Event Coverage Road Trip! D/FW - VLV via Route 66!

A little farther up the road is Two Guns, AZ. Or should I say WAS! During it's heyday, it drew in travelers to see the wild animals that was kept in cages and pens.



There are still remains of the wild animal pens in back.



This bridge marks the original 1926 alignment of Route 66 over Diablo Canyon. I wanted to drive the station wagon over it but the road down to it is a little too rough for a low slung vehicle.



On the opposite side of the bridge sits the owner's house of Two Guns. He was murdered. There's more history to the place other than it being a tourist attraction. There is the story of the Apache Caves and the story of digging up a dead outlaw to give him a last drink of whiskey! Google Two Guns and read for yourself.









I remember when I was first through here in '95 or '96, this station was open and I bought a Two Guns shot glass from there. Time has taken it's toll on the place since then.

 

Up next, in the dying daylight, we came across Twin Arrows, AZ. I have a picture of Twin Arrows from the fifties and it was a booming place back then. Don't know why it didn't survive even with the interstate but all that remains now is this vandalized building and cannibalized gas pumps.





There is also the remains of a Valentine Diner!



I think Stevan was being cautious of snakes. We did see one not two hundred feet from the place on the road that had recently been run over by a car.



The two twin arrows were restored recently by a group of Route 66 supporters.





Here I think Stevan was wishing that the place was open as he was getting hungary!



Like any good cowboy, we then rode off into the sunset, headed for Flagstaff!.

 

I want to thank everyone for the nice comments about this thread. I've always enjoyed the road trip posts on the H.A.M.B. in the past and have looked forward to when I could share my own. And thanks also for the nice comments about station wagon. Those comments I have to share with Gary Dewitt of Mesa, AZ. If it wasn't for him, this car wouldn't be on the road.

We're really enjoying the trip and had a really bitchin' day today. I'm anxious to share it with you tomorrow! We've gotten to meet some really cool people and got to hear their life stories. Wait till you see what they also shared with us!

It's hard to believe that by this time tomorrow evening that our trip will be half over! We plan to be in Vegas sometime tomorrow.

 

If you ever need a meal in Holbrook stop by Joe & Aggie's Cafe. Great people and fantastic food. We stop there every time through.

Thanks again for the great photos.

 

Very cool thread! Makes me want to go back to the mainland just to do a road trip.
What drivetrain do you have in your wagon?

 

Awesome! I am a Route 66 fanatic and this thread made my day. Be safe, have fun.

 

Way to go boys! Looks like an epic road trip for sure! Thank you for sharing with us.

 

If you have the opportunity to deture a little south of Flagstaff is a town called Sedona and further south is Gerome. Gerome is a registered ghost town. It's claim to fame is copper mining in the 1900's. Now it's old hippies selling indian jewelery. Cool place there was a bar there that still has the perch near the ceiling that the bouncer would sit with his shotgun.

 

Looks like you are having a good time! My wife is from Canyon, TX... so when we go to see her folks we go up Hwy 287. We go through all those old TX towns that you took pics of all the neat old buildings. It's a shame that small town USA is dying!

 

These photos rank up there with the "Vintage " photographs and the other thread where it's all genuine pre-W W II stuff!!!!!!!!! Keep us in the loop , this is one helluva story ! scrubba

 

Thanks for sharing, great story of your trip. Love all the picks from all the places, me and my wife drove by Winslow 2009 and forgot to stop and check out the corner,,,,,,, just a question about this pick
, where is it?

Lars

 

I saw the WWII thread and lost it. This forum moves sooo fast I can't find it. I tried to search to no avail. Can someone link me up ?? This road trip is bitchin.

 

Great Roadtrip photos!

 

They are both great places, but it's Jerome, and the indians are trying to open a casino at Twin Arrows, may get back to being a stop again

 

Lars - That's the Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post at the New Mexico/Arizona border.

 

Thanks for the ride! Brings back a lot of good memories from my time in the desert southwest. Nice long roof. Can't wait for the next installment. Be safe.

 

I love this thread. Thanks for the updates, I would love to make this trip next year in my wagon so if your up for the trip again let me know.

 

Got to stop following this thread ....i`m green with envy....Flagstaff is my most favorite place in the whole of the USA

 

Awesome trip documentation. So many small towns and site still on RT 66. I happen to live in Edgewood, NM which is on Rt 66.

 

I thought they had changed the name of "Two Guns" to "No Guns"? At least thats the story my dad would tell on our anual trip to Oklahoma back in the 70's. Great thread!!! This same trip is on my bucket list except we will be heading east. Thanks guys be safe and have fun!

 

thanks, kool photos!

 

Larry it makes me proud to see that car with such a great guy and doing exactly what it was built for, driving down the road. Thank you for keeping us updated on the trip. If you come back tru Phoenix make sure to give me a call.

 

This is bringing back great memories.We did some of Route 66 in 1995 and then the complete trip,Chicago to LA,in 2009.Stayed at the El Rancho in Gallup and we were given the "Marx Brothers" room.
The "Mother Road" is a great experience!!!

I think I will go and look at all my pics and videos again.

 

Thanks for the great pics and excellent narration. Giving background to the places makes the viewing of your fantastic trip all the more enjoyable. Took the trip on 66 in about 1953 when my family moved from NY to ARZ. Very interesting to see all the stops but sad what has become of them. Oh and your wagon is very very cool.

 

Toptinman;
You are doing a great job chronicling your trip. We started at the Las Vegas end March 28th and dropped down to Kingman to start across to Joplin Mo. We headed down to I-40 as we had to be in Nashville for a car tour. We had Wallis' 66 book, AAA 66 map several maps issued by various states so we could catch as much of 66 as possible.

If you retrace the route, there are two notable stops you might make. I had done a little research and found the old Hilton Hotel, in Albuqueerque, I believe at 2nd and Copper. The hotel is a must see, but the secret is that this where Robert Oppenheimer and his staff holed up before moving down to Santa Fe and then on to Los Alamos. The general manager didn't even know the history. The only place outside the hotel Oppenheimer would let the staff go for food is now gone. It is now called the Andalus Hotel a tready place, located at 125 second ave

The other place to see if you have the time is in Miami Oklahoma on 66. It is a restored theater, the Coleman, Wallis in his book passes over it 30+ years ago. You guys are theater buffs and this place is world class, do not miss this 1929 treasure. I won't go into detail, but we were only going to take a photo, were told to go in and two hours later we finally had to leave. This is in a town of 1300 people it is a real treat, I don't think you have seen a theater this great.

 

Are we there yet?

 

thanx for inviting us all along for the trip. been a great one so far altho on the ride home can i sit in the seat? seriously great pix. you have mentioned a "valentine's diner" a couple of times and i am unfamiliar with the term? architecture or ? thanx again! larry

 

Great shots, some good wallpaper here Thanks for letting us ride along in the back seat.

 

This is the king of the ride to the show is always better than the show...Amazing.

 

LOVE this thread..!!! I sure do wish there was a way to buy a bunch of acres of land and save all of those old buildings..!!! What a shame to see them like that...