Route 66 | Day 8
Arizona is our next destination with a lot of places on our long, long list!!!
Just across the border with New Mexico, we will visit both abandoned and operating trading posts.
Our first stop is at the tiny village of Lupton. While the famous Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post remains closed after the death of his owner in 199, there are plenty of other operating Trading Posts to visit, selling all kinds of Native American goods (with prices varying from normal to a bit pricier)!
Fort Courage was another popular Trading Post along Route 66, located in the tiny town of Houck. Its appearance was inspired by a famous yet short-lived television series, the “F Troop”. The owner tried to cash-in the popularity of the series by trying to crate a link between those two, but in reality Fort Courage had nothing to do with the location that “F Troop” was filmed.
And then nature takes over with a magnificent Petrified Forest and a Painted Desert that will simply leave us breathless! You can read more about this enchanting place on the dedicated post I have created about the most beautiful US National Parks that you should not miss while on your Route 66 trip here.
Also a more extensive photo album from our visit in the Petrified Forest and the Painted Desert can be found here.
Heading to Flagstaff for the night, we drove past Winslow, a cute little town of Arizona, made famous across US thanks to the popular song “Take it easy” by the Eagles. As a tribute to the verse “Well, I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see” of that very song, you will find the very much photographed “Standin’ on the Corner” statue and site right in the heart of this small town!
Last but not least, don’t miss out on a photo opportunity at the Twin Arrows landmark, situated right next to the Interstate 40 on your way to Flagstaff.
You can find more pictures of our Day 8 on Route 66 here.
Route 66 | Day 9
Starting the day early in the morning, we head straight to downtown Flagstaff to enjoy a stroll around its colorful Historic district. Once again, our time is limited to the very basic, as we want to use as much time of the day as possible for our next destination, the one and only… Monument Valley!
What is special about Flagstaff along “Mother Road” is that it’s one of the few places where an original stretch of Route 66 is still preserved. Flagstaff takes great pride in its Route 66 Heritage, and to honor the impact Mother Road had on the town, its main street has been renamed back to Route 66!
In the heart of the Historic downtown Flagstaff lies the Heritage Square. If you have the time, do also try to discover the colorful murals that are hidden in the alleys all around the city center!
What comes after is a visit in the Monument Valley. You can read more about this enchanting place on the dedicated post I have created about the most beautiful US National Parks that you should not miss while on your Route 66 trip here.
We will spend the night in Mexican Hat, a nearby tiny village that is also the most affordable option compared to the lodges found on site!
You can find more pictures of our Day 9 on Route 66 here.
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