DAY 9-- AWESOME ARIZONA!

We left the Wigwam and had breakfast at Joe and Aggies, famous for their Mexican food.  MORE Huevos Rancheros.  We had gone to Mesa Italiana last night to get a break from all the mexican food we've been eating. Then I had to stop at the big Petrified Wood shop to buy some since I didn't steal it

We stopped at the Jackrabbit Trading Post that used to be one of those advertising gimmicks where for miles there were signs saying 100 miles to the Jackrabbitt, 90 miles.. 56 mile... then HERE IT IS!

We headed out towards Winslow, AZ which was made famous in the Eagles song and it was a neat little town.  There was a girl in a flat bed ford on a mural behind the statue on the corner.  We met a couple from Arizona when we took pictures for each other.  They got really excited about our trip too.  They had done Arizona to California but wanted to do the whole thing.  They told us all about the rest of the trip and how great the 160 mile section of pure Route 66 was going to be the best part yet. They were pumped up when they saw the convertible, they had done it in a convertible too.  He said "You are us!"  It's fun to talk to so many people that have done it, are doing it, or want to do it.

We decided to sidetrip to the Meteor Crater but it was $16 a pice to get in and would be a 45 minute hike around the perimeter and we wanted to get to Sedona so we did not go in.  You can see the people walking around the mile wide crater.

From there we headed for Flagstaff.  That's a really nice old downtown area too and we went to the Beaver Street Brewery and Whistle Stop Cafe for lunch.  Sonny had been there with a group last year when they hiked the Grand Canyon

We had never been to Sedona so chose it over the Grand Canyon.  We headed south on 89A which is the scenic highway through Oak Creek Canyon with miles of pine forest and canyon and red rock cliffs and spires.  We just drove through Sedona itself since we don't like all that shopping but it looked like there was lots to do there.

We continued south to Jerome.  This is an old Mining town that maintains a Ghost Town at the old copper mine.  The mines closed in 1953.  By then it was over 90 degrees and I could feel my shoulders baking even with sunscreen so we put the top up to protect ourselves.

We drove back to Flagstaff the same road so we could pick up 66 again and the scenery had different lighting and we were seeing it differently from that direction.

We continued on to Williams and got a room at the Route 66 Inn.  It's downtown so convenient to restaurants and gift shops.  Nothing special about it though.  I couldn't find the one that had been modeled after a western front from the movies.  We discussed taking the train to the Grand canyon on Sunday but would have to stay here a second night and thought it might cheat us out of some time to go to places we haven't been.

OUR FIRST LA SIGN

We had dinner at the Pine Country Restaurant which was more reasonably priced than the "Route 66" places and came back to the hotel so I could catch up on this blog! Then I could not get the pictures to upload.  This is not a good place to stay but I didn't research Williams enough to see where to stop.