I was raised by wolves. Very kind, very nurturing wolves. I love riding to a town a just barely learned the name of on a Friday, making a decision at the intersection to get myself lost 1000 miles away from home on a Saturday, and trying to figure out how the hell I can get home on a Sunday. Just ride a place and see a thing.
After twin Arrows, I realized I was running out of daylight and there was thing I wanted to see. I spend alot of time in flagstaff and have ridden it a dozen times, so I stayed in 1-40. Doing so, I bypassed winona as well. No biggie. I’ll come this way again. I seem to always find a way to get down this way.
Parks Arizona, Route 66
So I ran through Parks. Parks is an interesting place, as its chock full of route 66 alignments going all over the place. At least 3 different ones. My family and I come down to parks fairly often with the RV because it’s close to flagstaff, and the weather in always nice and cool and in the forest. I love parks. It’s just got a good feeling, and although I know that “I wasn’t born to follow” video from easy rider was filmed 30 miles south of here, that song always goes through my head because the scenery looks the same. Parks is just cool and I never bypass it.
The store in parks is especially interesting. I’ve seen it go from abandoned, to used to now being abandoned and for sale again, but it’s always survived. In 1931 route 66 went from one side of the store to the other, and so they just changed the frontage and front door. Not far from here theres other alignments from the 20’s with some pretty cool culverts I’ve taken pictures of from 20 years ago that I’ll scan and post sometime. In the meantime, I love this section of route 66. It just feels like home somehow.
After Two Guns, the next place to visit was Twin Arrows.
Twin Arrows Arizona Route 66
I remember stopping here in the 80’s when I first got the route 66 bug with my wife. We got gas, had a burger and headed into flagstaff. The last few years I’ve watched it close, get vandalized and start to fall apart. I pulled up expecting to get some pictures and reminisce about a fallen route 66 landmark. I didn’t realize how far it’s fallen.
Twin Arrows Trading Post
I jumped the barrier and took a few pictures, and got a few inside. It’s amazing how the walls still shine with fresh coats of paint, but the roof is failing and the windows are broken. Sad. When I got home, I searched and found that there is Hope for Twin Arrows and it may be Restored, At least it’s being looked at. I hope they do it. I’ve noticed that even with the last few years the arrows themselves are starting to rot and fall apart.
With the exception of the wigwam motel in Holbrook, the thing that was most on my mind this entire trip was stopping to take pictures of Two Guns. I’ve seen it before, but only from the freeway and the off ramp. For years and years, there was a caretaker there with a buck knife and a shotgun that would speed up in his 4 wheeler if you got anywhere close to Two Guns ruins he’d show up and yell you off the property. He was pretty well known for being efficient and serious about what he does. Two guns has been bought and sold several times and my information tells me he was hired to protect the property from vandals. As of 2008, I’d heard he was gone, so I’ve always wanted to come back here.
Street Glide at Two Guns Arizona - This ruin is the 2nd of Two Zoos in Twin Gun's History.
Two guns has an impressive history and to the casual, modern passer by, you’d never know it. From the Indian wars between the Apache and the Navajo (it was then known as Canyon Diablo, or Devil’s Canyon, to the Early days of National Trails Highway (pre-Route 66) to Today. Many people believe it is cursed, and for good reason. Lots of battles here, and it held the distinction of being the roughest town in the west, let alone Arizona. Murder, Prostitution, At least a punch in the face for looking at someone wrong. Two Guns is the shit. If you want the complete history of two guns, I’d highly suggest reading this link here.
Canyon Diablo Bridge is Crumbling
I had a chance to FINALLY cross the bridge that I’d seen for years, and even as I type this I regret not driving it down the dirt road further, because as I passed it all down 1-40 I realized there was much more I missed. I was able to see the more modern abandoned gas station, and the slightly older KOA campground, as well as the other ruins. There is also a very deep cave that factored into its rich history of a cowboy town. Pat, are you reading this??? We need to go back to two guns and spend a day.
Picture of the First Zoo at Two Guns ArizonaHarry E. (Indian) Miller Ran Two Guns from 1925 to 1935
I hope no jackasses out there vandalize Two Guns, because it really needs to be preserved. It’s cool that we can visit two guns now, But please if you visit it leave it as it is. There’s not many people I hate worse than a Vandal. This town burned down TWICE and survived history like no other, and is now just a side glance to people heading to Flagstaff and Albuquerque. I think we all need to help keep it alive as long as possible. Theres enough route 66 out there thats rotting, we don’t need this one to rot anymore than what nature throws at it.
Canyon Diablo Bridge
There is also a huge railroad trellis around two guns somewhere that crossed the canyon. It’s clear I need to go back untill I know ALL the stories associated with this great historic spot in the road. Two Guns. read that link. This may be one of my favorite Route 66 spots yet. It’s full of history and full of questions to be answered.
I knew I had things I wanted to see on this trip, particularly Two Guns and Twin Arrows, so after Joseph City I opened up and headed toward winslow. I’ll admit my knowledge of route 66 winslow is pretty meager, and I found myself just passing it altogether to head toward Two Guns. I totally forgot about meteor city, so I pulled over to see it. Meteor City is the home of the worlds longest map of route 66, and thats the trading posts biggest claim to fame.
The original trading post was built in 1938 and was made out of stucco. The current geo-dome was built in 1979. I’m a bit resistant to moccassins and native american blankets, but the histories on the walls are alot more interesting.
Meteor City.
The orignal mural was painted by Bob Waldmire, if you know who he is. He’s a famous wandering resident of route 66 and unofficially its favorite artist. The original mural eventually weathered away, and in 2002 it was repainted. Not alot to see here, and after 10 minutes I headed west to Two Guns.
Most of Interstate 40 covers up old route 66 pavements, but when the frontage road doesn’t exactly parallel the freeway, much of the time you can bet it’s old 66. Joseph city is one of those alignments, and I was looking foward to seeing Joseph City before it ended in Gravel and disappeared under the super slab of Interstate 40.
I had suspicions that joseph city was named after Joseph Smith, the founder of the mormon religion, and turns out I was right. I didn’t see a whole lot there that was interesting, other than on the far edge of town on the old route: Ella’s Frontier:
Ellas Frontier - Original Route 66 Trading Post
I’d never seen Ellas Frontier on any of my route 66 books, or at least I hadn’t noticed them. I’d love to know the story of when it was opened and when it closed. ANYTHING. A few web sites state that Ellas frontier was the first trading post on route 66, but that seems pretty unlikely to me. Who knows, I’ve been wrong before. Either way, it was a pretty cool old building. In the back next to the freeway it had what looked like cabins, and had an old Camping spot next door that looked somewhat newer, but still abandoned. Ellas is the kind of place that I’ll want to go back and take a closer look on my next trip. Theres definately stories in those walls. Please, if you know anything about this place, please post or email me.
From Ellas I doubled back and got onto the freeway to head down to the next exit to see the Jack Rabbit Trading post. I love the old signs and have been here once before. The place was clean, the owner friendly and the prices were great. Most people sell T-shirts for 20 bucks. He sells his for 10, and has a ton. He even sells Jack Rabbit Underwear. Awesome. It was good to see such an old road icon doing well. I’d read that it was gone, but I saw no signs of anything other than a trading post that was doing well.
Jack Rabbit Trading Post was started in 1949 by Jim Taylor and his wife. He leased the business for most of the years he had it. Cindy’s granddad, Glenn Blansett, leased the store in 1961 and then bought it in 1967. He was just getting out of the senate so we were lucky for that because he helped to get the access ramps off I-40. In 1969, Cindy’s parents, Phil and Pat Blansett bought the Jack Rabbit from Cindy’s granddad. They had the store for 26 years. Until Tony and Cindy bought it from them in 1995.
I bought a half pint of tennesee whisky from him for 3 bucks for later and headed down the road. It was noon. I had half the state to cross yet.
Finally. I had 2 days to ride. what seemed like the longest winter of my life is about over. Over enough that I can load up my bike and sleep in the freezing cold if I need to, but at least I’m RIDING.
I couldn’t sleep all night. I finally got going around 7AM to load up my bike and head out of chandler, leaving Robyn and the kids to play in the pool all day and go shopping while I pointed my bike toward Holbrook. The weather was great, but got chilly as I climbed into Payson and the mountains of Heber, then finally down into Holbrook. Holbrook is as far east as I’ve ever been on route 66, and I had to see what I think is an icon of the mother Road: The wigwam Motel
Have you slept in a wigwam Lately?
Built in 1950 by Arizona motel owner Chester E. Lewis, the plans were based on the original of Frank A. Redford.
Lewis first became aware of the distinctive wigwam designs when he was passing through Cave City in 1938. He purchased the rights to Redford’s design, as well as the right to use the name “Wigwam Village” in a novel royalty agreement: coin operated radios would be installed in Lewis’ Wigwam Village, and every dime inserted for 30 minutes of play would be sent to Redford as payment.
Lewis operated the motel successfully until closing it in 1974 when Interstate 40 bypassed downtown Holbrook. Two years after his death in 1986, sons Clifton and Paul Lewis and daughter Elinor renovated the motel, finally reopening it in 1988.
Fifteen concrete and steel teepees are arranged as a square with one edge missing where the main office is located. They are numbered from 1 to 16 (there is no teepee 13). The diameter of the base of each teepee is 14 feet (4.3 m), with each unit 32 feet (9.8 m) in height. Behind the main room of each unit is a small bathroom with sink, toilet, and shower. Current rooms contain the original restored hickory furniture, two double beds, cable TV and a window mounted air conditioner; there are no telephones or Internet access. Vintage restored automobiles from the 1960’s and earlier are located throughout the parking area. Small green metal benches etched with the words “Wigwam Village #6” are scattered throughout the complex as well.
The Lewis family continues to run and maintain Wigwam Village #6. Elinor often shows up at 4:00 pm to open the office, and if requested, will fill a small ice bucket (there is no ice machine in keeping with the authenticity of the restoration) for customers. Near the registration desk is a small room which contains many of Chester Lewis’ memorabilia (including a necklace of human teeth of unknown origin).
It was still early, and I’d intented on meeting the owners to pitch them a web site in trade for letting me stay at there for free (Holbrook is a perfect place to start a route 66 journey east from St. George), but they open late so I headed west.
This story ends good. It ends with me pulling the Street Glide back into my garage again, after not seeing it for 3 Months and change.
Early this week I had the opportunity to run down to phoenix when my Mom asked me to run an errand for her and pick up some weaving stuff, so it became my chance to get my bike back. The weather was going to be perfect, other than what looked like a pretty cold and rainy sunday. Robyn and the kids needed a bit of a vacation too, so all in all it came together pretty quick: The plan was to drive to phoenix friday morning, then Robyn and the kids would stay a day and swim in the 90 degree weather, and I’d take 2 days to get my bike home. I decided to head up to holbrook and take route 66 west and camp out in seligman. The next day I’d head home.
I took a ton of pictures. I’ll take it a section at a time of some of the route 66 places I’d never added before in sections one at a time:
This weekend, I’ll finally be riding. My wife is going to run me down to Phoenix to get the street glide. From there, I’ll be draining my entire winter stress out onto the road and I cannot wait. It’s all I can think about and it keeps me going.
Ever feel life has you stretched so completely tight that you aren’t yourself? That your easy decisions in life — the very basics of who you are are a bit out of wack? The economy, marriage, business, work, friends and everything else in life I’ve worked to build are weighing on me. I have no doubt that 1,000 miles on the open road will cure that. It always cures it. It feels like the stress of life drains out on the road a drop at a time and is refilled by the best parts of life: Courage. Love. Strength. Inspiration. Monday, I have no doubt I’ll be a new person and be back to myself, ready to kick ass and take names.
My Street Glide is in Phoenix and it’s driving me nuts. I need it back. It’s not a want, its a need now. Work has been intense the last few weeks changing over into an entirely new and great direction, but with the weather getting completely rideable and not having my touring bike I gotta admit is really wearing on me. I need to go for a long and lonely ride into the desert, put my feet up on my touring pegs and drain all my stress out onto the road for 6 hours. I need to camp out in the desert with a flask of Scotch and sleep under the stars. I need to wake up in the morning, eat some beef jerky from my saddle bags and drink coffee while I wait for it to warm up and take the 6 hours home.
Once it’s back, I gotta tell you I’m never parking my bike anywhere other than my garage. It’s like leaving one of my kids down there. It seemed like a good idea when I did it, but with me not being able to bust out and go for a ride right now is all I can think about. Nothing sets my head right like my bike and an open road with no stress. My brother mike calls it going on walkabout. I need to go on walkabout.
I found this picture on the web and photoshopped it up a bit. It’s a road I will hit this summer, on route 66 in New Mexico. Its a gorgeous road.
