Rt 66 - San Jon, NM
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I’m guessing that San Jon doesn’t see a lot of traffic through town, but I enjoyed driving through, stopping and taking some pictures of the old businesses that once thrived back in the old days.
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The Mojave Desert
“It’s alive and waiting for you. Ready to kill you if you go too far. The sun will get you, or the cold at night. A thousand ways the desert can kill”
The Mojave is a desert of wind, temperature extremes, Joshua Trees and solitude. When most people hear the word ‘desert,’ images of tumbleweeds, rattlesnakes and bleak desolation typically come to mind. In reality, the Mojave is anything but a wasteland. Amongst the sand and sagebrush lie many places of beauty and wonder, and of historic importance. Some are the result of time and the elements, some are the result of man and his efforts to live in the Mojave, both in recent and prehistoric times. Let’s go see what we can find.
Rt 66 - Tucumcari, NM
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As soon as I drove into Tucumcari, it was plain to see that this town must have been one of the premier towns of old Route 66. There are traces of those glory days on each side of 66, all through town. From neon signs to old cafes and motels, it's definitely a photographer's dream. But I'm going to start this post with a spot I stopped at a little west of town, south of I-40 at Exit 321.
Read MoreRt 66 - Moriarty, NM
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Let me just say, if you happen to like fireworks that you can't buy in some states, Moriarty, New Mexico is a great place to visit. Not that I am encouraging the transportation of fireworks over state lines. Those who know me, know I would <ahem> never suggest that.
Read MoreRt 66 - McCartys, NM
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I spun off I-40 at exit 96 to see if I could find the old Whiting Bros. Gas Station. I’d seen some pictures of it and knew it wasn’t too far out of the way. Exit 96 is also the exit to use to get to McCartys, a small town that originated from a farming and trading community on the Acoma Indian reservation. It was later named McCarty after a railroad contractor who had his camp in the area during the 1880s.
Read MoreEast Jesus
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I recently had the opportunity to meet up with my cousin, Karen of the North Country, at the Salton Sea Visitor Center. There are a lot of interesting things and places to visit in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, and we had the entire day to see what we could find. Our travels eventually led us to East Jesus, which curiously enough, is located near West Satan.
Read MoreRt 66 - Continental Divide, NM
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I turned off I-40 at Exit 47 in order to stand my ground on the Continental Divide. I’m not sure exactly where it was, as there were several signs and monuments amongst the tourist stop shops in the area. I do know that I was at an elevation of over 7200 feet and that many claim this spot to be the highest point on Route 66 (although that’s open to debate).
Read MoreRt 66 - Fort Courage, AZ
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Fort Courage, Arizona. A tourist trading already faded into the past. I pulled into the parking lot to find the gas station, restaurant and trading post all closed. And for what appeared to be quite some time. But that was okay with me, no crowds to worry about and I could walk freely about the area.
Read MoreSalvation Mountain
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I was able to visit the magic mountain on a recent trip to the Salton Sea. I had first learned of Salvation Mountain from an episode of Huell Howser's California Gold. And after finally visiting the place, I'll have to quote Huell and say, "it's amazing!"
Read MoreRt 66 - Painted Desert/Petrified Forest, AZ
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It's a two-for-one National Park deal! One entry fee got me into both the Painted Desert National Park and the Petrified Forest National Park. After paying my admission, the ranger asked me if I had any petrified wood in my car. I said yes, that I had bought some at the Rainbow Rock Shop in Holbrook. She asked if I had a receipt and yes, I did. I noticed a sign later when I left the park that vehicles can be subject to search, as they don’t want anyone poaching petrified wood from the forest.
Read MoreRt 66 - Holbrook, AZ
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One of the coolest things about my epic "Adios, I’m going to Texas” roadtrip was that I never knew what I was going to find when I turned off the interstate and explored the small towns along old Route 66. Holbrook was no exception. Born during the early 1880s as a railroad town and named after the first engineer of the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, Holbrook was a true wild west town for many years (Pleasant Valley War). It was also a busy place during the heyday of Route 66 and I saw a lot of history from that time period when I visited: Teepees/Wigwams, vintage cars, dinosaurs, petrified wood, old and quirky with new and modern, abandoned buildings/restored buildings and always interesting people. Had time permitted, I could have probably spent an entire day, rather than only an hour or two, in most of the places I visited along the way.
Read MoreRt 66 - Jackrabbit Trading Post, AZ
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Everyone loves jackrabbits, it’s a proven fact. So how could I drive through Joseph City and not stop at the Jackrabbit Trading Post? I couldn’t. So I took Exit 269 and got off I-40 to go hunt jackrabbits. And maybe some rabbit stew.....
Read MoreRt 66 - Meteor City, AZ
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I was driving fast on I-40, just out of Two Guns, when I spotted the huge geodesic dome of the Meteor City Trading Post. At a quick glance, it looked like the place was still in business so I turned off Exit 239 to see if I could buy some souvenirs. I needed some Christmas presents. Unfortunately, when I got closer I could see that the Trading Post was no longer trading.
Read MoreRt 66 - Meteor Crater, AZ
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This was another spot along Route 66 that I had researched during the planning stages for my “Goodbye God, I’m going to Texas” road trip. The crater is the result of a collision between an asteroid and the planet Earth some 50,000 years ago. I didn’t know what to expect for the $18 admission price, but when something is advertised as “the World’s best-preserved meteorite impact site on Earth,” I just had to see for myself. Afterall, anything traveling 26,000 miles-per-hour is going to leave a mark when it hits.
Read MoreRt 66 - Two Guns, AZ
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Two Guns, Arizona was one of my favorite stops during the epic “Hitting the Trail to Texas” road trip. In fact, I visited it twice as I spent two days in the area driving thither and yon. I mean, the name itself demands a visit. The place has an amazing history, dating back to the mid-1800s. Click HERE for an in depth look at just what happened in Two Guns over the years (the Apache Death Cave, the murder of Earle Cundiff by Henry “Two Gun” Miller, the sale of human skulls, gila monster attacks, robbery, man-eating mountain lions and tourism).
Read MoreRt 66 - Twin Arrows Trading Post, AZ
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The iconic Twin Arrows once lured travelers to exit Route 66 and stop at the Twin Arrows Trading Post; for gas, food and various sundries. They lured me as well, and once I figured out how to get off I-40 and somewhat close to them, I was on a narrow piece of blacktop without much room to safely park. But I found a spot and hoofed it on over the check out the trading post ruins and examine the giant arrows, up close.
Read MoreRt 66 - Walnut Canyon National Monument, AZ
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Day Three of my “Goodbye God, I’m going to Texas” road trip turned out to be a great day for seeing new things and exploring old things. For some reason, ancient cliff dwellings have always held a fascination to me, but I had never had the opportunity to visit any. So when I learned that there were cliff dwellings a short distance from Route 66, in Walnut Canyon National Monument, that became a definite stop on my travels to Texas.
Read MoreRt 66 - Seligman, AZ
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Route 66 is still Main Street in Seligman, Arizona. Reminders of the glory days of the old road are scattered on each side of the highway. Vintage motels, souvenir shops, restaurants and gas stations give a glimpse to the past and many of them are still in use today.
Read MoreRt 66 - Grand Canyon Caverns, AZ
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You never know what you might find when you’re on your way to a poker game. Walter Peck was heading over to play some cards with friends when he stumbled and nearly fell into a large hole in the ground. Returning to the spot the next day, he and some friends began exploring the hole. Thinking he had found gold while down in the large cavern, Peck later purchased the property and began making preparations to strike it rich. Unfortunately, the assay reports on his find revealed the shiny stuff was nothing more than iron oxide. But Peck was not discouraged, he came up with an idea to bring travelers to the site and tour the caverns, for the small fee of 25 cents. Thus began what would later become the Grand Canyon Caverns.
Read MoreRt 66 - Valentine, AZ
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The town of Valentine dates back to 1898 and it’s probably most famous for the heart-shaped postmark the small contract post office would stamp on outgoing mail every Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately, that came to an end in 1990, when the post office was robbed and the lady working there was shot and killed. Shortly afterwards, her husband bulldozed the building and left the area.
Read MoreRt 66 - Hackberry, AZ
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The loop of Route 66 between Kingman and Seligman is approximately 87 miles long, one of the longest remaining stretches of old Route 66. I was looking forward to this section of the old road, as my research had shown there were quite a few interesting places to stop at along the way. And by the time I got to Seligman, I was not disappointed.
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