Posts tagged Arizona

July 9, 2014: Route 66 – Seligman – Needles – Williams

0

Today’s Map

Below is an interactive map of our trip, tracked using my Trimble Outdoors Navigator iPhone app. You can zoom in, or click the link below for a bigger, fullscreen map.

Feel free to browse and refer to the map for details about where we traveled, the photos were taken, etc.

Last Day Westbound

Today would be our last day westbound, and we would turn around in Needles and return east, taking 66 most of the way (when possible) and in particular, some areas of 66 that we missed on the way out. Due to time constraints, in a few areas where we did take 66 west, we might skip them east….depends on how our timing goes.

I woke up before sunrise, which was odd considering how little sleep I’d had on this trip. But it was fortunate, because I was treated to a very beautiful and peaceful sunrise in Seligman.

Good morning, Seligman!

Good morning, Seligman!

Good morning, Seligman!

KOA Kampground next to the Stagecoach 66 Motel

KOA Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

Love the old motel keychains!

Stagecoach 66 Motel Key, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

Once my grandson was up, fairly early – we began the ritual of getting him ready and packing up. He was very helpful today, since the motel was on one level. He was able to carry his own belongings out to the car, which made the process easier!

Sadly, we were not in Seligman during anytime that the Snow Cap was open, but here is a photo this morning. We had been here before when Juan Delgadillo was alive; my first visit was on my trip in August 2000 with my daughter and the next time was on my honeymoon in June 2002.

As always, I required coffee. I was very happy with the VERY good coffee (and half and half – yeah!) at Historic Seligman Sundries.

Snow Cap Drive-in, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

There are several sets of Burma Shave signs around Seligman. Pat is not into them, but I am, and I was driving, so I subjected him to a complete reading of each…and…every…set…of…signs.

Burma Shave signs on westbound Route 66, Arizona

Route 66 west, Peach Springs, Arizona

Pat asked me to turn around and stop in this area. Off to the right, there appears to be a small dirt track of some sort. It has fairly high banked curves and Pat’s thought was that it might have provided some inspiration for the dirt track in Cars.

Track along Route 66,  near Peach Springs, Arizona

In Truxton, we passed by the Frontier Motel, which is currently undergoing restoration of the motel and cafe.

Frontier Motel - Route 66, Truxton, Arizona

Heading west toward Kingman.

Route 66 west of Truxton, Arizona

Entering Kingman, we are nearing the end of our westward journey.

Here is the Route 66 Motel.

Route 66 Motel, Kingman, Arizona

The Orchard Inn

Orchard Inn Motel, Route 66

Hill Top Motel

Hill Top Motel, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Hill Top Motel, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Arcadia Lodge

Arcadia Lodge, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Welcome to Kingman!

Welcome to Kingman, Arizona

Here is the turn under I-40 outside of Kingman to take Route 66 (Oatman Road), the older alignment of 66 that goes through the mountains and through the town of Oatman, home to the burros!

Route 66 near Exit 44 (I-40), Kingman, Arizona

Historic 66 sign on Oatman Road, Kingman, Arizona

Historic 66 sign on Oatman Road, Kingman, Arizona

Looking back east on 66 from Shaffer Springs Fishbowl

Oatman Road (Route 66), Arizona

Shaffer Springs Fishbowl

Shaffer Spring Fishbowl, Oatman Road (Route 66), Arizona

What a climb…we did it!! But looking back down, the little man then got scared and wanted to come back down.

Oatman Road (Route 66), Arizona

Oatman Road (Route 66), Arizona

Arriving in Oatman!

Oatman’s most famous inhabitants are currently the burros, which come down from the mountains every day during business hours (like clockwork) to visit the tourists, who will gladly feed them.
Route 66 - Oatman, Arizona

We prepared our grandson for the excitement of the burros by watching YouTube videos. We bought some burro food from a shop, but all the videos in the world weren’t going to help him adjust to a frightening sense of overwhelm at being surrounded by these giant creatures (to his little 3 year old self, they were). I also felt a bit panicky at having them surround him, so I quickly grabbed the burro food and tossed it away and pulled our grandson out of the circle of burros he’d been surrounded. They gave us slight chase, but when they realized we had no food, they moved on to other tourists who did, and who helped lure them away.

We bought him a stuffed animal burro, which he enjoys and happily isn’t too emotionally scarred from the experience. He did say afterward, that he doesn’t want to see the real burros again, so I think there is a little scarring. Hopefully, he’ll change his mind when he gets older.

We had some ice cream to cool down before we left town.
Route 66 - Oatman, Arizona

West of Oatman, heading toward Topock.

Oatman-Topock Highway (Route 66), Between Oatman and Topock, Arizona

Oatman-Topock Highway (Route 66), Between Oatman and Topock, Arizona

We had read on one of the Route 66 Facebook pages that the road near Topock was closed due to rains earlier in the week. I was unable to check on that or ask anyone if that was still the case, because we had very little Internet signal. Sure enough, in Topock, the road was closed so we went to Needles on Route 1, and then 95 and crossing down into Needles, California.

We saw the 66 Motel, with its recently (2012) restored sign, with fundraising led by Ed Klein of Route 66 World.

66 Motel - Route 66, Needles, California

66 Motel - Route 66, Needles, California

After Needles, we proceeded to head east on I-40 toward the Park Moabi Road exit (153), where we would be taking more photos of locations used in the opening credits of Easy Rider between here and Exit 1 on the Arizona side. Click here for my post of the Easy Rider Filming Locations, with photos and description of this area, as well as screen captures from the movie.

Old Stone billboard - Route 66 Welcome sign

 

After finishing with all of the movie locations around the Arizona – California border, we headed back east to Kingman on the Interstate, which was a later alignment of Route 66, starting in 1953, bypassing the Oatman Road alignment. It’s a longer way around (really, it feels long!) and far less interesting and fun than Oatman Road. But we’d already taken Oatman Road on the way out, so we took this way back until we got to Kingman, where we exited back onto Route 66.

By this time, the little man needed a playground break and we wanted to eat, so we killed two birds with one stone by stopping in Kingman by Locomotive Park, home to this 1927 steam locomotive. Click the link for more info on the steam train. Jameson had fun running around and letting off some steam (pun intended!).

Locomotive Park, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Once we felt we could take a break from the train, we headed next door to Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner to eat, followed by a little more play time at the train.

Mr. D'z - Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Moving on, this sign for the Kingman Club is on Beale Street.

Kingman Club Sign, Beale Street, Kingman, Arizona

We continued east on 66 through Kingman, and took a few photos we didn’t get on the way west.

The El Trovatore Motel

El Trovatore Morel, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

El Trovatore Morel, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

El Trovatore Morel, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

Uptown Drug

Uptown Drug & Medical Supply, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

ABC Chinese Buffet

ABC Buffet, Route 66, Kingman, Arizona

We continued to take 66 east from Kingman. East of Seligman, I noticed the sunset in the rear view mirror and thought it was beautiful enough to stop for a photo!

Sunset on 66, east of Seligman, Arizona

Once 66 leads into I-40 near Ash Fork, we took the Interstate east to Williams, where we took 66. Since it was getting late, we had already decided to stay in Williams for the night.

Slideshow of All Photos (July 9, 2014)

Below is a slideshow of all of the photos from this portion of the trip.
Click any photo to stop the slideshow and view the photos on my Flickr site. 
If you are on an iOS device and do not see the slideshow below, click here to view the set on Flickr.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

Pat & Jennifer

RTM_CartoonGreen

July 8, 2014: Route 66 – Holbrook to Seligman, Arizona

0

Today’s Map

Below is an interactive map of our trip, tracked using my Trimble Outdoors Navigator iPhone app. You can zoom in, or click the link below for a bigger, fullscreen map.

Feel free to browse and refer to the map for details about where we traveled, the photos were taken, etc.

Even though we had a perfectly acceptable stay at the Magnuson, it would have been nice to sleep in a Wigwam (we have at the Cave City, KY location). But here’s a morning photo on our way out of town.

Wigwam Motel - Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona

Next, we stopped at the Jack Rabbit Trading Post. Glad we went and checked the door, because it looked closed, it seemed dark inside and there were no cars visible. But happily, they were open. Sadly, though, they no longer sold that cloyingly sweet cider we enjoyed on our honeymoon. We picked up a few souvenirs, including a HERE IT IS shirt for our grandson.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post - Route 66, Joseph City, Arizona

Jack Rabbit Trading Post - Route 66, Joseph City, Arizona

And here he is, posing on the Jack Rabbit! A rite of passage for all good Route 66 roadies.

Jack Rabbit Trading Post - Route 66, Joseph City, Arizona

Continuing to motor west, our next stop was Winslow, Arizona.

Welcome to Winslow

There is a 9/11 Memorial on the east end of Winslow on 66, which contains pieces from the World Trade Center.

9-11 Memorial, Route 66, Winslow, Arizona

We went over to Standin’ on the Corner Park, which has a mural, statue, and Flatbed Ford, all depicting a scene from The Eagles’ song “Take It Easy.”

There’s a man with a guitar standing on the corner, and the reflection in the window of a girl in a Flatbed Ford. I decided to take it easy and sip a Route 66 root beer. Very peaceful and relaxing.

Standing on the Corner Park - Route 66, Winslow, Arizona

Closeup of the statue…I still think he looks like Jackson Browne, despite the fact that there is no “official” word on who this is (I asked)!

Standing on the Corner Park - Route 66, Winslow, Arizona

Standing on the Corner Park - Route 66, Winslow, Arizona

Standing on the Corner Park - Route 66, Winslow, Arizona

I browsed in two of the shops there and picked up some t-shirts and postcards, while Pat took our grandson for a walk (a 3 year old and breakables is not a good combination!!).

Continuing west, we stopped for a photo at the old Twin Arrows Trading Post. It was barricaded and not as easily accessible as it used to be. There was also a casino nearby, of course, called the Twin Arrows Casino.

Twin Arrows Trading Post, Route 66, Arizona

Twin Arrows Trading Post, Route 66, Arizona

This old bridge is located on Route 66 at the Winona exit (exit 211 from I-40).

Bridge - Route 66, Winona. Arizona

Heading toward Flagstaff.

West on 66 near Flagstaff, Arizona

In Flagstaff, is this former Howard Johnson’s Restaurant (the hotel is still that brand), now the Crown Railroad Cafe.

Crown Railroad Cafe (Howard Johnson's), Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

Western Hills Motel sign

Western Hills Motel & Restaurant, Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

Sierra Vista Motel sign

Motel Sierra Vista sign - Flagstaff, Arizona

Old scaffold style signs in Flagstaff – Downtowner Motel and Motel DuBeau

Downtowner Motel sign, Flagstaff, Arizona

Motel Du Beau sign (Du Beau Hostel), Flagstaff, Arizona

We stopped in Flagstaff for a while to walk around and take photos of various Easy Rider filming locations, from the opening credits, which was filmed in part along Route 66 in Flagstaff. Click here for my post on Easy Rider Filming Locations to see more photos from Flagstaff along with screen shots from Easy Rider.

We stopped at the 66 Visitors Center and picked up a couple of Route 66 / Cars shirts for our grandson. One was a 66 t-shirt and the other was a really cute hand made Hawaiian type shirt made from Cars fabric with a map and Cars characters Mater and Lightning McQueen.

There was a bakery called Sugar Mamas that we wanted to visit, but it had already closed.

The Galaxy Diner is on 66 on the west side of town.

Galaxy Diner - Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

West of Flagstaff, Route 66 takes you on a scenic drive through the Kaibab National Forest. This is another location that was well-depicted in the Pixar film Cars, as Sally & Lightning take a drive through the forest (see video below the photo).

Route 66 west - between Flagstaff and Williams, Arizona

We told our grandson this was where Lightning and Sally went for a drive too!

Next, we arrived in Williams, a really nice Route 66 town with alot of great shops and restaurants. Again, we no longer buy alot of knick knacks, since we’re not in “acquisition” mode, but rather on a long, slow path to decluttering and eliminating stuff for a future of “fulltiming” in an RV someday, but that’s another story. We do buy a few things that we can use like t-shirts, coffee mugs, tote bags, etc. So I bought a cool Route 66 ceramic coffee mug at Cruisers and a couple small other things.

Cruiser's Gifts sign - Route 66, Williams, Arizona

I was disappointed to see the Route 66 Inn closed. I stayed here during my first trip on Route 66 in August 2000.

Route 66 Inn - Williams, Arizona

Turquoise Tepee

Turquoise Tepee - Route 66, Williams. Arizona

Addicted to Deals

Addicted to Route 66 Deals - Route 66, Williams. Arizona

Rod’s Steak House

Rod's Steak House, Route 66, Williams, Arizona

We stopped to get some ice cream at Twisters Soda Fountain…the chocolate met with our grandson’s approval! Here he is wearing the Cars shirt we had bought him in Flagstaff.

Twister's Soda Fountain, Route 66, Williams, Arizona

Twister's Soda Fountain, Route 66, Williams, Arizona

We managed to walk around Williams without any rainfall, which was looming. Moving west, we took the Crookton Road exit, which leads travelers onto a beautiful stretch of Route 66 away from the Interstate, and through Ash Fork, Seligman, Hackberry, Truxton, and on into Kingman.

Here are two photos at the Crookton Road exit.

Route 66, Crookton Road Exit, Arizona

Route 66 - East of Seligman, Arizona

Near Seligman, another BNSF train was approaching!

Untitled

Next, we arrived in Seligman as it was nearing dusk; however, as we had never stayed in Kingman, that was our intended destination for this evening.

Looking west on 66 in Seligman.

Route 66, Seligman, Arizona at Dusk

The Copper Cart

Copper Cart - Route 66, Seligman. Arizona

Fillmore from Cars!

Fillmore - Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

Historic Route 66 Motel on the west side of Seligman

Historic 66 Motel - Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

The Supai Motel

Supai Motel - Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

We needed to get gas, so we stopped on the west side of Seligman. Once we did, we realized we really didn’t want to continue for this evening. It was getting dark, and we wouldn’t see much between here and Kingman. We decided to stay at the Stagecoach 66 Motel, where we’d stayed on our honeymoon. Double bonus, there was a restaurant / bar on the premises, so we could get some takeout and eat in our room (we would have eaten at the Snow Cap, but it was already closed by the time we arrived in town).

Stagecoach 66 Motel, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

 They had vacancy, and Pat even managed a surprise…a Cars-themed room. Jameson was very excited to see all of the decor with Mater, Lightning McQueen, and other Cars characters, just like his room at home. He was literally bouncing all over the place in excitement.

Stagecoach 66 Motel, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

As Pat went over to the bar & restaurant to get a pizza, Jameson and I had a nice walk all around the grounds of the motel (about 5 laps, no less). It was a nice, peaceful time – I’m not sure what’s in the air in Seligman that calmed my grandson down, but it was just about the most quiet time I’d had with him so far during the trip (and in retrospect it would turn out to be the most quiet time of the entire trip…).

 The office area of the motel.

Stagecoach 66 Motel, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

Dinner!

Stagecoach 66 Motel, Route 66, Seligman, Arizona

Then it was time for some shuteye and the nightly ritual of trying to get our grandson to calm down and go to sleep. Mercifully, he fell asleep fairly easily today!

Until tomorrow…

Slideshow of All Photos (July 8, 2014)

Below is a slideshow of all of the photos from this portion of the trip.
Click any photo to stop the slideshow and view the photos on my Flickr site. 
If you are on an iOS device and do not see the slideshow below, click here to view the set on Flickr.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

Pat & Jennifer

RTM_CartoonGreen

July 7, 2014: Albuquerque, New Mexico to Holbrook, Arizona

0

Today’s Map

Below is an interactive map of our trip, tracked using my Trimble Outdoors Navigator iPhone app. You can zoom in, or click the link below for a bigger, fullscreen map.

Feel free to browse and refer to the map for details about where we traveled, the photos were taken, etc.

We decided to try having breakfast at a place recommended by a coworker of mine – not on 66, but very cool, The Owl Cafe has a very cool structure!

Owl Cafe - Albuquerque, New Mexico

Afterward, we drove down to Central Avenue (Route 66) to take a few photos of some of the excellent signage still remaining. I only took a fraction of what was there – I would like to spend much more time in Albuquerque, and especially in the evening! The evening before, we had arrived late and we were all pretty tired and anxious to get to our motel. Without a 3 year old with us, I would have been cruising Central Avenue for neon shots, but the little man was in need of sleep (even though he was still really hyped up!); he didn’t nap, slept minimally and was really excited on our trip – too excited, actually. He hated leaving every place we went that he enjoyed, so there were some difficult moments.

Here are a couple more photos from Route 66 in Albuquerque:
Griff's Hamburgers - Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico

DeAnza Motor Lodge sign - Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico
In addition to driving on 66, today would be a “filming location” day! It’s been a while since we have done a filming locations post (our last were in 2011, we did all of “Mystic Pizza” and also filled in more of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off“). We would be focusing a bit of attention in Albuquerque to photograph movie locations from the 2007 comedy “Wild Hogs,” starring John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, and William H. Macy. That blog post is linked here and lists the locations (also can be seen on our trip map above).

After finishing all of the filming locations, we continued west on Central Avenue, which is the post-1937 alignment of Route 66 in this area. We continued up Nine Mile Hill, which offers a beautiful views from the top; eastbound, you will get a great view of Albuquerque. Westbound, is a nice view of the New Mexico prairie. By coincidence, on our honeymoon in 2002, I snapped a photo of the westbound view and as I was watching the 1940 film, “The Grapes of Wrath,” realized that once scene in the film was shot at the same location from my honeymoon photo! Check it out on my “Grapes of Wrath – Filming Locations” page.

Continuing westbound on the post-1937 alignment, approximately 19 miles west of Albuquerque is this Parker through truss bridge crossing the Rio Puerco.

Rio Puerco Bridge - Route 66, New Mexico Here is the same location back in June 2002. Shortly after (September 2003), a large casino called the Route 66 Casino opened up, and is now visible to the left of the bridge in the background. Was far more desolate before! Opening the photos on Flickr, will offer a larger view.
Rio Puerco Bridge - 19 miles west of Albuquerque, New Mexico

At this point, it is necessary to join the Interstate, which we did until Exit 126, where the pre- and post-1937 alignments converge. However, there’s a small portion of the pre-1937 alignment that continues west through Laguna Pueblo land, so we thought we’d try it. According to McJerry’s EZ 66 Guide, this portion is fairly rough (it was), so we didn’t take it after all. We did spot this bar out there on this alignment.

Bar on pre-1937 Route 66 alignment, Correo, New Mexico
Train by pre-1937 Route 66, Correo, New Mexico

Instead, we went back up to to the post-1937 alignment which still follows I-40, at this point, until Exit 117 at Mesita, where we exited and continued on Route 66 through Laguna Pueblo.

Between San Fidel and McCarty’s, there’s an old Whiting Bros. station in ruins. Would be nice to see it restored and in use like the one in Moriarty some day.

Whiting Bros. Filling station - Route 66 between McCartys & San Fidel, New Mexico
Whiting Bros. Filling station - Route 66 between McCartys & San Fidel, New Mexico

Whiting Bros. Filling station - Route 66 between McCartys & San Fidel, New Mexico

There are also such beautiful views in New Mexico too!

Route 66 - New Mexico

Next, we arrived in Grants, which has some neat old signage – I didn’t get them all, here are just a few.

The Grants Cafe

Grants Cafe sign - Route 66, Grants, New Mexico

West Theatre

West Theatre - Route 66, Grants, New Mexico

Sands Motel
Sands Motel sign - Route 66, Grants, New Mexico

The Roaring 20’s (lounge/package liquors, etc. – now closed)
The Roarin' 20's - Route 66, Grants, New Mexico

Grants was also a playground stop for our grandson, who is very adept at spotting playgrounds! There was a nice park along Route 66 with play equipment, so we made a stop.  Along the road in front of the park is a nice metal sculpture commemorating the City of Grants and its history, including Route 66, Native American culture, uranium mining, pioneers, and more. Very detailed! You can click on the photo below to go to my Flickr site, where you can view a larger size for more detailed viewing.

Grants, New Mexico - Welcome Sculpture

 Continuing west on Route 66 from Grants, we saw this old motel sign near Bluewater.

Train by Route 66, west of Grants, New Mexico

Then there’s the Continental Divide, elevation is 7,245 ft. at this location. Rainfall divides at this point; to the east, it drains to Atlantic and to the west, the Pacific.
Continental Divide - New Mexico

Most of our time in Gallup was spent at Bubany Park, a tiny residential neighborhood park with…you guessed it…a playground. I’m starting to think of this trip as the “Playground Trail.” LOL Of course, the Playground Trail is more commonly known as the National Park to Park Highway, a loop that connected National Parks. But on this trip, it was about us visiting playgrounds!

I did snap one photo on the west side of Gallup, though, of a place called Virgie’s Restaurant and Lounge.

Virgie's Restaurant & Lounge - Route 66, Gallup, New Mexico

It was lightly raining as we approached the Arizona border. We didn’t experience too much rain on this trip, so I wasn’t bothered by it. Just past the border along Route 66 is Lupton, which has several trading posts. Here is a photo of the Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post (closed). This area provided inspiration for Cars, where the old “Wagon Wheel Motel.”

Chief Yellowhorse Trading Post - Route 66, Lupton, Arizona

wheelwell

We continued on and decided to stay in Holbrook. Though we had gained another hour, our bodies didn’t feel it and we were very tired and hungry.

We stopped at the Wigwam Motel, but they were full (sad face).

Wigwam Motel - Route 66, Holbrook, Arizona

We didn’t make a reservation simply because we typically travel without a strict plan. I like to have all of my travel information (routes, points of interest, etc.) all meticulously gathered and organized for our trips using Trimble, where I create a digital guide map that syncs to my iPhone. When we travel, I use the guide for reference, but we like to just drive and only generally concern ourselves with where we’ll end up for the night, not adhere to strict schedules. Sometimes we do struggle to find acceptable lodging, but it’s always fun and mildly adventurous!

Anyway, we ended up at a hotel right by the Wigwam called the Magnuson, and stayed in a perfectly acceptable and comfortable, albeit nondescript room.

Slideshow of All Photos

Below is a slideshow of all of the photos from this portion of the trip.
Click any photo to stop the slideshow and view the photos on my Flickr site. 
If you are on an iOS device and do not see the slideshow below, click here to view the set on Flickr.

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

-Pat & Jennifer

RTM_CartoonGreen

Easy Rider Filming Locations

2

Easy Rider - Movie Poster

Opening Credits

The opening credits actually contain all of the filming locations that we currently have (we don’t have them all at this point). This will be a work in progress as we travel.

Here is a video of the opening credits to set the proper mood, as well as the context of the scene, which we love, with Steppenwolf’s “Born to be Wild.” Classic.

Interstate 40 East, Crossing the Colorado River at the California/Arizona Border

This scene was filmed along I-40 eastbound, crossing from California into Arizona. Two bridges, which are former alignments of Route 66 are also visible. The first bridge to the right, is the Red Rock Bridge, which carried Route 66 traffic from 1947 until 1966, when I-40 became the primary crossing. The Red Rock Bridge was later demolished. Also visible is the Old Trails Arch Bridge, which was built in 1916 and was an alignment of Route 66 from its inception through 1947, when it was replaced by the Red Rock Bridge.

Easy Rider Filming Location - I-40 crossing the Colorado River from California to Arizona

Below, you can “drive” the same location on Google Street View.

View Larger Map

Here is another view from this scene filmed from I-40, with the Red Rock Bridge first, and the Old Trails Arch Bridge more clearly visible behind it.

Easy Rider Filming Location - I-40 crossing the Colorado River from California to Arizona

Since the scene was along the Interstate, our best replication was taken through the windshield. Not great quality, we know (dirty windshield!).

Trails Arch Bridge crossing the Colorado River

Here is a better view of the Old Trails Arch Bridge, taken from the California side (Park Moabi exit).

Old Trails Arch Bridge - crossing Colorado River between Arizona and California

Golden Shores/Oatman Exit 1 off I-40, near Topock, Arizona

This scene was filmed on the Arizona side of the Colorado River, the first exit after the I-40 crossing above. The road that Billy and Wyatt are seen riding is on the south side of the Interstate, and is an old alignment of Route 66, leading to the Old Trails Arch Bridge (privately owned by Pacific Gas & Electric).

Easy Rider Filming Location - old Route 66 near Topock, Arizona

A view of this scene taken from across the road.

Easy Rider Filming Location - Old Route 66, Arizona

Park Moabi Road Exit 153 off I-40, Needles, California

Here, through the magic of film, Wyatt and Billy are back west, in Calfornia again. This scene was taken off the first exit on the California side of the Colorado River, Exit 153, Park Moabi Road.

The view below is looking north on Park Moabi Road, toward what is now an RV resort called Pirates Cove Resort & Marina, near Needles, California.

From assessing this scene and the photo below, we believe that some changes were made to the road since the film was made. The curves seen in the screenshot above do not exist in the road today, and judging from satellite views of the location, it appears there are remnants of curved road here. But without research (or the opinion of some of our Route expert friends, we won’t state this as fact, just casual observation. However, it definitely safe to say that this is a very close approximation of the location of this scene. As the co/owner of a small retro trailer (Serro Scotty HiLander), we actually like the scene in 1969 with the cool canned ham trailer!

Additionally, Park Moabi Road north, leads to an old alignment of Route 66, which eastbound leads to where the Red Rock Bridge (from the screenshots above).

Easy Rider Filming Location - Park Moabi Road

And in July 2014…

Park Moabi Road looking north toward National Trails / Route 66, California

Oddly enough (and ignore this now if you aren’t into geeky details…just enjoy the photos), in reality, this scene was filmed from the same spot as the shot above. If you watch the YouTube video, you will see that as Wyatt and Billy are riding up the hill, the camera smoothly pans across, following them as they proceed south on Park Moabi Road.

Interestingly (and this could be the result of the technical differences between movie and still cameras), while the film was shot from the same location (by the railroad on Park Moabi, where an old alignment of Route 66 goes back east), our photos were taken some distance apart on Park Moabi. This will be evident to anyone who drives Park Moabi in real life (or check it out on Google Street view).

Here is the view as they rode south on Park Moabi Road.

Easy Rider Filming Location - Park Moabi Road

And in 2014…

Park Moabi Road looking south - California

Route 66 – Flagstaff, Arizona

This scene was filmed on Route 66 (S. Milton Street, near Tuscon Avenue) in Flagstaff, Arizona. Billy and Wyatt are passing what was the Lumberjack Cafe. This lumberjack statue is still in Flagstaff; not at this location, but instead at Northern Arizona University, at the J. Lawrence Walkup Skydome, along with a similar twin. Their team is the Lumberjacks, and he serves as their mascot.

Easy Rider Filming Location - Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

This is the scene today, at what is now called Granny’s Closet. The lumberjack that was visible in Easy Rider is now located at Northern Arizona University. Below is Little Louie, who was not visible in Easy Rider, but has been at the Lumberjack Cafe since the 1960’s, along with the two other Bunyan-type statues.

For more detailed information on the Bunyan lumberjacks and Little Louie at the Lumberjack Cafe, please see this page on RoadsideArchitecture.com

Easy Rider Filming Location - Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

In this scene, they are a bit farther east on Route 66 (near N. Leroux Street) in Flagstaff. This building was the Canyon Hotel at the time, with a camera shop also.

Easy Rider Filming Location - Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

The building in 2014. Several businesses are listed at this location, such as an Architectural Design Studio, Flagstaff Piano, Clock and Fine Art Gallery, and a realty company.

Easy Rider Filming Location - 2 Historic Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

The scene below is just a block east from the location above, also on Route 66, looking south onto S. San Francisco Street).

Easy Rider Filming Location - Route 66, Flagstaff, Arizona

And the same scene in 2014.

Easy Rider Filming Location - Route 66 at San Francisco Street, Flagstaff, Arizona

That’s all for now! We had a screen capture of a couple others that we missed. One is a quick cut of them at another angle in the view above (we were right there and totally spaced taking a photo…next time!). Another location is a bit farther west in Bellemont, Arizona. Again, a work in progress that we’ll add to over time. There are many other locations in the movie in New Mexico and Louisiana (of note), so as we travel to those areas, we’ll add to this page!

Hope you enjoyed the ride!

Pat & Jennifer

RTM_CartoonGreen

June 21, 2002: Our Honeymoon on Route 66 (Day 8)

0

Williams, Arizona to Adrian, Texas

We enjoyed a great stay at the El Rancho Motel in Williams, Arizona on the eastbound side of Route 66, on the east end of town.  We highly recommend this motel.  It’s independently owned, friendly service, clean, nicely furnished, and has great amenities – our room had a refrigerator, microwave and coffee maker…all at a reasonable price! This is a perfect example of a place which makes you want to support Mom & Pop.

We had breakfast at Goldie’s Route 66 diner and walked around Williams for a bit and visited a few gift shops.

We had to take the Evil I, and continued east.  As we neared Holbrook, we had limited visibility due to smoke from the wildfire about 30 – 40 miles south, near Show Low.

We made decent time through New Mexico until Albuquerque, where we hit both rush hour and construction traffic.  Unfortunately, taking Route 66 in this area would not have been a viable option, since it’s the very busy Central Avenue through town!

We did turn off in Santa Rosa and take the route there, to grab a quick bite to eat.  We finally pulled into Adrian at about 8:30, and were very happy to see the Midpoint Cafe was still open!  We had two slices of Joann’s chocolate peanut butter pie, and were able to meet yet another fellow e-group member, Fran, the owner of the Midpoint Cafe.  We talked outside for a bit, and when we said good bye, we had planned on continuing to Vega.  Instead, we decided to stay next door at the Fabulous 40 Motel, owned by an 85 year old woman.

Slideshow of All Photos

For more details about a particular photo, click on it in the slideshow and it will open in my Flickr site.

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”roadtripmemories” id=”72157606260796699″ width=”500″]

 

June 20, 2002: Our Honeymoon on Route 66 (Day 7)

0

Seligman, Arizona to Needles, California and back to Williams, Arizona

  • Met Angel and Juan Delgadillo
  • Stopped at the Hackberry General Store and visitor center
  • Stopped at the Powerhouse in Kingman
  • Followed Oatman Road into Oatman
  • Continued down old 66 into Topock, then into Needles. Turned around and took the Evil I back to Kingman.  We stopped for dinner at Mr. D’z

Slideshow of All Photos

For more details about a particular photo, click on it in the slideshow and it will open in my Flickr site.

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”roadtripmemories” id=”72157606260796699″ width=”500″]

 

June 19, 2002: Our Honeymoon on Route 66 (Day 6)

0

Gallup, New Mexico to Seligman, Arizona

  • Visited the Jackrabbit Trading Post
  • Followed the old alignment of 66 toward the Painted desert and saw the Painted Desert Trading Post
  • We picked up a good guide to Route 66 in Arizona
  • Went through Flagstaff and Williams
  • As we approached Seligman, it was sunset and as we rounded a hill, it was breathtaking. We spend the night in Seligman at the Stagecoach 66 Motel.

Slideshow of All Photos

For more details about a particular photo, click on it in the slideshow and it will open in my Flickr site.

[flickrslideshow acct_name=”roadtripmemories” id=”72157606260796699″ width=”500″]

 

Go to Top