Seeing Red
There must be some reason why people stick to plans, but I wouldn't know anything about that, not having stuck to a single travel plan ever, starting from my birth, when I arrived a few hours early at 4 am and pissed off everyone who was sleeping soundly. Anyway, thing is that I was supposed to enjoy a day off golfing with a friend in Sedona. But instead of heading for Sedona, I lit off in the opposite direction - towards Meteor City.
The new plan was to get out of Flagstaff early in the morning, do a quick stopover in Meteor City and Holbrook to check out some map murals of Route 66, and then circle around to Camp Verde via Winslow and from there to Sedona. So I called my friend and told him I was running late and then barreled down towards Meteor City.
The world's largest map of Route 66 at the trading post in Meteor City was a sore disappointment, and I was already beginning to feel that I'd made a mistake giving up a pleasant afternoon of golf. Most was it looked to be etched by either some kindergarten kids with crayons or some deranged artist looking to create some modern artsy stuff. So I didn't waste much time there, and tore right on to Holbrook to see the other map.
Passing Winslow on the way, I realized the stupidity of my plan. I would have to double back again to Winslow, in order to take the detour to Camp Verde. Had half-a-mind to hit the brakes and turn into AZ-87. Almost, but not quite. In the short term, I'm quite firm in my travel plans. It's only when they stretch on to more than a day do my plans go haywire. So I reached Holbrook, and was glad I did. Because in addition to the map mural, which was admittedly a better deal than the one in Meteor City, Holbrook also had one more hidden gem - The Wigwam Motel.
The motel is a bunch of Indian teepees, only made in concrete. Built in 1950, it was the perfect example of the quirky Route 66 motels that I was looking for - neon signs and all. This was, after all, a part of the early edition and history of Route 66. The teepees (I can't really them rooms or units) are all comfy, with cable TV and airconditioning. Made me wish I should have booked in here, instead of spending money on motels in Flagstaff.
Not to mention the precious time and energy I spent driving around like a fool between the attractions of Sedona, Flagstaff, Meteor City, Holbrook, Winslow and Camp Verde. When you're rushing around like your tail's on fire in the middle of nowhere in Arizona, you get a hint of what it must have been like for people when Route 66 was in it's heydey.
All said and done, it wasm't a pleasant experience but it was memorable nonetheless, and while I was too late for the round of golf, we did manage to end up in a bar in Sedona, and let's just say that I started out taking the day off to recover from a hangover, and ended it on another bender. Not exactly according to plan, but like I said, I'm not so big on sticking to plans.
