On the road . . . Backroads of Northern Arizona

Nostalgic times in Winslow

Traveling along I-40, it’s just a short hop off the freeway to downtown Winslow, AZ, but before the Interstate was built, this was one of the top watering spots along Route 66. Those of you who are old enough probably remember the TV series about Route 66 which featured places and adventures along the road with Buzz and Todd, who traveled “The Mother Road” in a Corvette.

I never missed an episode, mainly because even back then I wanted to become acquainted with the places I could visit once I got a driver’s license and vehicle. I definitely wanted to someday get my kicks on Route 66, and amazingly, it wasn’t that many years later until I did.

You may also remember the sixties Eagles hit, “Take it Easy,” which reminisced about standing on the corner in Winslow watching a girl in a flatbed Ford driving by.

Some of the old towns along Route 66 have gotten dolled up to commemorate their former glory days, and to tempt present day tourists off the Interstate. Winslow is one of the better examples of bringing those memories to life. On one corner of the main route is a mural on the wall of a business—a painted depiction of a window reflecting back a girl in a vintage Ford driving by while a statue of a young man with a guitar stands on the corner and watches. It’s an excellent commemoration of the Eagles song and a wonderful backdrop for photo shots.

Another Winslow tradition is the former Harvey House hotel, La Posada. It is being restored to its glory days and is a beautiful 1930s example of the work of Architect Mary Colter and of the former, famous hotels which Fred Harvey built along the route in the West to serve weary travelers.

Much of the roadway of Route 66 still exists and in many places, parallels I-40. If you want to take a scenic trip on two-lanes, get off the freeway and explore towns like Winslow, Flagstaff, Williams and Kingman. Their main thoroughfares are the original Route 66.

For a trip that will bring back memories of wonderful long-ago roadtrips, whether they were along Route 66 or some other two-lane highway, you'll find much of the past still present along this fabled road. Even if you're too young to remember traveling on anything but a freeway, there's something sweet and nostalgic about these relics of the past that conjures up warm feelings of a slower time and pace. Take a trip down Route 66 for some of the same views and adventure that your parents and grandparents enjoyed when they made this trip back in the fifties with their parents.