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| Winslow, Arizona |
Standing on the Corner
You’ve got to take it easy in Winslow. Tourists arrive in Winslow, get their picture taken standing on the corner and then they jump back up on I-40 and move on. The major employer in the city is the state prison.
There’s not much to the place beyond the memorial to the 1972 song “Take it Easy” (Eagles/Jackson Browne).
You can get there from the White Wolf Mine. I ended up there following some unsuccessful scouting of antelope and buffalo hunting in the planes to the south.
There were a few drunk Indigenous People/Natives there begging hand-outs from belching tourists. Things haven’t changed much over the past hundred and fifty years.
Winslow was established in 1880 and grew as a railroad city. It has seen happier days.
Barringer Crater is 18 miles west of Winslow and you can access it from I-40. It’s 3,900 ft in diameter, and 560 ft deep. It’s one of the things to see when you’re visiting Winslow, but they charge $18.00 to see the big hole in the ground caused by the impact of a nickel-iron meteorite about 150 feet across (50,000 years ago). The Grand Canyon isn’t all that far away and it’s a lot wider and deeper if you’re looking for a big hole in the ground. Some say that the impact at Barringer Crater is the result of an alien spacecraft that lost control on entry through the atmosphere. It never did for Winslow what the aliens did for Roswell, NM. But if you really want to see space aliens you can go to Area 51, or you can watch Hillary Clinton, signing books covered in detail by CNN (Clinton News Network) coverage.
The wife came out to California when I was finishing up a job out there (I pulled some strings to get the company to let me drive from Atlanta to Paso Robles so I could take vacation on the back end). We spent 8 days in Cali and then we followed the old Route 66 to Oklahoma. We hit every tourist stop along the way. It took almost 2 weeks to get to Oklahoma. We had lunch in Winslow as we hit the Crater just after breakfast. That was one of our more memorable vacations.
Hubby and I think about driving the old Route 66. But I wouldn't want to go to California or Chicago, so I don't know if it would count.
I would warn folks that not all sections of Route 66 should be driven unless your GPS has an "Avoid Ghettos" setting. Tulsa comes to mind.
WSF is right, and Winslow is kinda a 'traditional' stop for us baby boomers that listened to the Eagles! 😀
That's quite an impact crater. I'm guessing the remains of the spacecraft are at a secret facility.
Have they been used to reverse engineer the NFL?
There were a couple dozen baby boomers there visiting the shrine to the Eagles when I was there. It's fun.
It's nice to drive America. And Route 66 isn't a bad way to get started, though WSF's comments below about avoiding ghettos is on point.
California is worth the visit. I think that Chicago is too. Chicago is one of the great eating cities in America and to me it's right up there with New Orleans.
Avoid the "progressive areas".
I can't confirm or deny that they're at Area 51.
We have already seen the best of California. We were stationed at Beale AFB after we were married in 1974. Spent 5 years working with the SR-71.
Ronald Regan was Governor when we got there. We were not responsible for Jerry Brown's election as we were unable to vote.
There is no more SR-71 and Jerry Brown is governor again.
The only thing we miss about California is Denio's Farmer's Market and Swap Meet in Roseville California; and given California's gun laws, we will be happy with our memories.
And the one time we drove through Chicago, to visit J.C.Whitney was all we want to see.
One of my brothers would agree with you about eating in Chicago; but I wouldn't feel safe, even if I were to carry there.
My loss; but there it is.
Well, maybe the rest of Route 66 then?
But, do people arrive in flatbed Fords?
That's what we were thinking. I mean, driving any part of Route 66 should count for something.
And I wouldn't mind seeing Winslow Arizona.
Yes. Girls do.
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