You know your out west when you travel through Twin Arrows then Two Guns.IMG_0632

I sped by the exit for the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark (a brown sign looking like a national monument) but a private ripoff that I got suckered into on a previous trip.

My first real stop pf the day was “Standing on the Corner” yup Winslow AZ. I enjoy this stop not only because the town knew a good thing when it saw by capitalizing on the Eagles and “Take it East” (playing loudly from the gift shop across the street) with a mural of the “girl in the flatbed ford” and a statue of a man with his guitar.  Since my last trip a bronze state of Glen Fry was added.

The other highlight of the town is the La Posada Hotel – the first Harvey House – built in the adobe style and as is the case right on the tracks for Amtrak and the SFBN (formerly the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad). The building and the gardens have been superbly restored and the art work and displays make it a great break on the drive. (http://tinyurl.com/y3ltfmlq)IMG_4498

While touring the building I found several rooms showing works of my new favorite artist – Tina Moin (http://tinyurl.com/y5vbs9j2) – they  speak for themselves.

While bumping along 66 (the road from Winslow when not on I-40 reminds you of a washboard) I found another Wigwam Motel in Holbrook my jumping off point to visit Petrified Forest National Park.

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Not my first visit to the Petrified Forest but I enjoy the 28 mile park road which includes the Painted Desert section with it turnout viewpoints and several short trails thru the “forest”. The trees were fallen and buried in layers of sediment and the logs soaked up ground water and silica from volcanic ash and over time crystallized into quartz.

Petrified Forest

 

Painted Desert

On to Gallup and a new experience for me – I finally “dined” at a Cracker Barrel (I said I would never do it but a need for shut eye dove me there since it was right next to my hotel). Southern Fried Chicken was fine but the rest blah – what no wine – they were throwing me out at 9:00 – I guess I’m still not a senior citizen – yet.