The Lunch Box Journals

Holbrook AZ to Flagstaff, AZ (I-40)

Leaving Holbrook I-40 has replaced Hwy 66 and we zoom west through the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau.  It doesn’t take long to reach Winslow, our next stop.

Winslow
A division point on the Sante Fe Railroad was established about two miles west of the Little Colorado River crossing and the town of Winslow grew up as a child of the railroad. The town prospered into the 1920’s with the belief that it would soon rival Sante Fe, NM as the premier town along the railroad through the southwest. That optimism prompted the building of one of the last magnificent railroad hotels, La Posada, with a design by renowned southwestern architect Mary J. Colter. The hotel opened in 1930, just after the stock market crash, and was only open for 27 years before closing in 1957. The building was used as offices by the railroad for years and then slated for demolition before being rescued and restored in the late 1990’s. It now is a boutique hotel with an award-winning dining room next to the train tracks and an Amtrak train stops at the gates in the back.

The design is based upon a Spanish colonial mission model with arches and courtyards amidst the lush landscaping. Approaching from the street an arch beckons the weary traveler.

A friendly camel greets visitors at the entry arch.

Once inside the forecourt, patios and gardens decorated with sculptures unfold within the two wings of the hotel.

Entering the front door one looks directly through to the back exit to the train access.

On the left is the famed Turquoise Room, a restaurant that earned three stars from Conde Nast in 2009, on the right is a lounge and hall to the east hotel rooms.

Continuing out the back door, the gate to the train is right in front of us. Pergolas on both sides provide shade for waiting passengers.

Turning around there’s a view of the side of the hotel that fronts the train tracks.

Back inside that passenger lounge area provides a quiet refuge front the outdoors as well as access to the hotel wings.

A block west of the hotel is the main intersection of Old Winslow with a number of historic buildings.

Then I turn and face the REAL reason that Winslow attracts over 100,000 people a year to this intersection.

This corner was enshrined in musical history when the Eagles 1972 classic included the lyrics “Well, I’m a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see. It’s a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me.” The rest is history… Even on a Tuesday mid-morning in late April it was not possible to get a picture without tourists in it! (And most clearly old enough to be reliving their memories of the early 1970’s…)

Leaving Winslow it’s back on I-40 heading west for Flagstaff. For some time what looked like low clouds have been hovering on the horizon to the west, but now, about 40 miles east of Flagstaff it is clear that a natural “pyramid” is trusting up from the dusty plains.

The San Francisco Peaks are the remnant of a long dormant volcano and Humphrey’s Peak pierces the sky at 12,633 feet, the tallest mountain in Arizona. And yes, that’s snow on the top of those peaks. There are two ski areas in Arizona, one in the White Mountains east of Show Low and the other atop the San Francisco Peaks north of Flagstaff. In between, like an emerald green sash across Arizona, is the Ponderosa Pine forest referenced in earlier chapters of The Lunch Box Journals. Nestled in the foothills at the southeastern base of the peaks is the former lumber town of Flagstaff.

Flagstaff, AZ
The first road through the area that would become Flagstaff was built in 1857 as a wagon road was forged as a path from the east to California. This road was the precursor of Route 66 and now I-40. A town was established in 1876 as a stop on the railroad and quickly became the center of a thriving timber and ranching community. By the 1890’s Flagstaff sat firmly astride the busiest railroad between southern California and the east. The Northern Arizona Normal School, now Northern Arizona State University, was founded in 1899. Nestled in a canyon on the south side of the San Francisco Peaks, the small downtown area is divided by the train tracks and the 1926 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe depot, tucked between the train tracks and Hwy 66.

North of the highway is the historic downtown area with buildings from the late 1800’s centered on San Francisco Street, which runs north/south perpendicular to the train tracks.

Standing proudly on the northern slopes overlooking the town are the 1895 Cococino County Courthouse and the 1929 Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The downtown area is that of a vibrant college town, full of retail, bars and restaurants. A revival of the area is in progress, especially west of San Francisco Street, centering on a civic plaza, replete with metal sculpture benches and public art representing the healthy arts community in Flagstaff.

As I see frequently in this historic towns, a grand downtown hotel anchors the area. In Flagstaff it is the Hotel Monte Vista, built in 1927. Though small, it has been restored to its’ original elegance.

When Route 66 came through town it just touched the eastern edge of the historic downtown area and then crossed the railroad tracks and angled past the university to the southwest. San Francisco Street continues south past the train tracks, stretching towards Northern Arizona University. Just across the tracks is a remnant of Flagstaff’s past, the lumberyard, now a booming brew pub anchoring a couple of blocks of pubs, restaurants and coffee shops.

The arts community is represented by the creative bicycle racks that decorate the street side.

Just past the Lumberyard historic Hwy 66 angled off to the southwest. Here are the motor courts that served the travelers of that era. Unlike those seen in other towns on the trip, these are still in use. Probably feeling the need to attract travelers to the “other” side of the tracks and stand out against the dense forest, tall neon signs scrape the sky to beckon the weary traveler.

One of the motor courts, the Motel Sierra Vista, even offered steam heated garages as a refuge from the rigid winters.

A view to the north shows the historic old center of town perched at the base of the San Francisco Peaks. Flagstaff sits at an elevation of 7,000 feet and one of the days I was there it snowed!

It’s time to return to reveling in the glory of Mother Nature so I stock up at the local Walmart (Flagstaff will be the last large town for quite a ways) and head north.

Next up: Saving the best for last…