HOLBROOK, AZ ~ May 26, 2007

Holbrook is located midway between Flagstaff, AZ and Gallup, NM on Historic Route 66, about 30 miles east of Winslow on I-40. Since 1881, Holbrook has been a busy frontier town – first there were the cowboys and cattle ranchers, followed by the railroaders and travelers. Holbrook is served by two railways: the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and the Apache Railroad. The centerpiece of town, the 1898 courthouse, is now home to the Navajo County Historical Society. Holbrook serves as a great base for a tour of Navajo, Hopi and Apache country. It’s also the gateway to Petrified Forest National Park, and you will see lots of petrified wood in and around Holbrook plus souvenir shops where you can buy some.

If you’re looking for an authentic western restaurant, try the Butterfield Stage Co. Steakhouse on Old Route 66. It’s a little pricey (as are most steakhouses) but the food is good and you get large portions. We didn’t go there this time but we ate at the Butterfield Stage Co. last autumn when we visited the Petrified Forest. It’s the exact kind of place where Keita, our friend from Japan, would love to go when he’s in America! The décor is rustic, the atmosphere is friendly, and our waitress was very nice. As I remember, we were there early (around 5:00 pm) so it wasn’t busy yet at that time. I had spaghetti but all of my hungry guys had steak. Butterfield Stage Co. also has a long mural of Route 66 painted on a block wall.

“Have you slept in a wigwam lately?” The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, built in 1950, is a Route 66 landmark and it’s also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Cozy Cone Motel from Pixar’s Cars movie was patterned after the Wigwam, although to keep with the car theme they used orange traffic cones instead of teepees in the movie. At the Wigwam, there are fifteen teepees (numbered 1-16, with no number 13) encircling the motel office. Parked in front of the office and outside some of the teepees are several unrestored classic cars from the good old days of Route 66, giving the place a nostalgic appearance. To add to the excitement, the teepees are probably only about 100 feet away from a busy train track – as are all of the other motels along Old Route 66. (Even the fancy La Posada hotel in Winslow has the track running right behind it.) The trains come through about every half hour and they are loud (you might want to bring ear plugs), but to me that’s part of the thrill of staying on Route 66!

I’d sure like to be able to say that I had personally slept in one of the wigwams, but I can’t find a phone number to make advance reservations and every time we drive by, the office is closed. Apparently the owner just comes for a short while when it’s time for people to check in for the night, so it’s not like we can stop by and ask ahead of time either. I guess you have to be lucky and get there at just the right time when the office is open but before the fifteen rooms are sold out for the night. If anyone has stayed there before or has any more information or a phone number to call for reservations, please let me know!