It was May 7th and we were ready to leave Tucson behind and hit the road once again to another adventure. Our wheels were rolling at 8:30 a.m. and our plan was to begin getting closer to the Grand Canyon, while exploring many other wonders along the way. The next stop was Winslow, Arizona, and we had reservations at the Meteor Crater RV Park for three nights. It was great traveling weather at 80F (26.6C) with blue skies as we climbed up the mountains. Along the way, we continued to see the dry, dusty desert landscaping. Have you ever seen a green tree before? The bark was really green (no fungus and no joke) and I had to take a picture just to prove it.
I liked the decorative overpasses and berms along the way as we drove by various towns and cities. Very southwestern vibe to them.
We were never short of views of desert and cactus along the way.
Take a look at this...notice the "faces" in the clouds? I snapped these photos over a period of about 5 minutes separated by several miles, but the faces continued to appear. I guess we had our own cloud angels watching over us. How cool was that!
The ride took us up into the Coconino National Forest. We climbed and climbed up into the mountains and after five hours on the road we were over 7,012 feet in elevation.
Here were signs a city girl like me is not used to seeing back home in Florida.
The landscape changed to evergreens and conifers that were growing thick in the moist air that hovered at 65% humidity. With constant changing weather conditions, the snow never transpired as we reached Flagstaff, but we did get rain. Even rain is a novelty in many parts of Arizona with barely 22 inches a year average rainfall. We got that much rain in Katy, Texas in one day!
Our course veered west on I-40 then east towards Winslow. The forest disappeared and we were enveloped, once again, by dry shrub, dust and cactus. That is when I noticed two giant arrows lodged in the ground on the road side. These arrows were significant to Americana as they were what was left of the Twin Arrows Trading Post, a whimsical stop along old Route 66. For those who are not familiar with old Route 66, it was once known as the Main Street of America, or the Mother Road. It was one of the original highways of the United States Highway System and was born on November 11, 1926. With the length running across America from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California, this famous road covered a total of 2,448 miles. Songs and television paid tribute to this beloved U.S. highway which became a major path for those who migrated west to escape famine and poverty in the 1930's following the great Dust Bowl that tore across the Great Plains. Towns and cities along the way were supported by this traffic and eventual tourism and U.S. 66 blossomed into an array of notable roadside attractions with whimsical names and designs like tee pee shaped motels, Indian curio shops, custard stands and reptile farms. Sadly, U.S. 66 was decommissioned in 1985 by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials after it had been replaced in its entirety by segments of new Interstate Highway Systems. Portions of what remain of old U.S. 66 have been designated National Scenic Byways with the name "Historic Route 66".
Yea! The RV Park at Meteor Crater came into view. At first sight, it was a small, dusty gas station with two gas pumps. Next to that was a unique, domed gift shop situated in front of a long, concrete wall...but no RV park within sight.
So, we parked in the massive open lot next to the gas station and walked into the gift shop to inquire. That turned out to be guest registration. Once we were assigned camping spaces and finished signing in, we were given remote access to a gate that opened up into whatever property laid behind the wall.
Once inside the gate, a green, shaded oasis opened up before our eyes.
We set up camp and watched another gorgeous desert sunset. That night we made BBQ ribs for dinner at our campsite as the temperatures dropped to a chilly 32F (0C).
We could see the evidence of no rain as large river beds were drying up.
Continue traveling with us...click the link to tour our next destination: Arizona - Meteor Crater (Part 3)
Winslow, Arizona is a small city only 12.30 square miles in size. U.S. Route 66 once ran through this city. Now, for my old movie buffs: remember the cinema great "The Harvey Girls" from 1946 starring Judy Garland, Marjorie Main, Ray Bolger and Angela Lansbury? The movie was based on a factual restaurant chain started by Fred Harvey called "The Harvey House" and the waitresses were called Harvey Girls. The girls were known for their starched, white uniforms, impeccable grooming and overall excellent service of solid, good food. The chain began in the late 1800's and at its peak, there were 84 locations spread across America. The last Harvey House opened in 1930 in Winslow but closed in 1957.
Now, for my music fans: Winslow achieved national fame due to a song written in 1972 by the Eagles/Jackson Browne called "Take It Easy". This song contained the line "...standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...".
This is THE corner referenced in the song and the bronze statue is that of Jackson Browne, co-writer (with Eagle's Glen Frey) of the famous song. Trivia tidbit: Jackson Browne once dated actress Daryl Hanna.
Having lived in the city all my life, I was inspired to create this photo of a long, lonely road with no traffic or congestion out in the middle of nowhere. You see, these roads really do exist.
We heard from some fellow campers (and from comments on Trip Advisor) that there was a Little Painted Desert not far from where we were staying. Now there is another Painted Desert that exists near the southeastern rim of the Grand Canyon near Holbrook, Arizona. This would have been about a 35 minute drive from camp and is one of the main attractions in Arizona. However, the lesser known Little Painted Desert was supposed to be quite spectacular, a "hidden gem" and only 15 minutes away. So always seeking out different things to see, we chose the "path less traveled" and took a chance on the Little Painted Desert...and we were not disappointed.
This attraction costs nothing. The historical marker at the entrance had been removed but the sign is still standing.
The ground appeared flat as far as the eye could see and we began wondering "are we on the wrong path"? Then, suddenly the earth opened up and we were looking into a huge, deep valley. The floor of the valley undulated with swells of rock like waves. The walls of these rock formations changed colors as the sun passed overhead and peaked in and out of the clouds. It was spectacular!! It really was a painter's palette of color and wonder.
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