We played tag with Route 66 a lot today. The "Mother Road" kept popping up alongside the Interstate, and what fun! We passed the exit sign for Winslow, AZ and, being Eagles fans, just had to drive through. The town is filled with old Rt 66 buildings, and has built a park at "the corner" honoring the song "Take it Easy". There is a statue of a man playing a guitar, a flat-bed Ford sits on the street, and there is a mural depicting scenes from the song. We were not the only ones to stop, either! A sign taped to the window of the Ford advertised a "Standin' on the Corner" Festival next weekend. 
What a fun way to get people to stop into the town! So, yes, we stood on the corner today and what a fine sight to see! The ride through town was fascinating, with so many of the businesses still standing, though maybe not open, that are so famous from years gone by on Route 66. There are so many pictures in books or movies showing the unique motels, cafes and shops that lined the road, and they really do look amazing!My favorite building from Route 66, by far, was the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ. It was built years ago and is still in business today. Each room occupies 
a cement teepee, and there is an amazing collection of vintage cars and trucks on the property. There is a car parked outside each "room" and they look fabulous. We got a huge kick out of seeing one that was just like Rick's first car - a '60 Chevy! This one was blue, not black like his, but we had fun remembering all the great times we had with that car!
a cement teepee, and there is an amazing collection of vintage cars and trucks on the property. There is a car parked outside each "room" and they look fabulous. We got a huge kick out of seeing one that was just like Rick's first car - a '60 Chevy! This one was blue, not black like his, but we had fun remembering all the great times we had with that car!An 18-mile drive down the road took us to Petrified Forest National Park. We enjoyed this park a lot! The first section of the park took us through miles of petrified wood. The ground 
everywhere is just littered with pieces of huge trees that fell millions of years ago and have petrified into amazing "stones". The colors are so beautiful, and we could see the rings in some of the tree trunks. Some of the pieces have crystals in them that sparkle in the sunshine and look gorgeous. There is a 28-mile road that meanders through the park, with pull-outs that afford views that just take your breath away, and trails that take you through the "forest". One trail takes you to an ancient Pueblo ruin where you can see petroglyphs, or rock drawings, that are fascinating. It's so unbelievable to be standing in a spot and know that in the far-distant past a person actually stood there and produced such amazing art. The best part of the park, for me, was what is known as the Painted Desert. The colors, and the way the light plays on them, are stunning. Every
where you turn there are the most gorgeous vistas. Looking around such beauty made me wish I were an artist! There is a building, now on the National Registry of Historic Places, known as Painted Desert Inn, that was so interesting. In the past it was operated as a restaurant, with a lunch counter and a dining, that served visitors to the Park. It has been preserved and is now a museum and gift shop. There are beautiful murals on the walls that were painted by a Hopi artist, a gorgeous stained glass ceiling, and the views from both inside and out are wonderful. We didn't expect much from this park, but it turned out to be on of our favorites! Tomorrow will be a travel day. About 500 miles down the road and we'll be in Fort Stockton, Texas for the night before moving on to San Antonio.
everywhere is just littered with pieces of huge trees that fell millions of years ago and have petrified into amazing "stones". The colors are so beautiful, and we could see the rings in some of the tree trunks. Some of the pieces have crystals in them that sparkle in the sunshine and look gorgeous. There is a 28-mile road that meanders through the park, with pull-outs that afford views that just take your breath away, and trails that take you through the "forest". One trail takes you to an ancient Pueblo ruin where you can see petroglyphs, or rock drawings, that are fascinating. It's so unbelievable to be standing in a spot and know that in the far-distant past a person actually stood there and produced such amazing art. The best part of the park, for me, was what is known as the Painted Desert. The colors, and the way the light plays on them, are stunning. Every
where you turn there are the most gorgeous vistas. Looking around such beauty made me wish I were an artist! There is a building, now on the National Registry of Historic Places, known as Painted Desert Inn, that was so interesting. In the past it was operated as a restaurant, with a lunch counter and a dining, that served visitors to the Park. It has been preserved and is now a museum and gift shop. There are beautiful murals on the walls that were painted by a Hopi artist, a gorgeous stained glass ceiling, and the views from both inside and out are wonderful. We didn't expect much from this park, but it turned out to be on of our favorites! Tomorrow will be a travel day. About 500 miles down the road and we'll be in Fort Stockton, Texas for the night before moving on to San Antonio. 
No comments:
Post a Comment