Winslow, AZ

I’m a pretty simple guy. I think I have led a pretty good life since there are not many things that I really want to do or see before I can no longer travel.  As a matter of fact the only thing left on my bucket list I managed to accomplish on our southwest swing.  There is a line from Jackson Browne / Glen Frye song “Take it Easy” that mentions Winslow, AZ.  Winslow is a town on Rte 66 (ran from Chicago to Santa Monica, CA).  Rte 66 used to be the Main Street of America.  The interstate transportation act built Rte 40 parallel to 66 in this part of the country causing less people to stop because of the faster road with few off ramps.  Many towns were left in financial ruins.  While an increased nostalgia has caused a lot of interest in the old Route 66, for many towns that is not enough.  So I have to admire when a town takes an obscure reference from a single line of a three and a half minute song that only hit #12 on the charts and turns it into salvation. 

For those of you who don’t remember or are not fans of 1970’s country rock, the second line of the song goes, “Well I’m standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona / Such a fine sight to see / It’s a girl my Lord in a flatbed / Ford slowin’ down to take a look at me.”  The town created a wall at an intersection with a mural that depicts the line of the song.  The mural depicts a storefront window with the reflection of a flated Ford being driven by a girl.  On a second floor window sill is an eagle (a tribute to the band) and a man embracing a woman (the guy on the corner and the woman in the truck?).  To make the scene complete there is a bronze statue of a man with a guitar.  Off to the side is a statue of Glen Frye that was added in 2016 as well as an actual flatbed Ford parked near the corner.  While the mural wall remains it was once part of an actual building that burned down in 2004.  The wall was left and the backside of the wall was turned into a band shell park to support the Standin’ on the Corner street festival in September.

While cruising through Winslow take note of the number of businesses that are paying off the theme, including the Sleeping on the Corner Motel.  They also have a nice 9/11 Memorial Garden and a walking path / park that is very cool because before each display are three signs that tell you what is coming up next along with a small railroad display.  Of course there is the Route 66 memorabilia places that are worth a quick visit.

  If you have ever heard "Take it Easy" a trip to Winslow should be on your vacation schedule.  While the wall is in need of some touch up there is a huge campaign to restore it and they are near goal.  I'm sure that even if restoration is in progress it will be set up to accommodate tourists because this is a town that seems to understand. Winslow, AZ is a place to just spend a day walking around taking in the culture and the history – remembering that US-40 almost destroyed this town and if you want to see what could happen take a quick trip up 40 and jump off on US40 (Joseph City). Drive really slow and notice the businesses that AREN’T there anymore ( a campground and a trading post caught my eye).