What’s there to do on Route 66 between Arizona and New Mexico?
What’s there to do on Route 66 in Arizona cities like Seligman, Winslow, Flagstaff and Holbrook? Our Route 66 journey had us stop in these cities to see some of the historic highlights. We stood on the corner in Winslow, Arizona and stopped by the WigWam Motel.
We also saw plenty of lions, tigers and bears - seriously!
Beating the Heat
We got an early start today. As reported yesterday, we stayed at Harvest Host location Keepers of the Wild, and it was right on the highway as well as two train tracks. While it wasn’t impossible to sleep, we knew that the heat would be getting an early start and we wanted to get an even earlier one. We did hear the big cats making some noise, but not nearly as loud as we had anticipated.
Peach Springs
Our first stop was Peach Springs, the home of the Radiator Springs Gas Station and Grand Canyon Caverns Grotto. This stop confirmed that we need to spend a lot more time in Arizona. The Grand Canyon Caverns are definitely on our return-to-do list.
Seligman - Inspiration for Cars
Next we visited Seligman, the home to many businesses that inspired the movie Cars with the help of Angel Delgadillo, who is known as the “guardian angel” of Route 66. He ran a barber shop and gift shop in town and in 1985 he founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. We left a sticker on the van in front of the Motoporium. In Ash Fork we found a quiet spot to make some coffee and breakfast and find a very expensive-looking DeSoto on top of a building.
Williams
We drove through the lovely town of Williams, which deserves several more days of exploration. We were lucky enough to see that the Moving Wall (the replica of the Vietnam Memorial Wall) was in town, but unfortunately with the crowds there was no place for RV parking. Even the Visitor Center didn’t have large parking. On our return visit we’ll park the RV in a campground and explore with a smaller rig.
Flagstaff
Then it was off to Flagstaff, where we got tangled in some more traffic and missed the location of the Lumberjack Giant (a muffler man). So, another item was added to our “come back soon” list.
Winona
Because we are making a point to see all the towns listed in the song, we pulled off at Winona. That was the quickest stop so far. All that is really left are a newer Shell station, a few homes, and a cool old bridge. It’s only about 15 miles from Flagstaff, which these days is no distance at all for our modern cars. It makes me wonder what it must have been like in its heyday, to rate being included in Bobby Troup’s lyrics.
Twin Arrows
The two arrows of Twin Arrows Trading Post still stand proudly and are visible from the highway. They are actually two telephone posts with added heads and fletchings.
Landmarks & Tourist Traps
We found “Standing on a Corner Park” in Winslow, Arizona and took a break for some lunch and standing on all the corners for photo opportunities. It’s a lovely little town that we will visit again. I got a 66 Route Beer to drink with my lunch.
We pulled through the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook. This quirky motor court was the inspiration for the Cozy Cone Motel in the movie Cars. We have stayed in the motel in San Bernardino in the past and figured we would be remiss if we didn’t pay our respects to this one.
New Mexico
In New Mexico, we drove through the town of Gallup and finally saw a muffler man in the wild. He is called “The Cowboy” and oversees a car dealership. After a quick photo opportunity at the Continental Divide, we made our way to Lavaland RV Park in Grants. It was a long day, and more miles than we typically plan, but there was a reason for that. The entrance to Lavaland shares its space with the parking lot of Elkins Brewing Company. After we settled into our site, we wandered over for a cold one to wash away the day’s heat and dust. Tony ordered a flight of four beers.
He found the Hazy IPA to have notes of citrus, crisp and refreshing. The Red had smoky notes and was very smooth with full but not overpowering body. The Oktoberfest had a bit of malt with some toasted flavor. The Porter had a very toasty flavor. We both ordered a pint of Red to eat with the pizza and salad that was delivered to us from Pizza9. The pizza crust was phenomenal and the salad was refreshing after a few hot days of driving.
Lavaland is a small campground, and it is actively being upgraded with new electric and sewer lines and concrete pads at their sites. Many sites are pull-through. The highway is near, but we left the air conditioner on overnight so traffic noise was not a problem. Trees provide shade, but don’t cause a danger when parking. Check-in was super easy at a kiosk. The wifi and cell signal are pretty darn good!
Lessons on the Road
We have certainly learned a lesson about distance traveling. We planned way too many miles and activities for each day. We already have several days of activities to come back for, and it’s only been a couple days of the trip. We will keep this in mind for the next one. We did, however, figure out how to keep the stove from falling apart on every trip. We realized some rubber bumpers are missing so Peggy folded the dish-drying mat between the grate and the glass top. No more coming unhinged!
