Skip to main content

Cross Country Roadtrip - Day 4 Part 1 - Arizona 66 - 04/20/2010

The second half of Day 4 was exploring parts of Old US 66 in Arizona.  We stopped at old 66 towns like Winslow, Holbrook, Jackrabbit, and Joseph City.

The whole photo set (88 in total) is located here on flickr.

We'll start with the Interstate 40 part of the trip.  First within Navajo County, there are still plenty of button copy guide signs.

IMG_5624

Button copy guide sign - I-40 West Exit 255

This is where we turned around - Exit 245:

IMG_5586

The mountains and Flagstaff will have to wait another trip.

IMG_5588

It's all east from here:

IMG_5589

Now for the fun..Old US 66 - First stop - Winslow:

Standin' on the Corner....

"...such a fine sight to see.  It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed Ford..."

The town of Winslow has very much embraced its place in Americana with a park commemorating US 66 and also the song that will make forever famous, The Eagles, "Take it Easy."

IMG_5594

There's also a replica US 66 shield.  Some will like, some won't:

IMG_5597

From Winslow, it was on to Jackrabbit.  It's Route 66 lure comes from signs advertising the Jack Rabbit Trading Post.

IMG_5618

There it is...and there's not much else there, either.

IMG_5620

There is an abandoned gas station and campground at the exit.  It must have been an old Texaco Station as the old pumps read Super Chief.

IMG_5613

IMG_5616

In Jackrabbit, the Mother Road heading westward returns to gravel and dirt before dying at the Interstate.

IMG_5611

Joseph City was next.  Though there wasn't much of photographic interest there.  It is a great example of how US 66 was four lanes through even the smallest of desert towns.

Holbrook is the last old 66 Arizona town we visited.  Not only is Holbrook home to some more classic neon signs for motels, restaurants, liquor stores, among others.

IMG_5560

It is also home to the Wigwam Motel.  Which you can still stay at today!

IMG_5564

The Wigwams were built in 1950 and have been in a unique lodging experience every since!  With the exception of between 1982-1988 when it was closed.

IMG_5566

From there it was pretty much I-40 back to Albuquerque.  We saw enough of Route 66, where you want to come back revisit the places you enjoyed and see more.  I know I certainly want to go back.

So what's next...Day 5 will most likely be broken up into two sets.  White Sands National Park and photos from the drive from Albuquerque to Midland, Texas.  US 82 through Lincoln National Forest is something you will want to see!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Tulare Lake returns

During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades.  Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley.  Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area.  Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments.  This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return.  Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023.  Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County .   Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran.  Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate.  Lake Corcoran is thou

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

  Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County.  The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road.  Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950.  Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public.  Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac.  During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch.  By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy.  The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic

California State Route 60/Former US Route 60/70 through the Moreno Valley Badlands west to Riverside

This past month I drove California State Route 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands westward towards the City of Riverside.  CA 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands was once part of the corridors of US Route 60 and US Route 70. The present route of CA 60 is a 70 mile (76 counting multiplex) slice of former US 60 between downtown Los Angeles east to I-10 near Beaumont.  The vast majority of CA 60 aside from a small section in the Moreno Valley Badlands is presently a freeway grade. For me CA 60 holds some personal history as it was the route I used most frequently accessing work sites in the Inland Empire circa 2011-2013.  Despite what many others probably would say I always really enjoyed the Moreno Valley Badlands portion of CA 60.  Considering I frequently worked on US 60 through Arizona and New Mexico the route holds even more appeal.  I even have a CA 60 shield hanging up in my garage. Part 1; History of Roadways in the Moreno Valley Badlands CA 60 between B