Before we left Hoolbrook there was one thing we all wanted to see. Holbrook has a motel called the Wigwam Motel. Some of the rooms are wigwams. Well, not actual wigwams, they are concrete in construction and there are 16 in total. We had tried to book a night in them but they can't be booked online and when we called there was no availability.
We took some photos, there are also a collection of vintage cars outside. Some need some tlc, but all were iconic models from the past.
Off we set after the photos were done. Near to Holbrook is an attraction called the Petrified Forest. Some 255 million years ago trees that had fallen down started to decompose. Over many years instead of breaking down completely they remained intact and turned to stone due to the make up of the soil.
This area was a hot bed of dinosaurs millions of years ago and overtime many fossils and bones have been discovered here. They are all on show in a museum. The petrified trees are just lying all around the area. They look like trees but when you touch them they are stone. It is really strange and quite amazing. Some of the trees have crystals in their make up, there is a variety of colours, quite fascinating really! As we drove around the rest of the park the scenery was really dramatic, rock formations of many different colours and sizes. Very impressive. Towards the end of the drive through the park is the Painted Desert. This area is where the many layers of rock have been uncovered through erosion and there is a myriad of colours on show. Truly impressive.
As with all the State Parks, some of the Rangers are volunteers, all very knowledgable and passionate about what they do.
After leaving the park we drove on down I44 until we got to Winslow. We had to stop here to stand on a famous corner.
If you know the Eagles, you'll know what I'm talking about! They have a statue on this corner to commemorate the line from Take It Easy. It goes: " I was standing on a corner in Winslow Arizona, such a fine sight to see. There's a girl my Lord, in a flatbed Ford, slowing down to look at me"
The statue is of a guy with a guitar, it is by a lampost and behind it is a mural of a girl driving a flatbed Ford. It is at the junction of 4 roads, all the shops on the corners were blaring out Eagles songs. A real tourist attraction. There is even a massive R66 sign painted on the road in the centre of the junction.
Off again a few miles down the road and we came to the Meteor Crater site. Millions of years ago this was where a meteorite crashed into Earth at some 26,000 miles per hour. It created a hole in the Earth some 2 miles in circumference, 20 football pitches would fit inside it. What was amazing was that although there were lots of visitors it was so quiet!
Off again to Flagstaff to our motel, we found it after a couple of wrong turns. There is a restaurant, diner actually, attached to the motel. We thought let's go there for a drink. Felt that we needed it after our day of nature! Unfortunately they didn't serve alcohol. The guy in the diner recommended going to the bar next door. It is called the Museum Club and is well known on R66. I discovered that it was built in 1915. It is a log cabin, very large inside. We went and had a drink, were greeted by Missy Jane, she seemed to be the owner. She was a real character, she told us that it was a major music venue and that night 3 live acts were playing. We thought that sounds ok, we asked what musc they played and we were told Country Rap. We decided to give it a go so bought some tickets.
So it was back to the room, showered, changed and off to the diner for a meal. I had fish and chips, it was huge, 4 pieces of fish, I was stuffed!
We went to the Museum Club, where Bubba Sparkxxx was playing. In we walked to the sound of rap, no country. All the guys had their hats on backwards, baggy shorts, long sox, sneakers and write walking around saying "yo paaaaaaarrrrrrtttttyyyyyy"!
The bass was deafening, couldn't understand what the guy was singing apart from the occasional "get down". Every song was cheered loudly by the crowd, then Bubba came on. He had a DJ behind him who kept shouting "say yo". We all had to "give it up for Bubba Sparkxxx as he came on, and as he entered the stage the crowd went mad, rushing to the stage to get a good view.
Bubba's from Georgia and used the word "Motherf......" a lot!
He told unusual that he had been touring all over the world, yet this was his first gig in Flagstaff! Well we never heard any country, only rap. It certainly sounded like "C"rap to me.
We left about midnight and when we got back to the room we Googled up Bubba. He's quite something in the rap world but just not my cut of tea, give me the Eagles any day!
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