divide, though. Pretty cool. After that, we were driving in the dark to Albuquerque. I'm sure we missed plenty of things, but that means we will just have to come back someday!
This is our Ode to Signs for today:
Photo 1: motel in Flagstaff, Az.; photo 2: Jackrabbit sign in Jackrabbit, Az.; photo 3: can't remember; photo 4: neon motel sign in Gallup, NM
Photo 1: motel in Flagstaff, Az.; photo 2: Jackrabbit sign in Jackrabbit, Az.; photo 3: can't remember; photo 4: neon motel sign in Gallup, NM
Total mileage to date: 2,609.1
Weather: 92 degrees, sunny
Premium gas price paid: $4.19
2 comments:
What a cool day! I would love to see that "standing on the corner" deal. Love the Eagles!
I love the signs. They're so cool. P.S. I took the 4 wheeler back Saturday and your house is in good hands. The across the street neighbors were pretty quick to ax me if I should be there.
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