Here is the front of the building for the Grand Canyon Caverns. It still gets a fair number of visitors even though it was by-passed by the highway. That part of Route 66 was a pretty fun drive.
And now the cheesiness begins just a bit. Even though it seemed like it might be a bit too much, I decided that the caverns might be spectacular enough to be worthwhile... sort of.
There were some cool rocks for sure. The only thing that ruined it for me just a bit was the fact that everything was so planned. There were concrete walkways, and lighting all through the caverns. An elevator takes you down 200-something feet below the surface... and there is more. Check it out.
See all that strange lighting in the middle of the cathedral room? It's a hotel room. They put it in this year. You can pay $700 to stay over night in the cavern. There were two double beds, a bathroom and a TV right there in the center.
This part was kinda cool... the caverns were designated as a nuclear fallout shelter. These were the buckets of water and rations of crackers, and "carbohydrate supplements", i.e. candy. Our guide was good with the kids, and kept them involved by showing them a sample of the candy, and telling REALLY bad jokes.
And here are the sanitation buckets. Guess what those are for?
Are you getting the sense that this tour is a bit tacky? Well here is your proof. There were giant sloth bones found down here, so they gave the bones away and replaced them with a stuffed replica of the poor long-dead beast. There were claw marks in the stone from where the creature tried to climb/scratch its way out and lost one of its nails. There were also two mummified bobcats, one named (can you guess?) Bob. They told the story about how Bob fell into the caverns, broke a hip, climbed as far back as he could and then died there. I don't know why, but I didn't really enjoy those stories that much. Could it be because falling into a giant hole, injuring yourself, and then never making it back out is a huge nightmare for any living thing? Yep.
After the tour, I continued through a small town called Seligman. The town is still very much an old Route 66 town with tons of neon signs. The cafe in the photos below is called the Snow Cap Drive-In. It's been around forever (It's now run by the founder's kids). It is kitschy and fun, and my chicken burrito was good (though not healthy). The guy running the place loved jokes, and got me with a few... one example is a mustard bottle that shoots out a string that looks like real yellow mustard. He "sprayed" me- freaked me out a bit. Once when a guy asked for a straw, he held out a small bunch of real straw. Haha...
Lots to photograph here... These are the bathrooms outside.
This is a USA Today article that mentions this place, and some other places I visited... like my Wigwam Motel. Fun.
The interior through the ordering window. Those little canisters have all the fixings for shakes. The shakes looked super yummy, but again, not healthy. I'm trying so hard to not pack on additional weight and to stay healthy, but it is TOUGH when you're visiting new places and want to try the food! Ahhhh!
These next photos are of various signs in Seligman.
Moving on...
This is the pretty, pretty drive to Jerome, AZ. I couldn't get a good photo. There is just no way to capture this, but it was really breathtaking.
Jerome is REALLY cool! I would love to spend some time there. They do ghost tours, have wine tasting places, galleries, and neat little boutiques. There was one gallery that I loved and I noticed a sign on the wall that said "this business for sale". Any one want to go into the art business with me in Arizona?
Hotel Connor looked really interesting. I wish I could have stayed there, but I had to make it further.
Some of the historic buildings are marked with plaques.
They don't allow view photos from inside the fabulous gallery that I want to purchase, and this is not a terrific photo, but I think maybe you can get the idea from between the buildings. The town is literally up the side of a mountain.
I would have loved to spend all day in Jerome, but unfortunately, there were time constraints. I've been to Sedona before, but I was young. It was nice to drive through. I hope I get to spend more time there again someday.
I finally reached Flagstaff, AZ. I wasn't nearly as far as I wanted to be along 66, but I was tired, hungry, and it was getting late. I read about the Hotel Monte Vista online and in my guide book. There were mixed reviews online, but it was only about hall noise and stuff. Others said that it was a neat historic hotel. I decided to go with the others, and check it out. I'm glad I did. The cheapest room they had was "European Style", i.e. shared hall bathroom. I'm used to that from European hostels, and Moroccan hotels, so I didn't mind a bit. It was a funny, quirky little room, and I liked it. The girl working the desk gave me a 10% discount for being in the Peace Corps (government and military discount), so it worked out well.
Neon signs are difficult to photograph with a regular camera, and it doesn't look as cool as it did live. It really was a neat old building.
After I got settled in, I grabbed some Thai food across the street. They had my favorite dish- Phad Woon Sen. I've been ordering a 4/5 spice lately, and I'll probably do the 5/5 next time. You just never can tell. I've had 4s that have made my eyes water, and 5s that are just the right amount of spice. It all depends on the place.
When I headed back to the hotel, the small coffee shop and wine bar had a guitar player doing covers. He was good. I gave him a dollar after his Johnny Cash cover... Folsom Prison is becoming a somewhat random theme for the southwestern portion of this trip. It just comes on at the right times. I borrowed a pen from the cute bartender who probably thought I was crazy as I sat there drinking my Pinot Noir, writing postcards, and listening to the musician. I did catch him watching me a few times though, and I made sure to smile back.
After I finished my postcards I thanked the musician, gave the pen back, and headed back to my room to start this post. Just that one glass of wine completely knocked me out, and I fell asleep after one sentence... comfy bed. Love that hotel.
Today I stood on the corner in Winslow, AZ, and drove through the petrified forest and painted desert. I'll tell you about that next time... It may take a day or two because tomorrow I go see my friend Lindsey in Grapevine, Texas. I'll try to catch up a bit by Monday or Tuesday. Cheers!
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