Time to complete the Bucket List

When we were booking this trip to Bulgaria, we thought we could go slightly further afield, on our non-Trabant driving days, and pop across the border into Serbia and visit the historic town of Nis, the birthplace of the Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great. Tripadvisor offered a day roundtrip which looked just the ticket.

The morning of the trip dawned and as we were having breakfast in our hotel in Sofia, the local travel agent called to say the trip was cancelled. The reason being that it was taking 2 to 3 hours to get across the border, each way. Apparently, there were a lot of Turkish travellers on the way home to Turkey for their holidays and they were using the crossing along with the usual lorry traffic. Daniel, the local travel agent, said that if we wanted, he was taking a small group to Skopje, Macedonia, that day and we could join this tour. So after 20 seconds of debate we agreed to go to Skojpe, the capital of what is now called The Republic of North Macedonia.

Before becoming an independent country in 1991, The Republic of North Macedonia has been under the influence of the Romans, Serbs, Bulgarians, Ottoman Empire and for much of the 20th Century was part of Yugoslavia. Hence, from independence it was called The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia until its name change in 2018 to North Macedonia to settle a dispute with Greece over appropriation of symbols and figures that Greece considers Greek culture such as the Vergina Sun (on the old Macedonian flag) and Alexander the Great.

It was a good 4 hour drive to Skopje from Sofia and we crossed the border with the formalities taking about 10 minutes each way. In Skojpe we met our local guide who would show us around the town for a couple of hours. Skopje had a devastating earthquake in July 1963 that had reshaped the development of the town so the area around the River Vardar has been rebulit with many impressive buildings and statues of the likes of Alexander the Great. Some of the new riverside buildings were being used by Government departments and commercial businesses.

One of the parts of Skojpe that had not been devastated by the earthquake and cleared for rebuilding was the Old Souk area which contained many small shops selling all types of essentials for the locals, with some tourist shops for those things you never knew you needed. Mixed amongst the shops were some old bath houses (some were now used as museums) and caravanserai dating back to 15th century. A caravanserai is a travellers inn where the animals were put on the ground level overnight and the riders housed on the first floor. They were located a day’s ride from each other to not over-tax the animals, so roughly 30 miles apart along the trade route.

Probably the most famous resident of Skopje was Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She was born in Skopje to Albanian parents in 1910 and after 18 years in Skopje she moved to Ireland and then to India where she spent most of the rest of her life until she died in 1997 at the age of 87. A museum dedicated to her life is in the centre of Skopje and it displays the Nobel Peace Prize certificate.

The final stop on our day trip to Macedonia was to visit the Matka Canyon where the Treska River has been dammed and the Matka Lake formed above it. The drive up the mountain to the dam was very tight and not for the nervous motorist. There are some interested Vreio caves that can be visited by a short boat ride from the dam and it is a very popular destination for locals on their days off. We were told that there are also some underwater caves that possibly could be the deepest in the world, although this has not been confirmed.

After the boat trip and caves we drove the 4 hours back to Sofia arriving at 10 pm. A long day but worth the trip.

Copyright: words and photos John Cruse 2022

Welcome to Sofia, or Serdika/Serdica as it was known in the 6th century. We are spending a few days in the capital before we head off for our Trabant tour around the country.

It is a surprisingly small city and a glance at the town map indicated just 15 main attractions. Initial thoughts had me wondering whether there would be enough to engage us during our four free days. However, small proved to be beautiful as we found out during a two-hour guided walking tour which immersed us in the history of this city. We also discovered that the most interesting sites are all within walking distance of our centrally-located hotel.

Similar to Bath in Somerset, this area grew up because of one important resource – thermal springs. These were located at the crossroads of important roadways linking Western Europe with Asia Minor and the Middle East, and the Baltic Sea with the Aegean Sea.

Those thermal springs are still important today. Free drinking water can be found in the town centre – if you like your water hot, around 37 degrees. It flows 24 hours a day through drinking fountains, rising from deep within the earth.

Sofia’s history can be traced back 7,000 years. Evidence of pre-history settlers have been found around the area dating to the 6th and 5th centuries BC. The Thracians, a tribal group, are considered in some sources to have been ‘barbaric and warlike’, but in more recent research were thought to have a fairly advanced culture with an emphasis on poetry, music and artistry (including tattooing). The people followed a polytheistic religion focusing on multiple deities. They had their own Thracian language which was considered to have continued into the 6th century AD spoken by monks, then died out completely.

But the Thracians were not to stay. The Romans moved in to make their own impact on the area. It was they who built the first thermal baths and such facilities in various forms continued until 1986, when taking baths at home was the norm. Today, a site that contained a thermal bath still remains, now being the Sofia History Museum.

The citizens of Sofia did not have it easy. Following the decline of the Roman Empire the area has been invaded by the Huns, Visigoths, Avars, Slavs, Byzantines and Ottomans, to name just some. It is this situation that makes gaining a grasp of the history an onslaught to the senses. Just as one familiarises oneself with one group, another group pops into the frame.

For many, the more recent history may be a little less testing, that of Communism which was part of Bulgarian life from 1946 until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. There are some, both young and older, who hark back to the ‘glory days’ of Communism even today saying there was no unemployment, no profit, and holidays (with their colleagues, mind you) were included, others do not think likewise.

Today, Bulgaria is part of the EU and fairly settled, although speaking to individuals they offer their own political views. The country has, of course, been hit by the pandemic affecting its economy, employment and tourism, but judging by the numbers of tourists and locals around the town centre things are evidently picking up. McDonalds, Costa and Starbucks have several sites around the centre of Sofia. So too is industry and commerce gaining ground. The country is not rich in mineral resources, but investors in new technology are moving in, including Google and Microsoft.

The population, however, is in decline, which is cause for concern (tax income, job vacancies, and empty properties are factors, to name a few). During Communist times the country’s population was 9 million. Today it is 7 million, caused by a mix of younger people leaving the country and a desire for fewer children. Smoking, poor diets, alcohol consumption and lack of exercise are factors in almost half of deaths in Bulgaria. The adult and adolescent smoking rates are the highest in the EU. Covid deaths have also been a factor. Life expectancy in Bulgaria is considered to be the lowest in Europe at 73.6 years, according to a 2021 European Commission health report. In the UK it is 81 years.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022

Driving a Trabant is a unique experience. So say the organisers of our next trip… to Bulgaria.

Captured by the smooth talk of our organiser Neil at the Destinations Show pre-Covid, we decided that this trip, taking us around Bulgaria, would be quite a different experience.

With just a few days to go we have been advised that the Trabies, as they are fondly referred to by our organisers, are all ship-shaped. The entire fleet (around seven) has been through the workshop, given some upgrades, and the crew’s truck which will support our every need along the way has had a makeover.

To prepare for the Trabant unique experience we shall have some 30-45 minutes instruction, after which we should start feeling like we have ‘got it’ – the smooth-talking Neil’s words, not mine. After that, we are told, ‘we can wind down the window, perch our elbow on the doorframe, lean back and enjoy the countryside’. And we are hoping we will be able to enjoy the food and drink. Prices are extremely inexpensive compared to the UK (…and boy, the US as we found out a few weeks ago). Alcohol can generally range from 1 Euro (only for the brave) to around 10 Euros. Good quality is around that midway point. Amongst the cheapest alcohol is the local brew, Rakia. This local moonshine is home brewed, around 1 Euro a bottle, and can be a headbanger… literally. We have been warned!

Food focuses on kebabs, koftes, flatbreads and pizza. Chicken and pork is the norm, with beef and lamb being more difficult to find. Salad with white cheese is popular. A main meal is expected to be around 5 Euros – not that we will be spending Euros, as the Bulgarian lev (meaning lion) is the local currency. A lev is made up of 100 stotinki. Currently 1 lev is worth 43 UK pence.

We are also looking forward to some of the traditions of the Balkan people, one of which being that of nods and shakes. Opposite to our traditions, local people may be seen shaking their heads for ‘yes’ and nodding for ‘no’. It seems also they can be a nation of few words. Rather than, perhaps what we would refer to as being reserved and polite when asking for the bill in the UK ‘Could I please have, in your own time’, etc. They might use just one word – ‘bill’. No, they are not being rude, they are just being efficient with their words.

The weather is expected to be hot, warm, colder at higher altitudes, and possibly wet. Hence, we shall be preparing for everything… we hope. We are looking forward to travelling with our small group of unknown friends and back-up crew and will be reporting back along the way – wi-fi willing.

Copyright: Words and image Sue Barnard 2022

Well that was some feat, 2891 miles in three weeks. Would I do it again? No, but we rarely return to a holiday destination unless it offers more to see – the Hoover Dam being a case in point where we had not been able to view the internal workings on a previous trip.

Highlights had to be those areas which emphasised the Route 66 connections. Top of the list would be Winslow, Arizona, with its Standin’ on the Corner Park making full reference to the Eagles’ song Take it Easy, and its two memorabilia shops opposite which played Eagles’ songs all day and every day to the delight of its customers, but must have been an irritant for the shop staff. Williams, Arizona, also made good use of the Route 66 theme, and we understand from a sheriff this was a very safe town to visit.

There were many good experiences along the way, especially engaging with people we met including the Amish in Arthur (Illinois) and the lovely guide who took us back to his home to speak with his wife and share their passion for horses; a sitar player whom we met at breakfast in Los Angeles who shared his positive experiences of his hometown of Chicago – known for its high crime rate; such helpful and knowledgeable staff in the various museums and visitors centres who were only too keen to share their knowledge with interested travellers; and the many people who offered to take photos of us together.

The ghost towns, of course, were a sad sight, but as one museum curator told us, Route 66 was destined to fail from the start. The reason that it was constructed was to join remote communities and thereby improve trade. It became so successful that those using it were later calling for Interstate roads to be built which could by-pass the towns they did not wish to call in on.

We learned that many of those Route 66 support companies such as petrol stations, shops and motels went out of business very quickly, although we didn’t hear of, presumably, those with an entrepreneurial bent who would have seen the benefits of moving themselves nearer the edge of the new Interstate roads to trade with the vastly increased passing trade.

Certainly today those Interstates are heavily used, which brings me to one area I was not so keen on – the extremely heavy traffic especially heading in and out of the major towns like Chicago and Los Angeles; the crazy drivers over and undertaking at speed without signalling; the convoys of articulated lorries; the high winds and blinding rain. Far nicer was the chance to get off to the old Mother Road in the places it did run. This is where some businesses did a good job at attracting tourists and the inquisitive.

While towns like Winslow and Williams could add a lot to the tourist experience, for smaller areas it was more difficult. This is where the owners of the huge rocking chair, Giganticus Headicus, and Cadillac Ranch were able to capitalise with their ‘attractions’.

But we would not have got to see many of these off the beaten track sites if it was not for SatNav and Apple Maps. Both of these were essential. Although we had maps and directions these were in parts not detailed enough, or with the directions, too detailed. The SatNav gave us the main course, but even up to date maps cannot cater for recent changes and roadworks. Apple Maps can help here, but cannot be relied on in areas where a signal does not exist.

To bring our journey to a close we would like to thank all those who have followed our stories along the way, which makes this all worthwhile. There have been funny comments made, some of which we would like to share. Brother Dave for example, when John referred to all those items of memorabilia we saw and never knew we wanted, said he felt the same when seeing our photo of the rather attractive Dodge Viper sports car.

In true Eagles style, John’s long time friend from primary school, Maurice, said he was concerned John might be driving with Seven Women on his Mind. I advised him that one is more than enough.

Eric, our Australian friend who we met many years ago while touring Vietnam, was quick off the mark asking John if the trip was just Another Tequila Sunrise for The New Kid in Town, and did we manage to stay in the Hotel California, Such a Lovely Place? Well no, as we didn’t like the conditions that we could Check Out at Any Time, but could Never Leave. Instead we booked into the Andaz, West Hollywood, where The Doors stayed in 1966 until Jim Morrison was evicted for hanging off the 10th floor balcony; Led Zeppelin occupied several floors during which time their tour manager Richard Cole was said to have ridden his motorbike along the hotel corridors; Axl Rose lit a BBQ on his balcony, set off the fire alarm and threw steaks to passers by; and Little Richard moved in for 20 years. Only in America.

But luckily I did not turn into a Witchy Woman despite that frightful traffic and John is no longer standing on any corner salivating over a flatbed Ford.

Until our next trip, we say goodbye and thank you for watching. Meanwhile we will be Taking it Easy.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022

We had an uneventful 300 mile drive from Kingman to West Hollywood. There was not much to stop and see on the way although the town of Barstow that we passed through was mentioned in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath.

We decided, on our first full day in Los Angeles, to drive the last 12 or so miles from West Hollywood to Santa Monica Pier which is the official end of Route 66. The traffic in Los Angeles was heavy most of the day so a short 12 miles took 30 minutes and we witnessed some dreadful driving particularly on the Interstate. So, after just over 2,800 miles, we reached the end of Route 66 although we had had a couple of detours to Monument Valley and the Hoover Dam which increased the usually quoted mileage of 2,448 for Route 66.

The tribute to Robert Waldmire is outside of a memorabilia shop at the end of the Santa Monica Pier. Robert (Bob) Waldmire was an American artist who is well know for his artwork of Route 66 and won the National Historic Route 66 Federation’s John Steinbeck award in 2004 for his contributions to the preservation of Route 66.

Sanata Monica had a nice long beach which must be very popular in the summer months and on public holidays and it featured its own version of “Muscle Beach” which they claimed was the original. There were no muscle men there the day we visited and it looked to me more like something a local council in the UK would set up in a local park that would equally not be used.

We asked a policeman, who happened to be at the end of the Pier, if there were any other “End of Trail” Route 66 signs and he thought there may be one in Santa Monica Boulevard so we took a walk around the downtown area.

Santa Monica seemed a pleasant part of the Los Angeles sprawl and had many restaurants and bars including an “English pub” which, in the usual American style, looked nothing like UK style pub. It has a homeless problem too, although it is not as visible as in Hollywood. As we could not find any other End of Trail signs we returned to West Hollywood and the delights Sue has already reported on.

Route 66 was completed and whereas we had driven 2,800 miles in less than 3 weeks, the driving had not been challenging for me but enjoyable. We had only spent just over £300 on petrol (or “gas” as they say) which was at a record high in the US, as it is in the UK, but was still only roughly 60% or less of what we pay in the UK.

Our epilogue will follow with some observations made along our road trip.

Copyright: Words and photos John Cruse 2022

If Santa Fe was considered fake, then Hollywood may be considered fickle. We took a trip to the Walk of Fame where more than 2,400 stars are sited along the pavements (or sidewalks as they are known in the US) of 18 blocks along Hollywood Boulevard. Most of the stars are inlaid with the names of ‘celebrities’ from the entertainment industry, many of whom we had not heard of and some were fictitious, including Minnie Mouse and Snow White. Rather ironic was that along this celebratory walk of perceived ‘stars’ were several tents put up by the homeless, of which there were many in this town of obvious wealth.

Our hotel was positioned for easier access to Santa Monica (the end of Route 66), Hollywood and the airport and was on the outskirts of Beverly Hills where $10 million won’t buy you much of a pad – we were told people needed tens of millions. Even for that, many of the houses were squeezed aside each other.

We didn’t last the course of the complete Walk of Fame. Once you had seen one star you had seen the lot, especially in the high heat of the day. We stumbled upon another Big Bus Tour and thought a ride would give us a potted history and a view of parts of Hollywood we would not reach by foot.

Something rather concerned me at the start of the tour – the playing of a lot of ‘musak’ through the bus headphones, repeated over and over again and continuing throughout the two hour trip, valuable time which could be filled with information. Still, I was looking forward to some of the sights and some history.

We saw very nice parts of Beverly Hills, many of the roads having different species of trees, such as palms along one road and Jacaranda along another. Beverly Hills dissuades onlookers; likes to keep itself tidy; and insists that all residents place their trash bins down a back alley and out of site.

We passed many movie, TV and recording studios, such as Paramount where visitors could take a tour, and the Troubadour Club where Elton John, James Taylor and Neil Young made their US debuts, Guns ’n’ Roses were signed up on the spot having been kicked off the stage by the owners, and Janis Joplin partied before being found dead the next day of a heroin overdose. The Eagles song ‘Sad Cafe’ is said to be written about the club.

Bonhams, the auction house, was pointed out where many items from Michael Jackson’s estate were sold after his death, but evidently not the sequinned glove. O J Simpson also sold items to pay towards his multi-million court judgement, we were told.

We also passed the attractive Petersen Automotive Museum building (photo below). We would have liked to visit but our time in Los Angeles was short. The museum contains more than 250 iconic, rare and historic cars, hot rods, trucks and motorcycles going back 120 years.

Then lots of restaurants and shops were pointed out for onlookers to visit who just cannot get enough of the celebs. Mixed within all this were more tents of the homeless along the pavements – paved with gold for some, but not for others.

Popular food outlets were highlighted, such as the Sprinkles cake brand where those desperate for sweet things can satisfy their desire 24 hours a day. For something more savoury there is Pink’s Hot Dog Store, a family company set up by Paul and Betty Pink in 1939 to sell chilli dogs from a push cart. Today, it sells more than 2,000 hot dogs and 200 hamburgers a day.

Then we passed the cemetery for the celebs, named Hollywood Forever, where those unlucky not to see a celeb or two on their journey can go hunting for the tombstones of others! Everything is covered in this trip.

Or is it? Where is that history I was expecting? Yes it was included in the recorded commentary… all 2 minutes of it. So with a bit of further research I will fill in this void. Hollywood’s origins date back to 1853 when the first adobe building was erected. Over the next 20 years a thriving agricultural community developed. By 1883, prohibitionist, politician and real-estate developer Harvey Henry Wilcox moved in and purchased 150 acres of land with the intention of ranching.

Things didn’t quite go to plan and he made arrangements to sell off plots for housing, perceiving a community based on his sober religious principles. I wonder if he is turning in his grave at Hollywood Forever. But it was H J Whitley, referred to as the ‘Father of Hollywood’, who changed the prospects of the area. He was responsible for bringing electricity, gas and the telephone to Hollywood at the beginning of the 20th century, and also opened the Hollywood Hotel, today called the Dolby Theatre which hosts the yearly Oscars ceremony.

By 1908, film companies started to show interest in the location attracted by its varied terrain, mild climate, and a big labour market. By 1913, 20 film businesses had established themselves in Hollywood. Two years later it had become the centre of the American film industry. Big names included Paramount, Columbia, Warner Brothers, Metro Goldwyn Mayer and Twentieth Century Fox.

After WWII many of the film producers moved out, and these valuable large sites were taken over later by the TV industry. But it wasn’t always a win-win situation for these companies. There have been numerous strikes including in 1941 the Disney Animators’ strike; in 1945 the Set Decorators’ strike lasting six months; the Actors’ strikes in the 1960s; Directors’ strike in 1987 lasting just 3 hours and 5 minutes (they know how to be effective); and more recently (2007-8) the hundred days strike of the Writers Guild of America which wanted a bigger share of the profits made by the larger studios. Unfortunately, such shutdowns had a knock on effect for supporting industries, such as florists, prop houses and transportation firms, who could not ride the storm.

All of this is indicative of just how much Hollywood depends on the movie and TV producers and how much the movie and TV producers depend on Hollywood. But it is not just America that depends on it – the need stretches internationally. Just a chance short discussion in the lift with a gentleman when we got back to our hotel reflected that. Recognising our UK accents he told us he was from Bromley. “I’m here on business,” he said. “I work in film production.” It seems many parts of the world need Hollywood as much as Hollywood needs them.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022

The reason for our stopover in Kingman was to make a visit to the Hoover Dam which was only 75 miles away. A short drive in US terms. We had been there when we visited Las Vegas in 2018 but did not had enough time to vist the Dam museum or go on the powerplant tour.

A bit of trivia before the history: who is the Dam currently named after and what was its original name? The options for who the Dam is currently named after are; 1. J Edgar Hoover; 2. Herbert Hoover and 3. Henry the Hoover. No clues for the original name but it relates to a city close by.

The Hoover Dam was built in the Black Canyon on the Colorado River between 1931 and 1936 during the Great Depression and straddles the state line between Nevada and Arizona. It was inaugrated on the 30 September 1935 by President Franklin D Rooseveldt.

Since about 1900, the US Government had been invesigating whether Black Canyon, Boulder Canyon or other spots along the Colorado river had the potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water and produce hydroelectric power. The US Congress authorised the project in 1928 and a consortium of six companies won the bid to build the Dam and with great imagination called themselves “Six Companies, Inc.”

The Museum gave a good overview of the construction of the Dam and the challenges that such a big project gave, as nothing had been done on this scale before. New building techniques had to be trialled. For instance, to aid the non-stop construction they built with concrete in block sections which also hastened the drying of the wet concrete.

Workers from all over America and beyond came to try and get employment during the Great Depression although only circa 6,000 were working on the Dam at any one time. Boulder City which is near the Dam was built to house the workers as the site was remote in the 1930s. Some of the jobs were extremely dangerous and there were fatalities from various causes: falls from the canyon side, explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning and pneumonia, to name a few.

These days we are used to hearing how major infrastructure projects are over budget and running late but Six Companies turned the Dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.

Once the Dam was built, the body of water above the Dam took six to seven years to reach its final height and was named Lake Mead. It is the largest reservoir in the United States by volume when full although, due to the current drought in the southwestern United States, is dangerously low near to the level where it would not give enough water to turn the turbines for electricity generation.

The Dam’s generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona and California. As the road over the Dam was being used heavily, a bridge has been built nearby to take the Interstate 93 traffic. The roadway on the bridge is nearly 900 feet above the Colorado River.

The Dam is operated by the US Bureau of Reclamation and is 726 feet high and 1,244 feet long. At the base it is 660 feet wide but only 45 feet wide at the top. It cost apparently USD 49 million to build.

One interesting consequence of the water levels of Lake Mead dropping so low is that 2 bodies have recently been found which police believe could have been in the lake since the 1970s or 80s.

If you are in Kingman or Las Vegas the Dam is worth a visit, but if you go on the organised tours from Las Vegas you don’t get much time at the Dam, so self-drive is best.

The answers to the trivia questions above is firstly, Herbert Hoover (unfortunately not Henry the Hoover) and secondly, The Boulder Dam.

Copyright: words and photos John Cruse 2022

We decided to extend our 200 mile route from Winslow to Kingman by another 82 miles to incorporate the longest section of Route 66 and it proved to be well worth it.

This meant that we would not be able to visit the Meteor Crater which was quite close to our Winslow hotel as our time would be too limited to give this site the justice it deserved.

However, in an attempt not to miss out completely we undertook a little research which revealed that the three-quarters of a mile wide, and 600 feet deep, crater was recognised as such in 1891. In 1906 a mining engineer named Daniel Barringer considered this was caused by a meteorite, and for the next 27 years argued the case, nearly bankrupting himself in the process. His theory was disputed until scientific researchers came to the conclusion that a meteorite did cause the crater and that it could have happened up to 50,000 years ago.

While the estimated 130-150 feet wide meteorite has never been found, what is considered a fragment – the 1,406lb Holsinger Meteorite – can be viewed at the site.

Today, family members still own the site and also provide guided tours around the rim. Clarification about the differences between asteroids, comets, meteors, meteoroids and meteorites can also be discovered. If we had visited, we might just have found out how big a 1,406lb meteorite really is.

But Route 66 beckoned and with The Eagles playing through our hired Mustang’s speakers we really felt part of that historic adventure.

The main town we were heading for was Williams, where Route 66 ran through the centre. The town was delightful and full of memorabilia along both sides of the street much to the pleasure of the many reminiscing visitors.

We had intended to dine at Cruiser’s Cafe which was once a well-known stopping point along Route 66 but today it is more of a packed tourist trap.

We decided instead to eat opposite where a policewoman was initially in attendance and then two sheriffs. This got us puzzled. What different roles do they play? A discussion with the sheriffs revealed that the police cover town incidents, whereas the sheriffs cover county matters. They assured us that there is very little crime in Williams (despite their congregating at our cafe).

We then headed over to the railway station just at the time a freight train was passing. As with so many we have seen, it was hauling hundreds of containers and took almost five minutes to pass us by.

Then, back on the road for several miles more, we pulled up at a cafe making the most of the Route 66 connection. This had been taken over in recent years and the owner had built his own piece of memorabilia, a very large green head he called Giganticus Headicus… well if others can do a similar thing with Cadillac graveyards and huge rocking chairs, why not this owner? Having some quick refreshments and a few photos we continued our trip into Kingman, where we were hot, hungry and tired.

As is usually the case in US motels there were not any meals provided apart from breakfast, and Downtown restaurants were a fair distance away. However, the motel recommended a local hostelry: The Fireside Cocktail Lounge.

This sounded interesting and as we were gasping for refreshment we took the two block walk to what we thought would be an enticing establishment. Upon arrival, it turned out to be a working mens bar, and pretty busy for a 6pm Saturday night.

Cool beers were welcome, although we refrained from the menu serving only deep fried chicken wings. Pool table, electronic darts board, and a snazzy jukebox (all hi-tech and playing country and western) captured our attention. That was until the ‘cabaret’ started. Clearly the clientele had been in attendance on this Saturday evening far longer than we had. Women were somewhat erotically making up to men, and men were making up to women, in front of our very eyes. Not a lot was left to the imagination. This went on for some time while we supped away. Then drinkers started to make an abrupt exit… the live musician had started to set up his equipment. The ‘cabaret’ left and it was time for us to go too. Social life in these sprawling towns it seems is limited, and the old tradition of working mens clubs must be welcomed, but quite where The Fireside Cocktail Lounge came into it we do not know. There wasn’t a fireside, no cocktails in sight, and presumably a bar stood in for the lounge.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022

After our detour off Route 66 to Monument Valley, we were rejoining Route 66 at Winslow, Arizona. Winslow is probably best know due to the 1972 Eagles classic, “Take it Easy” co-written by the late Glen Frey and Jackson Browne.

There was not much to see in the 225 miles between Monument Valley and Winslow but all the land was part of the Navajo Nation with towns like Kayenta and Tuba city on the route.

The town of Winslow today makes it living from being a historic Route 66 town and the fame and attention brought by the Eagles song. The Eagles song has had such an impact that the “Standin’ on the Corner” park has been built on the corner of 2nd and Kinsley Avenue. They have even put a flatbed Ford truck there as mentioned in the song.

Very close to the Standin’ on the Corner Park is the Old Trails Museum which gives the history of Winslow that is closely connected to the railway, early air travel and a man called Fred Harvey.

Entrepreneur Fred Harvey opened a series of eating houses along the Santa Fe Railway that evolved into America’s first restaurant chain, the Harvey Houses. The company, which operated from 1876 through the 1960s, introduced innovations such as the refinement of dining in the West and the widespread employment of women known as “Harvey Girls.” One of those hotels was the one we were staying in called La Posada and was positioned right next to an active 24-hour railway line mainly used for extremely long freight trains.

With the advent of more efficient trains and the explosion of automobiles, railroad travel began its decline and Fred Harvey started closing trackside restaurants and hotels in the 1930s. World War II temporarily reversed the trend, and La Posada hired more Harvey Girls to serve meals to 3,000 soldiers riding through town daily on “troop trains”. The hotel finally closed in 1957 but escaped the wrecking ball when the Santa Fe converted it into division offices in the early 1960s. Winslow locals organized the La Posada Foundation in the early 1990s and secured grant funds to help save the building. In 1997, Allan Affeldt and his wife, artist Tina Mion, purchased La Posada and reopened it as a premier hotel and gardens.

The aviation history of Winslow is also interesting. In 1929, aviator and Transcontinental Air Transport (TAT) technical chairman Charles A Lindbergh chose Winslow as one of twelve critical refueling stops for the nation’s first coast-to-coast passenger service. He chose the location for the terrain, weather patterns, and access to the Santa Fe line. Passengers taking the 48-hour, New York-to-Los Angeles trip would fly during the day and ride the train at night. Lindbergh’s TAT colleagues chose the flat, open landscape south of town for a terminal, hangar, parking apron, and three long asphalt runways. TAT flew a fleet of Ford Tri-Motor planes that held ten passengers and had small kitchens for in-flight meals. In 1930, TAT and Western Air Express merged as Transcontinental & Western Air (TWA).

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, the US military converted Winslow’s airport into a refueling and repair stop, and more than 350 military flights passed through Winslow daily. TWA resumed commercial flights after World War II and became Trans World Airways in 1950, though service to Winslow Municipal Airport ended in 1953. Frontier Airlines provided regional flights from 1950 to 1974, when it discontinued service to Winslow due to high costs and lack of passengers.

After our overnight stop in Winslow, we move on to Kingman, Arizona and will visit towns like Williams (which is on the histroic Route 66) and will drive on the longest remaining stretches of the historic road being the last 82 miles from Seligman to Kingman.

Copyright: Words and pictures John Cruse 2022

Monument Valley is dry. Not just because the area only receives an average seven inches of rain a year, but being part of the Navajo Tribal Nation, the consumption of alcohol is prohibited, along with weapons and drones. In fact, if one wants a tipple in this dry region one needs to drive 70 miles to obtain it, rather a stretch too far, even in the heat of the evening.

We had made a detour off Route 66 from Albuquerque to take the opportunity to see this sacred site 335 miles away. Monument Valley comprises towering rock formations up to 1,000 feet scattered amongst a sandstone floor. The area was once part of the sea floor where sediment and sandstone formed together in layers over millions of years. Tectonic forces then raised the area above the waterline, creating a plateau of flat land and peaks.

The peaks we see today are referred to as mesas (rock formations that look like table tops), buttes (smaller rock formations) and spires (narrow and free standing rock formations in their final stage of erosion from wind and water, having once been buttes).

Many of these have been given names, largely based on their shape, such as Totem Pole, Three Sisters, and John Ford’s Point named after the Hollywood director who instigated many of the movies filmed in the area, including those starring John Wayne such as Stage Coach. The 92,000 acre park stretches across northern Arizona and Southern Utah and lies within the Navajo Nation Reserve.

To view the park visitors have to either take a guided tour by vehicle; engage in a self-guided tour if driving a 4×4; trek (consider the heat and the highly-poisonous snakes); or take a horse ride. We opted for the guided vehicle tour. Over three hours we travelled the 17 mile trip around the park, visiting the major peaks.

At one site we viewed rock carvings (or petroglyphs) depicting animals. These were made by chipping the rock surface with stone to reveal a lighter shade than the rock surface. We saw just a few petroglyphs, but archaeologists believe there may be up to 25,000 in the area. It is considered most were created by Pueblo people who lived in the Rio Grande Valley, likely between 1300 and 1680 AD.

We stumbled across some interesting footprints and a closer look gave the impression that this may have been a lizard, a delicacy of the local rattlesnake.

We also viewed some traditional houses of the Navajo people called hogan homes. These are constructed of logs, covered in sand and straw which is then wetted. Once dried in the sun this becomes a hard outer structure. There are two styles: the larger ‘female hogan’ which is used as family homes, and the smaller ‘male hogan’ which is a more temporary structure which can be dismantled and moved to another area. Inside the hogan is a metal fire with chimney. Today, those who still live in a hogan home tend to be the older generations who have chosen not to move to more contemporary housing.

In one of the hogans we met a lady who demonstrated spinning sheep wool which is dyed using various local plants and woven into many textiles as a means of income. Children start to learn the crafts from a young age. It was emphasised that each stage of the process is developed extremely slowly to encourage a patient approach to life starting with the younger generations.

If in the location, Monument Valley is worth a trip as the landscape is unique. However, we found there is very little else to do at the site once a tour has taken place. A small visitors’ centre at the (only) hotel could provide much more information on the history and the lives of the Navajo people. There were lots of photo opportunities, however, and we just couldn’t miss the opportunity of an early start to capture some sunrise shots.

Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2022