Thursday, May 23, 2024
Small Town Vibe
Population 9000-10,999

Winslow, AZ: “Standing on the corner”… 5 fine things to see!

Small Town Vibe

March 2024: Continuing on our spring break road trip after an overnight in Gallup, NM, our next Route 66 small town was Winslow (pop.9,005*), a fine place to see (to borrow lyrics from the Eagles song…) on a “Nostolgia trip” for many reasons! We parked our car and started our adventure by “Standing on the Corner” at the plaza on the historic Route 66 (2nd Street) downtown to get photos with Glenn Frye and the infamous red flatbed truck!

Winslow is located in Navajo County along Interstate 40.

Winslow – A Brief History

Winslow is likely named for Edward F. Winslow, president of St. Louis–San Francisco Railway.

I found this YouTube video on the Old Trails Museum website – “A Brief History of Winslow, Arizona,” a short film that “illustrates the city’s major historical themes through historic and contemporary images along with filmed segments”.

Railroad and Harvey House Era

The Harvey House chain of restaurants, hotels and other hospitality industry businesses were located alongside railroads in the Western United States. It was founded in 1876 by Fred Harvey to cater to the growing number of train passengers. Fred Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the U.S., and as such Harvey and his company lead the way in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 1800s. Harvey promoted the region by inspiring the “Indian curio” (native memento) shop, as well as guided tours through the American southwest called “Indian Detours”. The company, with its employees including renowned waitresses later known as Harvey Girls, brought higher standards of food service and cuisine to a region often referred to as “the Wild West”. In 1946, the Harvey Girls’ popularity grew even stronger when Judy Garland starred in the film version of Samuel Hopkins Adams’s novel The Harvey Girls.

At more prominent locations, these “eating houses” evolved into hotels, many of which survive today – such as the one in Winslow, Arizona. This location was the chain’s final Harvey House, designed by Mary Colter, opened in 1930. It closed in 1957 and was used by the Santa Fe Railway for offices. The railroad abandoned the property in 1994 and announced plans to tear it down. However, it was bought and restored by Allan Affeldt and now is known as the La Posada Hotel. See more information below.

Route 66 Automotive Tourism Era

U.S. Route 66 (existing from 1926 to 1985) originally passed through Winslow. It was one of the original U.S. Highways in Arizona and, until the arrival of US 60 in 1931, US 66 was one of only two primary transcontinental highways in the entire state. US 66 was used as a means of escape by refugees from the Dust Bowl during the Great Depression and became an extremely popular tourist highway during the 1950s. Read more about Route 66 in our blog: Route 66: Its Retro Vibe is driving small town tourism along its path! – Small Town Vibe.

Interstate 40 was built in the late 1970s and created a bypass north of Winslow.

Winslow earns its place in Pop Culture!

In perhaps its biggest claim to fame, Winslow was mentioned in the popular 1972 song “Take It Easy” written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey and performed by the Eagles. Winslow leans heavily into the song in several fun ways!

Other referenced to the town in pop culture include:

  • Winslow is the 8th location (of 90) mentioned in the North American version of Geoff Mack’s country song I’ve Been Everywhere.
  • The Crew video game featured Winslow as a location, as did its sequel The Crew 2. However, it is incorrectly called Winston, Arizona. It may have been confused with the name of a small town called Winston, New Mexico.
  • The television series Moonbase 8 is set in a fictional NASA moon simulator in Winslow.
  • Tori Amos‘ 1996 song, In the Springtime of His Voodoo, from the album, Boys for Pele, starts with the lyrics “Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona” — a direct quote from “Take It Easy” — in further reference to the park and festival in Winslow.
  • In the movie Starman, Winslow is the town Starman needs to get to in order to go to his home planet.
  • In 2022, Winslow was featured in HGTV’s Home Town Kickstart in an episode called Twins Win in Winslow. Three projects were featured in the show, including a display in First Street Park on the southern edge of town.

5 Fine Things to Experience from the corner in Winslow Arizona

#1 Visit the Red Truck from the Eagles Song, and many more photo ops

We began our visit with the fun photo ops available at the corner of Glenn Frey Drive and Route 66. There is a huge painting of the Arizona US66 sign in the intersection, as well as statues of Glen Frey and another band member as well as a red flatbed truck – straight out of the Eagles “Take it Easy” song lyric!

#2 Refresh in the many themed Restaurants and Shops

There is a fun Route 66 themed microbrewery standing on the corner, along with many other themed businesses in Winslow’s lovely restored historic district.

#3 Stay in style! La Posada Hotel embraces and shares area history

The La Pasado Hotel is located in a beautiful historic building (see its history above), surrounded by well-manicured desert oasis inspired grounds. We walked through the gardens and into the lobby to find the brightly decorated Trading Post and bookstore. The Affeldt Mion Museum is located on site, home of Hubbell-Joe Rug, which is the largest known hand-carded, hand-spun Navajo Rug. Definitely our next visit will involve a stay in this lovely hotel, using it as a hub to visit the town and the surrounding area. There is so much to do and see in this part of Arizona, and this beautifully restored hotel is a perfect home base!

#4 Explore the area history and culture

During our visit, we were impressed by the many displays of art and museum options we saw during our visit, all within an easy walking distance from the main street historic district.

#5 Relax in a couple of lovely parks

Also within an easy walk from main street historic district are a variety of well-maintained parks. My favorite is the part of First Street Park that features several beautifully decorated cars. I had watched the Hometown Kickstart episode that featured the installation of these cars, so it was fun for me to see them in person!

More to Explore!

Annual Events

  • May: Cinco De Mayo, Annual Northern Arizona Poker Run
  • June: A Taste of Winslow (Chamber of Commerce Fundraiser)
  • July: July 4th Fireworks, Winslow Freedom Festival, High Desert Fly-in
  • August: A Mid Summer Day in Winslow, Suvoyuki Day
  • September: 9-11 Memorial Services, Annual “Standin’ on the Corner” Festival, The High Desert Piecemakers Quilt Guild Show, Winslow Fire Truck Tug, Day of the Dead
  • November: Annual Christmas Parade, Festival of Trees
  • December: Santa Train, Winslow Womens Club Annual Holiday Tour of Homes

Windslow Economic Development and Tourism efforts involve a strong team!

Map of Winslow

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