Finally, Balloons!

When we left Flagstaff, Chris took this picture of Humphries Peak.  A storm had passed just the day before.  I thought it was a great picture but forgot to put in and earlier post.

Humphries Peak

 Leaving Winslow we stopped off at the Petrified Forrest and Painted Desert National Park.  I think the last time we were through here was when Chris was coming to Arizona from Michigan and I was about 10 years old with my parents.

Again, photos don't do it justice. 

Painted Desert

Then off to the International Balloon Festival in Albuquerque.  We decided last year to make plans to attend this years offering.  Thanks to our friend Pat Dzieszkowski, whom we met in an airport in Budapest, she had suggested meeting in Albuquerque for the festival.  Thank you Pat!

Pat and us at Breakfast the following day.

Pat decided to crew one of the Dawn Patrol balloons so we didn't see her at the festival until later that day. So here are some pictures of the Balloons.

Pat's balloon is on the far right.

Dawn Patrol balloons go off first to determine wind direction and speed for the rest of the ballooners. (is that a word?) Then it gets exciting.

Sunrise over the mountains.

The temps were in the balmy 40 degree range.

She needed socks...

But it didn't take long before over 500 balloons ascended into the Albuquerque morning air.

Cartoon characters were the hit of the festival.

Pictures don't do this justice, but it was a perfect morning.  Very little wind and thousands of people cheering.  Kids get out of school for two days, Thursday and Friday, to attend.

Sadly, the Glow-deo did not take place that evening as it was too windy and it had to be canceled.

But all in all, it was a terrific day for ballooning.

That Peaceful, Easy Feeling!

So if you're into the Eagles and their many songs, a road trip along Route 66 brings you to Winslow.  Their classic song 'Take it Easy' has that verse that I won't attempt to sing here, but Winslow has taken it to heart and now it's a tourist stop.

Yep, a flat bed ford 

The facade of a building has an eagle and a couple embracing on top floor and the Ford on the bottom floor.  People all around taking their turn with the singer statue and then taking the next person's picture with their camera or iPhone leaves you with that peaceful easy feeling.

Our stay in Winslow was at the iconic La Posada Hotel.  This hotel has such a rich history I thought I would share their link to explore this really cool place.
La Posada Hotel: Homelaposada.org/

But I will leave you with a few pictures.

The grand entrance.

Still a major rail stop.

You instantly want to pick these up and play with them.

The Turquoise Room's Double dark chocolate soufflé' with Grande Mariner.

The term "Win-Slow" I mentioned in my last post came from a native Navaho guitar player who was entertaining us in the lounge.  Having moved back hear from Burbank in his early twenties, he was not quite ready for the pace here in Winslow.   So he changed the name to reflect that sentiment.

Route 66 and the Internet

Traveling this road is a trip into the past.  The cars, the motels and the stories make this trip really fun.  What isn't fun is connecting; not to the past but the internet!

We left Kingman on Tuesday morning but not before checking out the Powerhouse Visitor Center.  A generating station first started in 1906 generating power from Hoover Dam.

Photo op.

Winding up the Mother Road brought us to the Hackberry General Store.  Yet another stop that was bypassed by Highway 40.  

I'm beginning to see a theme with these stops...

One cool thing were the old Burma Shave sign posts that were prevalent along Route 66.

Big Mistake..Many Make..Using the Horn..Not the Brake..Burma Shave

And lastly, Greyhound had to change their bus routes and leave the Hackberry stop behind.

The white sign in the middle of this picture.

Seligman, a thriving town after WWII, would have five to 9,000 vehicles come through its main street in the mid 1950's.  In September of 1957, that came to a screeching halt with the passing of Eisenhower's signing of National Highway Bill and the opening of Highway 40.  One truth, there were no highway signs on 40 even mentioning the town of Seligman.

We ended our day in a town celebrated in song, Winslow.  Or, as we learned by a native of this town, Win-Slow.

to be continued...

The Mother Road

Day 2 dawned in Barstow.  I thought I'd show you our humble abode where we stayed during our first night on this road trip.

So you travel Route 66, you stay here.

Nash Rambler, I believe!

Love the teddy bears in this car.

 We rolled out of Barstow and hit Highway 40 for about 2 miles before we hit Route 66.

Just so you know what we are doing.

Traveling this route, there is one problem.  Now I know why they put in interstates.

Other than the occasional train delay, we moved on to the town of Newberry.  Don't blink, you'll miss it.  However, the star of a 1987 movie starring academy winner Jack Palance, is the Bagdad Cafe. Which is Newberry!  A cool place with one person there who takes your order, cooks it and then sells you T-shirts.

I know, food pictures put me off too, but great biscuits and gravy.

If they ever close this place, they can recoup about $1000 in 1 dollar bills plastered on the walls.

Next was the booming town of Amboy.  A welcomed stop during the migration heyday was Roy's Motel, Cafe and gas station for those dust bowl travelers coming to California.  Today, the hotel is closed, the cafe sells snacks and the gas is over $5 a gallon.

The small casitas were open to view.

Cool cinder cone in the background.

Just across the street is the post office.

Traveling 25 miles north of Interstate 40 on Route 66 is the town of Oatman.  High up in the Black Mountains, rests one of the Arizona's largest gold producing areas. Because of the steep winding road, the route was altered to flatter landscape.  But the views are spectacular and the mules, amusing.

The Black Mountains.

Legend has it Clark Gable and Carol Lombard honeymooned here in 1939.

Yes, they have mules everywhere. Coming and going!

No words needed. Oh, Chris took this picture.

Route 66 started in Chicago and was the gateway to the West after the turn of the century.  During the depression, thousands of families made the trip to California on this highway.  The term, Mother Road, was first coined by John Steinbeck in his depiction of the Jode family in his book, "The Grapes of Wrath".  What is left of this route in California is the history of migration, hopes and shattered  dreams. 

What was left for us was dinner in Kingman at the Garlic Clove.

Getting our kicks on Route 66

Today we started our road trip to New Mexico to the International Balloon Festival.  Driving to Santa Monica, the end of  Route 66, but our beginning.  We'll drive to Barstow, Kingman, Winslow and then to Albuquerque. Head up to Santa Fe and then start back along the same route but making different stops.  Should be a fun road trip.

 

The end of Route 66..or is it?

Reading the history books, this is not really the end of the famous Route 66.  But is best known as the conclusion of this route.  There was a street festival going on and and no parking anywhere.  Roads blocked off did not deter us.  We valet'd our car for a cool $20 for this picture.  Hey, we're on vacation.

Driving east toward downtown LA, we found the factual end is at 7th and Broadway.  Right near the famous Clifton's Cafeteria.  Determined as the end of the route from 1926 to 1936.

Opened in 1932

Broadway and 7th

We then traveling north up the Pasadena Fwy to Colorado Blvd.  Then jumping on the 210 Fwy, we made our way to the 15 Fwy and up the Cajon Pass to Victorville.  

The museum was closed, so we continued up the National Trails Highway (Historic 66) to this place.

Oro Grande Bank

Then on to the Bottle Tree Ranch.  Built in 2000, its full of antiques and more junk than should be allowed.

 There's bottles stacked like trees.  Hence, the name.

Junk abounds.

I think my mom had one of these.

Nice intersection....

We made it to Barstow and then to Rosita's for a great meal.

Coming back to our motel, we captured the SpaceX launch of an Argentinian satellite.

 

A nice way to end a fun day.  And, it's only day one!