Right out of the gate, mere moments into our big adventure, and…. we were lost. Our hotel was less than a mile from the airport. We had two maps and an iPhone with GPS. And we were lost. Ok, not hopelessly lost, but let’s just say we were temporarily prevented from reaching our destination. Eventually, we found the hotel, but our route was, well, circuitous. I’m still not sure what happened, but Bill was behind the wheel, and you know, he’s not quite as young as he used to be…
* * * * *
In the mid-1800s, an American soldier surveying the American West was not impressed by Arizona or the Grand Canyon within it. He predicted that no one else would come to visit this “profitless locality” which he found “altogether valueless”. Guess I’d have to disagree with him, and so would the nearly 5 million people who visit the Grand Canyon each year.
This was our second visit to the Grand Canyon; our first trip two years ago was cut short by a spring snowfall. No matter the weather, the site is truly inspiring. Our early morning hike along the rim was peaceful and quiet, the perfect start to our frenetic road trip. The magnitude of the canyon is mind-boggling; like the ocean, it seems vast and endless. The place is grand, just grand. No wonder Arizona’s nickname is The Grand Canyon State.
Arizona is full of classic Western images. Bill argues that the truly iconic image of this state is the majestic Saguaro cactus. Alas, we’re not visiting the regions where the Saguaro grow, so this will have to do:
Another classic scene comes straight out of the movies: Monument Valley. Spectacular, deep red stone monoliths rise out of barren land to provide the perfect backdrop for a cowboy on horseback. We can’t wait to rent a John Wayne movie to show the kids, who have no idea who the guy is, or what a Western movie is, or why anyone would make a movie outdoors when digitized animation will do quite nicely.
We entered Arizona from the Western edge, and traveled along routes I-40, AZ 180, 64, 89, 160, and 163. We loved the changing Arizona desert landscape, including the moonscapes and petroglyphs of the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest.
Geology is a big deal in Arizona, as evidenced by the abundance of local rock shops, like Jim Gray’s Petrified Wood Company. Trading Posts also dot the landscape — we liked the Cameron Trading Post — where one can sample a tasty Navajo taco – taco fixings on top of traditional Indian fry bread.
We missed Arizona’s big cities on this trip, but passed through some towns with great names like Tuba City and Two Guns. Our route took us along some of Route 66, which appears to be frozen in time.
One of our favorite stops was in the wonderfully industrious little town of Winslow. Surely you remember the lyrics from the Eagles’ hit song Take it Easy:
Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, it’s such a fine sight to see…
Some brilliant Winslow citizens took this shout-out and ran with it. They made a teeny-tiny park on a downtown corner, painted a mural of a girl in a flatbed Ford, and brought in a statue of a guy with a guitar, taking it easy. And of course, they opened a couple of souvenir shops nearby that blast Eagles music throughout the streets.
So here’s the thing – people come from all around the world to Winslow, Arizona for the express purpose of standing on a corner. Lots and lots of people. To stand on a corner.
Of course we stood on the corner. And of course we bought a t-shirt. Best of all was our conversation with the woman in the shop. She has never been east of Gallup, New Mexico, but each day she meets people from around the world, coming to stand on a corner in her part of the universe. She loves hearing about the places they live, and she never tires of the constant stream of visitors. She overhears them on their cell phones, calling their pals back home to say, “Guess what! I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona!” And besides, she gets to listen to Eagles music all day long! As we left the shop, she thanked us for our business and pleasantly called, “Take it easy”.
For their great spirit and spunk, we salute the enterprising people of Winslow, Arizona with our soundtrack.
One down, forty-nine to go.
1. Arizona
The Grand Canyon