We had a walk around Winslow this morning and it really is quite a deserted place, particularly in comparison with what it used to be like. There was nobody about, yet oddly, there were several cafes - all closed- and even more hairdressers shops - all open. But we needed breakfast, not bouffounting so we were at a bit of a loss. We had already checked out the famous statue of the bloke standing on the corner as per the 1970s Eagles song, so there was nothing else to do other than leave.
However, we’d only gone about 300 metres when Nadine spotted a Sonic drive in fast food place, complete with waiters on roller blades, so we detoured straight into there.The grub when it came was good too - burritos filled with egg and bacon and slush puppies. But the best bit without doubt was the waiter skating four metres from the kitchen to our car to give it to us. How do people think these jobs up?
After the breakfast entertainment, we drove along Route 66 to Holbrook, the only place on the whole route where there is a sharp corner. And that’s not bad given that its over 2000 kms long. Its also home to the Wigwam Motel, a very strange but very cool motel of concrete wigwams, each with an old style car parked outside. Its still in use too.
Holbrook is not far from the edge of the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, both of which were shut today thanks to the US Government. But we drove through the area, seeing what we wanted to see and stopping at various places where there were various bits of ancient trees dotted about along the roadside.
Once we’d done that, we set off for New Mexico and the Four Corners Monument, the only place in the US where the borders of four states meet.
It was quite a boring drive through the middle of nothing again, but as we crossed the State line, the topography changed and became far more rocky in that cowboy film sort of way. Giant isolated rock outcrops in the flat desert. And clouds too. Big rainy clouds gathered over the rock tops. But it didn’t rain on us.
By late afternoon, we reached Four Corners Monument, the only place in the US where four States share borders - Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. Like most of the area, it’s all Navajo land, but there is not actually much there in the way of ‘stuff’ but there is a plaque where the four corners meet and a whole outdoor seating complex around it. Quite why you would want to sit and look at a plaque is questionable, but you can if you want to.
It was getting quite late so we headed for Bluff and stopped at a Mom and Pop type motel where we rented a wooden cabin for very little. We ate next door in a roadside cafe and the food was very good. The cabin was cold though.
It was owned by an old lady - “I’m 79 1/2 years old, honey” who born and raised in Bluff, she gave us some good tips on what to see in the immediate area. “Honey, you don’t need none of this government stuff. What we got round here is much better and we don’t charge for it, not like they do, take your dollars and shut the place down. They’re losing millions of dollars everyday and the people they’ve laid off in their parks don’t take that much in a day so they’ll lose out. Now I gotta go - I’m going to a funeral. Bye” And off she went.
Just up the road, we stopped off at Cow Canyon Trading Post, right on the cross roads.
Its directly opposite the Twins - two rock outcrops that Bluff is known for. And yep, the rock formations are identical (well almost) hence the name.
I had a quick jog around Bluff this morning as sitting in a car is not a great way to get any exercise at all. And because most Americans seem allergic to any form of physical activity and insist on building their car parks right on top of whatever it is you’ve gone to see, its even difficult to use your feet at all. However, at first light it was really cold, so I waited until the sun came up fully and warmed things a bit. I ended up running faster than planned though because that also seemed to be the time that most of the neighbourhood dogs were let out to chase passing foreigners. And today was my turn. But I have decided to do a short walk/jog as often as I can, especially in the States to keep stagnation at bay.
So after the dog chasing episode and the Cow Canyon stop, we headed up to the Gooseneck State Park, first tip the campsite lady had given us. And what a good tip it was. Only a few miles away, up some really steep and narrow hairpins ( switchbacks as they’re called here) to an incredible view over multiple meanders carved 300 metres deep into the surrounding soil by both water and wind. And there were even some rafters floating down the river way below, just to give the whole thing perspective.
Tip number two was a few miles on, Mulie Point, this time looking over the whole valley. Its possible to get right up on the rocks and do a Thelma and Louise if you so wished, although getting to the edge would have been a bit bumpy. Really high and really fabulous, and down a good dirt road, with which our Chevvy Malibou saloon coped very well.
But tip number three was the ultimate. A real rough off road dirt track through the Valley of the Gods, and again, almost on top of the other two. It winds through the most astonishing rock formations and over dried river beds, the poor old rental car pitching and dipping into gravel ruts but each time coming out the other side as if it did that all the time. It took us about 90 minutes to get through this loop of just a few miles, but it was so worth it.
If you’re in this area, Monument Valley is a must see because its unique. The irony is that before all this ‘close America’ business, we were doubtful tat we would have time to fit it in because we would have gone to the Grand Canyon. But because Obama and co have mucked us about, we had a rethink and drove there this afternoon, arriving late afternoon, just as the sun was dipping down a bit, softening the harsh bright sunlight, and turning everything golden.It was still cold though and I rued wearing shorts, but there you go.
Monument Valley is the to cowboy films what San Fran is to car chases or Berlin is to Cold War spy films. Its a place that is instantly familiar to anybody who has ever seen any cowboy related depiction - especially John Wayne, regardless of whether it be film or cartoon. The famous Mittens, the Stack, the Three Sisters and the Buttes are all here, just jutting from the valley floor like some mad giant rock garden. Again, its all on Navajo land but there is a trading post set up by a white husband and wife, Harry and ‘Mike’ ( aka Leonie) Goulding. They worked with locals and to develop the area as a film location, employing them and their skills and incorporating them in various roles in the film industry. Their home became a haven for various actors (John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Richard Widmark etc) and its preserved as a museum and artifact collection. It’s worth a look. The trading post is next to it and its full of tourist stuff; worth a look if you like that sort of thing.
We’re staying in Page tonight, a purpose built town on the shores of lake Powell, up near the Utah state line. It was difficult to find somewhere to stay because everybody staying in the Grand Canyon lodges was chucked out because thanks to the government closure, and there is also an Octoberfest on. So accommodation is a bit scarce but we found a newly constructed Super 8 Hotel, conveniently near a Denny’s Diner too, giving me the opportunity to discover ‘grits’. I still don’t know what ’grits’ are but I can report that they taste like wallpaper paste. And yes, I have eaten wall paper paste; not recently, but I have definitely sampled it.
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