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.





This is where we turned around - Exit 245:



The mountains and Flagstaff will have to wait another trip.



It's all east from here:



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



"...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."



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



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



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



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.





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



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.



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



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.



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!

Cross Country Roadtrip - Day 4 Part 1 - Petrified Forest National Park 04/20/2010

Day Four of the trip was into Arizona - and it will be broken down into two parts.  Part One is a visit to Petrified Forest National Park & the Painted Desert.

Of course the entire set is on flickr, 117 photos in total.



Petrified Forest National Park is located off of Interstate 40 - Exit 311 - in Arizona.  Normally, cost is $10 to enter but we were fortunate to visit during National Parks Week - and all entrance admissions at national parks are waived during the week.

The first series of overlooks and stops feature the Painted Desert.  The colors are simply amazing.





There is a brief paved trail from Tawa Point to the Painted Desert Inn. It's just over a half mile long, and it's worth the hike.  (Here's a hint: Iif you are in a group of two or more and at least one person doesn't want to walk the trail, have them drive to the Inn while you (and others) take the hike.  Joe wasn't interested in the walk so I just met back up with him at the inn. )

So while on the walk - I ran into this little critter.



Speaking of the Painted Desert Inn -



There it is.  The Inn was completed in 1940 and actually operated from 1947 to 1963 by the Fred Harvey Company.  It was almost demolished in the 1970's but fortunately would be preserved and is now home to a bookstore and museum.

The details inside the Inn are just amazing - and something you really don't see everyday, especially if you are a native East Coaster like me.





From there, the road through park winds to a wayside for Route 66.  It's nothing too spectacular...just an old car and telephone marking the former alignment of the Mother Road.



A nice stop is the Puerco Pueblo.  The 100 room pueblo dates back to the 1200s.  However, the most interesting feature of the Puerco Pueblo are the petroglyphs.  This was the first time I had ever seen petroglyphs in person and they were certainly impressive.





From the Pueblo the Park Road winds into the badlands and an area known as 'The Teepees'.  It's amazing.







But the best part of the park, at least in my opinion, is the Blue Mesa Area.  Specifically, the walk I took along the Blue Mesa Trail.  It's breathtaking, one of those areas where even the photos can't tell you how amazing it was. I had never seen anything like it, and I would have just spent all afternoon there if I could.

The Blue Mesa Trail is a must...as you walk a paved loop - about a mile or so - through this.



The trail works its way downhill.  At the bottom when I reached the exposed valley, I was greeted by a gust of wind that really opened my eyes to what was in front of me.  I looked up and to my right, and it's a view you really can't top.





Just looking at these photos again in posting the blog makes me want to go back again!  So one last look!



Petrified Forest was a great visit.  In total, we spent about two and a half to three hours in the park, and we could easily have spent more.  But it was on to check out old 66 and we took US 180 North towards Holbrook to head west on 66.  Did I stand on the Corner in Winslow, Arizona?  Stay tuned...Part II will be next.

Hope you enjoyed!

Yellow NY 80 Shields

I saw a number of yellow NY 80 shields yesterday in Fort Plain and Nelliston, on NY 5, NY 80 and local streets (possibly on NY 5S as well, but I didn't see any). While I have reason to believe that it may be a supplemental way of showing there is a weight limit on the NY 80 bridge over the Erie Canal and Mohawk River connecting Fort Plain with Nelliston, I am pretty sure this is not MUTCD compliant.

See a yellow NY 80 shield in question...

Cross Country Roadtrip - Day 3 - 04/19/2010

Day 3 included sites in and around Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

For the entire day set - head to flickr - over 200 photos!

The first stop was Sandia Peak.  I took a journey to the top of the mountain in October 2007, and was excited to take the trip to over 10,000 feet again.  Unfortunately, this time the skies were overcast and gloomy but it was still home to many great views!



The tram ride is about 15 minutes to the top and costs $17 to ride.  You begin at the base of the mountain at around 6500 feet and the journey ends at an elevation of 10,378 feet!  Usually the surrounding mountains and valley below are in clearer view, but the Albuquerque skyline can be seen rather clearly from here.



Here I am at Sandia Peak. It's pretty much the top location for out-of-towners to visit while in Albuquerque.



Next, we headed down to Central Ave. towards Downtown Albuquerque.  Central Ave. was the main drag through town during the Route 66 era.  Though it's now bypass by I-40 to the North, there are many remnants of the highway's heyday to be found.  Mostly in the form of neon signs of old motor lodges, restaurants, liquor stores, and night clubs.









From Central Ave. was a visit to Old Town Albuquerque.  I also had visited their previously in 2007.  Sadly, the overcast conditions took away from photographing the exterior of the beautiful San Felipe de Neri Catholic Church.  But with a better camera, I was able to take better photos of the interior.







Lunch was in Old Town at the Quesadilla Grille.  I don't take a lot of food photography, but had to take a shot of the colorful chips and salsa.



There always seems to be live music playing somewhere in Old Town during the day, and this day was no exception.



From Old Town, it was back on Central Ave. towards the Rio Puerco Bridge.  However, what wouldn't be a ride on Old 66 without seeing a classic car!   This is what we believe is a 1953 Ford Customline four door sedan.



I was hoping to come across this sign that I found in 2007.



Unfortunately, an entire rebuild of the western end of Central Ave. interchange (Exit 149) cause the button copy classic to be removed.   Now it was on to the Rio Puerco bridge which is located a few miles west of here at Exit 140.



The Rio Puerco Bridge is a Parker Through Truss that was built in 1933.  It remained in service until 1999.  Since then, it has been preserved as part of Route 66 heritage by NMDOT.  Nearby rain and storms gave a great backdrop for this historic bridge.



From there it was on to Santa Fe via the Big I and I-25.



The highlight of Santa Fe - which was more overcast and a lot chillier than Sandia or Albuquerque - was the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Francis of Assisi.



The inside is absolutely amazing.









Also worth checking out in Santa Fe is the Native American vendors at the Palace of Governors.





The cool and overcast afternoon took away from Santa Fe.  I've heard great things about it, and I would have to go back again and spend more time there to really decide on it.

From there it was I-25 North for a few miles to US 285 South and eventually NM 41 towards Moriarty.  The nearby storms and heavy rain made for impressive open road shots.





NM 41 runs to Moriarty where I picked up old US 66.  Moriarty has a few goodies - from an old button copy sign.



- to an old Whiting Brothers service station.



Took NM 333 back towards Albuquerque in hopes to find more goodies, but nothing really caught my eye.  The other hope was to get sunset photos, but the cloud cover was too thick and no luck there either.

So Day 4 is west into Arizona...will better skies appear?  The day will be broken into two parts - Old 66 in Arizona and Painted Desert/Petrified Forest National Park.  Til next time!

Enjoy!

Albuquerque on Dwellable

Santa Fe on Dwellable