Meteor City, Two Guns, Twin Arrows, and Winona, Arizona

 After the exhilaration of Winslow, Arizona, the 50 miles of Route 66 between Winslow and Flagstaff are a bit of a let-down. The sights here are almost all ruins, although some have enormous potential if someone would be able to invest in them.

We left Winslow by taking West 3^rd Street (westbound Route 66) about a mile and a half to I-40, then got on I-40 west. In about 13 miles, we took Exit 239 (Meteor City Road). At the end of the ramp, we turned left (south) to cross I-40, then turned right (west) on Meteor City Road. In a few hundred feet, we reached Meteor City. It’s the ruins of a geodesic dome built in 1990 as a gift shop.

Geodesic dome at Meteor City

The dome inspired Fillmore’s Taste-In in the movie Cars.

There are several other structures nearby, including a large dreamcatcher.

Dreamcatcher at Meteor City

There are also a few teepees.

Meteor City's teepees are on the left side (one is behind the one on far left)

The late Route 66 enthusiast Bob Waldmire painted the “Longest Map of Route 66” (though it wasn’t) on one of Meteor City's walls. I suspect it was on the wall pictured below, now obliterated.

Perhaps once a map of Route 66 by Bob Waldmire?

There are other handpainted signs around the complex.

Signs at Meteor City

More signs at Meteor City

After checking out Meteor City, we backtracked back onto I-40 westbound and drove about 6½ miles to the exit for Meteor Crater Road. Once again we turned left (south) to cross I-40. Here a gas station has another geodesic dome.

Geodesic dome at Meteor Crater's gas station

We chose not to visit Meteor Crater. Instead, we got back on I-40 westbound for another four miles. We exited at Two Guns Road, again turning left (south) to cross I-40. Here are the ruins of Two Guns, a tourist stop since at least 1915 and, for us, one of the most interesting stops on Route 66. Just past the interstate overpass is an abandoned, graffiti-covered Shell station on the left.

Former Shell gas station at Two Guns

A sign on the right and some water tanks in the distance are all that’s left of a KOA campground.

Former KOA campground at Two Guns

We turned right (west) at the old KOA sign onto a paved fragment of Route 66 built in 1938. We soon saw the remains of stone structures on the left (south) side of the road.

Some of the ruins of Two Guns, Arizona

I had a hard time piecing together the story of Two Guns because a lot of what I found may not be true. In the 1950s a man named Gladwell Richardson operated Two Guns for his father. In 1968 he published a book called Two Guns, Arizona that was supposedly a history of the place. A lot of what he said in that book is still repeated in online articles on Two Guns. But Richardson wrote a lot of Old West fiction, and much of what he wrote about Two Guns may be fiction as well.

Richardson’s book says that in the 1880s this area had a gruesomely lawless and violent Wild West railroad camp called Canyon Diablo. But Canyon Diablo was possibly about 3 miles north of here and relatively quiet. Richardson wrote that Billy the Kid and his gang hid out here during the winter of 1880, but that also may be fiction. And he wrote a very elaborate story of 42 Apaches hiding in a cave here in 1878 and Navajos—with whom the Apaches were at war--smoking the Apaches out of the cave and killing them as they emerged. Again there appears to be no solid proof that this happened, at least not with all the elaborate details that Richardson provided.

Here's what I was able to piece together about Two Guns.

The National Old Trails Highway came through here in the early 1900s, and a concrete arch bridge carrying the highway over Canyon Diablo was built in 1914-1915. Daniel Oldfield built a trading post, gas station, and restaurant along the highway near the bridge.

Canyon Diablo Bridge and former trading post at Two Guns, Arizona

In 1922, Earle and Louise Cundiff bought the land around here and built their own trading post, gas station, and restaurant on the west (far) side of the bridge.

Three years later, in 1925, Harry Miller leased some of the Cundiffs’ land. He built his own trading post and a zoo and named the complex Two Guns in honor of silent film star William S. Hart, also known as Two Gun Bill. He also made the “Apache Death Cave” into a tourist attraction. He may have created some of the story about the cave that Richardson later wrote about.

In 1926, the National Old Trails Highway here became Route 66. That same year, Miller got into an argument with Earle Cundiff about his lease and shot him dead. He was acquitted, but karma struck. He was mauled by two of the mountain lions in the zoo and bitten by one of its Gila monsters. He soon left the state.

Louise Cundiff remarried and continued to operate and expand Two Guns. She probably built the structure over the Apache Death Cave in the 1930s.

Apache Death Cave (tall structure on right) in Two Guns, Arizona

In 1938, Route 66 was moved to the fragment we drove, near I-40, and Louise built a Texaco station along it. The Canyon Diablo Bridge was abandoned. We saw ruins of some buildings along the Route 66 fragment.  I’m guessing that Louise built them around the same time as the Texaco station.

Ruins along the Route 66 fragment in Two Guns, Arizona

At the end of the Route 66 fragment, a short gravel road leads to some ruins of the zoo, with its much-photographed “Mountain Lions” sign.

Remains of the Two Guns zoo

There are also two stone pillars that look like they may have been the entrance to the zoo.

Pillars on the right may have been the zoo entrance

I’m guessing that these zoo buildings were also built by Louise after Route 66 was moved here in 1938. I’m assuming that Miller’s zoo would have been built closer to the Old National Trails Highway. In fact, I have a feeling that a lot of the stone ruins throughout the property are from the 1930s or maybe even later.

In 1950 the zoo closed, and Gladwell Richardson’s father bought Two Guns. By the time the Shell station was built in 1963, much of the complex was abandoned and already in ruins. I found a brochure for Two Guns that the website Frontera says is from the 1960s. It has a photo of a relatively modern building with a sign “Coffee Shop.” My guess is that the coffee shop and a motel were built near the Shell station. Guided tours were offered of the Apache Death Cave and the ruins of “Old Two Guns.” It all didn’t last long. The Shell station was gutted by fire in 1971, and apparently that spelled the end of Two Guns.

We found Two Guns fascinating. We were struck that, unlike the Shell station and KOA sign, the stone ruins haven’t been touched by graffiti. We agreed that this is the rare abandoned Route 66 property that we didn’t want to see restored, just preserved as is. I wish I could have found authoritative information on what each ruin once was or when it was built. If the stone ruins could be stabilized and proper trails and interpretive signs added, this would make a great park.

A note on visiting Two Guns: This is private property. (One of the many maybe-fact-or-fiction tidbits I read is that it is now owned by Russell Crowe for possible use as a film set.) There are nails and broken glass, and there may be snakes among rocks and stones. So while many people have traipsed over the property, leaving dirt trails, we stuck to the Route 66 fragment and the gravel road leading to the Mountain Lions sign. You can see everything from those roads, although you’ll be seeing many of the ruins at a distance. There is a good view of Canyon Diablo bridge from the left edge of the Mountain Lions sign.

After seeing Two Guns, we went back on I-40 westbound for about 12 miles to the Twin Arrows exit. One again we turned left (south) to cross I-40, then turned right (west) on another Route 66 fragment. Here are the ruins of Twin Arrows Trading Post, built in either 1945 or 1954 (sources give varying dates).

Twin Arrows, Arizona

One of the buildings was once a Valentine Diner.

Former Valentine diner in Twin Arrows, Arizona

Only one of the twin arrows is still standing.

The remaining arrow at Twin Arrows, Arizona

The other arrow fell about a year before our 2022 visit and is still laying on the ground.

The second arrow at Twin Arrows, Arizona

You can probably tell that the arrows were made of old telephone poles. Many Route 66 fans would like to see the arrows—and the whole complex—restored. Sadly, there’s no sign that will happen anytime soon. The land and buildings have separate owners who, for a variety of reasons, apparently can’t agree to invest in the property.

Once again we returned to I-40 westbound. This time we drove about 8 miles before exiting at Winona (County Road 394). We turned right to go northwest on County Road 394. This was Route 66 until 1947. In about a mile we reached the Walnut Canyon Bridge on the right.

Walnut Canyon Bridge near Winona, Arizona

The bridge was built in 1924, two years before this road was designated Route 66. It is now closed to traffic, but you can walk across it.

Another view of Walnut Canyon Bridge

 We continued on County Road 394 another ten miles. The landscape started changing here. The desert of Two Guns and Twin Arrows was now behind us, and we saw some trees.

Route 66 west of Winona, Arizona

By the time County Road 394 ended at US 89, the landscape was pine forest.

Route 66 northwest of Flagstaff

Here Route 66 turns left (southwest) onto US 89. Within a mile, we were on the outskirts of our next stop: Flagstaff, Arizona.

Winslow, Arizona

Most of my posts on this blog have described our trip through a town or stretch of Route 66: our route and what we saw along it, often with turn-by-turn directions. This post on Winslow is different because, unlike almost any other stop on Route 66, Winslow has come to be defined by one street corner—a corner that has dramatically changed the town. So this post starts there, fans out to other Winslow sights, and ends up at one of Route 66’s crown jewels: La Posada Hotel.

The street corner is mentioned in the Eagles’ 1972 hit song “Take It Easy.” The lyrics include the lines, “Standin’ on the corner of Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see. It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowin’ down to take a look at me.”

Of all the towns in the world, why Winslow? Jackson Browne, who wrote much of the song, was driving through Winslow when his van broke down. So the town left an impression on him. But he didn’t know what to write as the next lyric. He talked about the song with Glenn Frey, who lived in an apartment above him in California.

Frey had heard Browne tell a story about a girl in a Toyota pickup slowing down to take a look at him as she was driving out of a restaurant parking lot in Flagstaff, Arizona. (The restaurant is now the Route 66 Dog Haus. It's on the northeast corner of Route 66 and Switzer Canyon Road.) Inspired by that story, Frey came up with the line about a girl in a flatbed Ford. Frey’s band, The Eagles, was about to record its first album, and Browne agreed that they should include the song on it. “Take It Easy” became the Eagles’ debut single and first hit.

We visited Winslow once before, in Summer 1999. We were driving from Albuquerque to the Grand Canyon (I confess Route 66 wasn’t on our minds back then!) when we saw a billboard advertising “Standin’ on the Corner – Winslow, Arizona.”  So we impulsively detoured into Winslow.

We found a mural on the northeast corner of 2^nd Street (Route 66 eastbound) and North Kinsley Avenue that’s still there today. We didn’t know at the time that the mural had been painted very shortly before we visited. Much of it was painted by local high school students.

Standin' on the Corner Park in Summer 1999

Standin' on the Corner Park in October 2022

You can see that the wide brick sidewalk in front of the mural—now known as Standin' on the Corner Park--was still under construction when we visited in 1999. The statue of a man holding a guitar (meant to represent all singer-songwriters) was not yet installed, and there was no sign explaining that, yes, this is "the" corner. The park officially opened in September 1999, just a few weeks after we visited.

The mural is great—you can see the girl in the flatbed Ford “reflected” in the bottom “windows.” The mural was painted on the side of a building called the Rasco Building, which once housed a J.C. Penney department store. (On the left side of our 1999 photo above, you can see an overhang over the building entrance.) The building was gutted by fire in 2004. Remarkably, the mural wasn’t seriously damaged. The wall was propped up with supports for several years while the ruined building was fenced off and neglected. Eventually the remains were razed, and a park called Route 66 Place was created on the building’s site.

Route 66 Place on the left

I found an article from 2011 on plans for Route 66 Place. It’s interesting to compare those plans with the park today. It hosts an annual music festival.

Today a huge Route 66 shield has been painted in the intersection in front of the mural.

Intersection of 2nd Street and North Kinsley Avenue in Winslow

A statue of Glenn Frey was added in 2016 after he passed away.

Statue of Glenn Frey is on the right

We visited around 9:30 on a weekday morning in October 2022, and there was already quite a crowd getting photos, even though it was too early for decent lighting.

Standin' on the Corner Park with a flatbed Ford on the right

There are several interesting vintage buildings near Standin’ on the Corner Park. Across North Kinsley Avenue is the Standin' on the Corner Route 66 gift shop at 100 East 2^nd Street in a cool brick building.

Standin' on the Corner Route 66 gift shop in Winslow

We took a photo of the entrance to this building in 1999 because we thought this might be “the” corner—remember Standin' on the Corner Park didn’t have a sign yet.

The same gift shop in 1999

Across 2^nd Street (Route 66 eastbound) from Standin' on the Corner Park, at 101 West 2^nd Street, is the adorable brick Navajo County Bank Building. The sign says it was built in 1904.

Navajo County Bank Building in Winslow

Behind the Bank Building, at 115 North Kinsley Avenue, is the Winslow Theater.

Winslow Theater

Across the street from the theater is the 66 Motor Palace at 112 North Kinsley Avenue.

66 Motor Palace in Winslow

The 66 Motor Palace is in one of Winslow’s earliest buildings, built around 1892-1901. It has been rehabilitated into apartments. Motor Palace Mercantile, a shop on the first floor, was not yet open when we visited. A cool old trailer and pickup truck were parked along the side of the building. 

On the side of the 66 Motor Palace in Winslow

Back up on 2^nd Street, a block east of Standin’ on the Corner Park, is a cottage-style former Conoco gas station at 200 East 2^nd Street. It's now Arizona Indian Art.

Former Conoco gas station at 200 East 2nd Street in Winslow

Just past the former Conoco station, on the south side of East 2^nd Street, is the entrance to the extraordinary La Posada Hotel.

Entrance to La Posada in Winslow

La Posada was built in 1929-1930. It was one of the Harvey Houses, America's first hotel and restaurant chain. Harvey Houses were built by the Fred Harvey Company to serve Santa Fe Railroad passengers throughout the Southwest. Much of Route 66 runs near the old Santa Fe Railroad line, and ten Harvey Houses are still on or near Route 66. In addition to La Posada, they include Castaneda Hotel in Las Vegas, New Mexico; La Fonda in Santa Fe, New Mexico; the Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park; El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge on the Grand Canyon’s South rim; Fray Marcos de Niza Hotel and Depot in Williams, Arizona; El Garces Harvey House in Needles, California; Casa del Desierto in Barstow, California; and the Santa Fe Depot in San Bernadino, California. They’re all beautiful and worth checking out.

La Posada and all its furnishings and décor were designed by Mary Jane Colter in a Spanish Colonial style.

La Posada's lobby

Mary Jane Colter was one of America’s first female architects and designers. She spent much of her career as an architect and designer for the Fred Harvey Company. Colter was fascinated with Native American art and incorporated Spanish, Mexican, and Native American designs into her work. She is credited with introducing these styles to the American public.

In addition to La Posada, Mary Jane Colter worked on several other Harvey Houses on or near Route 66 including La Fonda in Santa Fe, the Painted Desert Inn in Petrified Forest National Park, Casa La Desierto in Barstow, California, and El Tovar Hotel and Bright Angel Lodge on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

While some of Mary Jane Colter’s 20+ projects were designing new buildings, sometimes she designed renovations of existing buildings, and sometimes she only designed a building’s furnishings and décor. She designed the china used in some of the Harvey House hotels and also on the Santa Fe Railroad’s Super Chief train running from Chicago to Los Angeles. The Super Chief china design was inspired by pottery of the ancient (circa 1100) Mimbreno Indians. In La Posada's beautiful gift shop, I bought a souvenir coffee mug with one of the ancient patterns Colter used.

Coffee mug inspired by Mary Jane Colter's china for the Super Chief

La Posada is the only hotel for which Colter designed everything: the building, its gardens, its furnishings, and its décor. It is considered her masterpiece, although I think her buildings at the Grand Canyon’s South Rim are a close second.

When we visited in Winslow in 1999, La Posada had been closed for decades and was sitting behind a fence, although some work had begun. Today it has been beautifully restored, and we splurged on a night there.

Concourse in La Posada

One side of our room in La Posada

Trains occasionally pass by (this is still an Amtrak stop), but the building is well insulated and the noise didn’t bother us at all. Our room was great. Even the bathroom sink is a work of Southwestern art!

The sink in our room at La Posada

In the morning we treated ourselves to breakfast in La Posada’s beautiful Turquoise Room.

The Turquoise Room in La Posada

Our breakfast was one of the best on our entire Route 66 road trip. We saved the huge cinnamon roll for a snack later.

Breakfast in La Posada's Turquoise Room

One last Winslow story: About half a block east of Standin’ on the Corner Park is Olde Town Grill at 108 East 2^nd Street. We had a terrific dinner there with a Tower Station IPA from Mother Road Brewing Company in Flagstaff. (Tower Station is a great historic gas station in Shamrock, Texas.)

Mother Road Brewing Company's Tower Station IPA at Olde Town Grill

But the story is about the walls of the restaurant, which have exposed bricks with money stuck in gaps in the mortar.

One of the exposed brick walls in Olde Town Grill

Our server explained that about 80-90% of their customers are Route 66 road trippers. Customers leave money in the mortar gaps and, every few days, the restaurant collects all the money, saves it in a jar, and donates it to a local charity.

That got me thinking about how a single word transformed an entire town. If Jackson Browne had used another town’s name in “Take It Easy,” Winslow might still be the somewhat down-on-its-luck town we visited in 1999—the kind of town that Route 66 travelers might drive through but not stop and visit. Today many downtown buildings are rehabilitated; a number of downtown businesses like Olde Town Grill are thriving; La Posada is open and beautifully restored; and even local charities are benefiting. If Jackson Browne can create that kind of impact--change literally hundreds of lives--with one word, imagine what each of us can do.

Believe it or not, we didn’t see everything Winslow has to offer! Winslow is one of a few towns where Route 66 was on two one-way streets. Westbound Route 66 was on 3^rd Street, and eastbound Route 66 was on 2^nd Street. There are murals, vintage motels, and a visitor center that we didn’t explore. Clearly we have to come back! But this time we moved on to our next stops, including the fascinating ruins of Two Guns, Arizona.

Holbrook and Joseph City, Arizona

Holbrook, Arizona, is a truly unique stop along Route 66. How many other towns have more shops selling petrified wood than you can count? How many have their main streets named Navajo Boulevard, Hopi Drive, and Apache Avenue? And how many have a street named—really—Bucket of Blood Street?

If you are driving I-40 west from Petrified Forest National Park, take the Holbrook exit for Business I-40. Turn right (southwest) on Navajo Boulevard, which was once Route 66. You’ll soon see a lot of vintage motels along this stretch.

We had a great lunch at Tom & Suzie's Diner at 2001 Navajo Boulevard.

Tom & Suzie's Diner in Holbrook

Tom & Suzie’s has a great Route 66 vibe. 

Interior of Tom & Suzie's Diner

About a mile past Tom & Suzie’s, Navajo Boulevard reaches downtown Holbrook. The El Rancho Motel & Restaurant at 867 Navajo Boulevard has a mid-century vibe and great sign.

El Rancho Motel & Restaurant in Holbrook

The Corral at 865 Navajo Boulevard is a 1940s saloon. 

The Corral in Holbrook

Just past the Corral, at 752 Navajo Boulevard, is the Pow Wow Trading Post with a terrific sign.

Pow Wow Trading Post in Holbrook

About a half mile past the Pow Wow, Business I-40 (Route 66) turns right onto Hopi Drive. But keep going straight on Navajo Boulevard for some of the best sights in Holbrook! The first is just a block past Hopi Drive. It’s the Rainbow Rock Shop at 101 Navajo Boulevard.

Rainbow Rock Shop in Holbrook

You may see “Dinos of Holbrook” marked on Google Maps or mentioned in Route 66 guidebooks. They’re at the Rainbow Rock Shop and, trust me, they’re everywhere!

Dinosaurs everywhere at the Rainbow Rock Shop!

Just past the Rainbow Rock Shop, Navajo Boulevard crosses railroad tracks and becomes Apache Avenue. Just past the tracks, on the left, is the former Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Depot, built in 1883.

Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Depot in Holbrook

Just past the railroad depot is the infamous Bucket of Blood Street, also known as Central Avenue. Obviously there’s a story here!

Holbrook was founded in 1881 and immediately became a classic Wild West town. The local cattle company hired some, um, unsavory cowboys who would come to Holbrook to blow off steam. Holbrook was a pretty violent place in its early years. It says something that no church was built in Holbrook in its first 30 years!

What’s now known as Bucket of Blood Street was Central Avenue, Holbrook’s commercial hub. Much of the area burned in a fire in 1888, and some Central Avenue buildings were rebuilt in stone. A strip of four buildings, all built between 1888 and 1890, remains across the street from the railroad depot.

On the right in the photo below, behind the tree, is the former Pioneer Saloon. On the left is the former Scorse Mercantile.

The former Scorse Mercantile and Pioneer Saloon on Bucket of Blood Street in Holbrook

To the left of Scorse Mercantile are two more buildings. On the right in the photo below is the former Richardson & Co. Drug Store. You can still make out “Holbrook Drug Co. Drugs and Notions” on the sign.

Cottage Saloon and Richardson & Co. Drug Store on Bucket of Blood Street

The photo below shows these buildings in their heyday.

Early photo of Bucket of Blood Street (from PreserveArizona.org)

To the left of Richardson & Co. Drug Store is a saloon originally named the Cottage Saloon. The photo below shows the saloon in 1890.

1890 interior photo of Cottage Saloon (from TheRoadWanderer.net)

A shootout at the Cottage Saloon in 1891 left two men dead and the floor described as slick with a bucket of blood. The saloon became known as Bucket of Blood Saloon. I’m not sure when Central Avenue became known as Bucket of Blood Street.

The saloon must have closed when Prohibition (of alcohol sales) came to Arizona in 1915. In 1923 a major flood resulted in Holbrook’s business district moving to the north side of the railroad tracks, where it remains today. I’ve read that all the buildings on Bucket of Blood Street were abandoned then. But I’ve also read that Bucket of Blood Saloon became a Route 66 tourist attraction. I'm not sure which is true.

A few other buildings survive on Bucket of Blood Street. Behind the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad Depot is the Santa Fe Railway Depot, built in 1907.

Santa Fe Railway Depot on right (from Google Maps)

 Past the depots is Young T Company Warehouse, built in 1900.

Young T Company Warehouse on Bucket of Blood Street

There are also a couple of stone houses that look like they have tales to tell.

Two buildings on the southeast edge of Bucket of Blood Street

After walking around Bucket of Blood Street, we drove back to the intersection of Navajo Boulevard and Hopi Drive, turning left (west) on Hopi Drive (Route 66/Business I-40). There are more vintage motels and restaurants along Hopi Drive, including a Route 66 icon: Wigwam Village Motel #6. It was built in 1950.

Evening view of Wigwam Village in Holbrook

Many Route 66 attractions have been restored or rehabilitated over the years. This Wigwam Motel has always been owned by the same family, and it has been preserved rather than restored or rehabilitated. The only alterations over the years have been the addition of televisions, air conditioning units, and wifi. Guest registration is still handled by phone and with paper forms.

We spend a night in Wigwam 2.

Wigwam #2 on the left (no, that truck is not what we drove!)

Vintage vehicles scattered around the property really add to the retro vibe.

Daytime view of Wigwam Village in Holbrook

The wigwams still have the original furniture. Our wigwam was very clean and comfortable.

Wigwam interior

Wigwam bathroom (You have to tilt your head back to look in the mirror!)

We left Holbrook by continuing on Hopi Drive (Business I-40/Route 66) a little over a mile to I-40 west. In about 3 miles, we exited at Geronimo Road to see the Geronimo Trading Post, which has been here since the 1940s.

Geronimo Trading Post west of Holbrook

We continued on Geronimo Road for about a quarter mile. We then turned left on Main Street to cross I-40. Main Street bends right to become a frontage road along the south side of I-40. This stretch is also known as “Old Highway 66.” In about 3 miles, we turned right (north) on Main Street to cross I-40 and go through Joseph City. In another 3 miles, we reached the next I-40 interchange on the west side of Joseph City. We wanted to cross I-40 and take Old US 66 on the south side of I-40. But the road was closed when we visited in 2022, so we got back on I-40 west to the next exit, Jackrabbit Road. We turned right to cross I-40, then right again on Old US 66. Here is another Route 66 icon, the Jack Rabbit Trading Post.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post in Joseph City, Arizona

Even more famous than the trading post is its iconic sign. There used to be billboards like this from here to Springfield, Missouri.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post sign

There’s also a fiberglass rabbit that children are welcome to climb on.

 

Fiberglass rabbit at Jack Rabbit Trading Post

Jack Rabbit Trading Post is an example of a Route 66 attraction that has struggled over the years because so many people stop to take photos but don’t buy anything. Please take time to stop and buy something. We bought water, snacks, and a coffee mug that I treasure.

We rejoined I-40, driving another 20 miles to our next stop: Winslow, Arizona.

As you can probably tell, we really enjoyed our visit to Holbrook and the region around it. Holbrook is a town with enormous potential to become a major Route 66 destination.

We had a somewhat unusual itinerary through this area that you might want to consider. We really wanted to spend nights at two iconic spots in this region: the Wigwam Motel in Holbrook and La Posada in Winslow. But they’re only about 30 miles apart! We decided to spend one day driving from Albuquerque to Holbrook, without stopping at Petrified Forest National Park. The next morning, we backtracked to Petrified Forest and spent the morning seeing it. We drove back to Holbrook for lunch, then toured Holbrook in the afternoon before driving the 30 miles to Winslow for the night. We then toured Winslow the following morning. Normally we avoid backtracking on Route 66, but this worked perfectly for us.

Note that, if you're driving to Holbrook from the southern end of Petrified Forest National Park, you'll enter Holbrook from the south rather than the north as described in this post. You'll come in on US 180. When it deadends, turn right (north) on Apache Avenue. In about 3/4 of a mile, Bucket of Blood Street will be on your right. Cross the railroad tracks, and the Rainbow Rock Shop will be on your left.