Eight Iconic Cultural Locations on Route 66-- Part 4: 'Standin' On the Corner'

4.  STANDIN' ON THE CORNER PARK, Winslow, Arizona

Released in 1972, the Eagles' "Take It Easy" (written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey) includes the line "Well, I'm a-standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, and such a fine sight to see.  It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowin' down to take a look at me."

Like many other towns along Route 66, when they were bypassed by the interstates, Winslow began a slow decline in the 1970s.

In the 1990s the Standin' On the Corner Foundation was formed to attract tourists back to Winslow.    With the help of donors, a park was opened-- on a corner-- in 1999, featuring a hand-painted mural, a flatbed Ford and, after his death, a bronze statue of Frey in 2016.

In our end-to-end trip on 66 in 2006, Liz and I arrived in Winslow during their annual Standin' on the Corner festival.  That was great to hear a band playing "Take It Easy" in the street while standing on that corner.

My favorite Eagles song before we got into Route 66 in 2002 was "Already Gone.'  Guess what it is now?

--RoadEasy

Ten Reasons to Drive Route 66 This Summer (Well, Hopefully)-- Part 2: The People and Towns

4.  THE PEOPLE  Without a doubt, and probably my own favorite thing, is this.  You meet some of the most interesting, friendly and unique people along this old road.  Ask locals for directions by way of introduction or stop into a place and talk.

A picture of the Snow Cap restaurant in Seligman accompanies this.  But, be careful if you want straws or ketchup.  That's all I'm going to say about it.

5.  CHARMING SMALL TOWNS--  There are countless of these along the way, including the town of Winslow, Arizona, which is home to the "Standing on the Corner" from the Eagles' big hit "Take It Easy."

Of course, we also love Dwight, Pontiac, Lincoln and Lebanon.

A picture of the Grand Canyon Hotel in Williams, Arizona, accompanies this.

6.  EERIE GHOST TOWNS--  Not every town along Route 66 has been able to survive the loss of traffic due to the interstates.  Some now are essentially full-fledged ghost towns like Glenrio, Texas/New Mexico.  Others are pretty close to abandoned.

--RoadDog

A Father-Daughter Trip on Route 66-- Part 4: From Winslow to Santa Monica Pier

Well worth watching the videos they took along the way.

DAY 7--  Winslow, Arizona  Stayed at La Pasada in the Amelia Earhart Room, Standing on the Corner, Meteor Crater  Seligman, Oatman Highway, Oatman

DAY 8--  Needle, California.  Two day side trip to Las Vegas.

DAY 9--  Las Vegas

DAY 10--  Mojave Desert

DAY 11--  By now, they'd been through pouring rain, blistering heat and lots of mechanical problems, but finally got to Santa Monica Pier.

--RoadDog

Ten Things Not to Miss On Route 66

From the February 4, 2020 AutoTrader by Lesley Wimbush.

Great pictures accompany as well as text.

1.  The Berghoff--  Chicago, Illinois   Great kick-off you sojourn place.  Established in 1898.  I still haven't forgiven them from the great shutdown, sell-off they did a while back.

2,  Galena, Kansas

3.  East Meets West--  Tulsa, Oklahoma   Interesting sculpture of a horse and wagon encountering an early car.

4.  Cadillac Ranch--  Amarillo, Texas

5.  Glen Rio Ghost Town--  Texas/New Mexico

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PART 2:  ALBUQUERQUE TO SANTA MONICA  By Jeff Wilson

6.  Gallup, New Mexico   Native America  and the El Rancho Hotel

7.  Holbrook and Winslow, Arizona  Only 30 minutes apart.  Holbrook has a Wigwam Motel.  Winslow, of course, has "Standing On the Corner."

8.  Grand Canyon--  Not technically on Route 66, but what the hey.

9.  Oatman, Arizona--  The drive, those burros.

10.  Roy's Motel--  Amboy, California.

END OF THE ROAD:  Santa Monica Pier.

--RoadDog

Along 66, July 2019: The Wall and the Eating Place

JULY 30--  The Arizona Route 66 Association was given $10,000 to finish the "Standin' On the Corner" wall in Winslow.  "Take It Easy" there Glenn.  A great song by that great group, the Eagles.

JULY 31--  The renovation of the Red Cedar Inn in Pacific, Missouri, may take two years.  The old restaurant is to be converted into visitors center/museum.  When we first did Route 66 in Missouri, we saw the place and put it on our list of places to eat, but by the time we got back, it was closed.  So, now we'll look toward at least going into the building.

--RoadDog

Music for the Great American Road Trip: "Lake Shore Drive"

All this month, Chicago's Drive, WDRV 97.1 FM (simulcast on 96.9 FM) is letting listeners tell them where to go on its long-running Ten At Ten show, where they play ten songs in a row without commercials and either about a specific year or a theme.

Today's show was the American Road Trip and was compiled by Shelby Dean of Berwyn, Illinois.  Sorry, Shelby, all I can think about is Svenghouli's "BERWYN!!!"

She started in Chicago, then to Louisiana, New York City, Georgia, California, back to Chicago, Winslow, Arizona, Philadelphia, Alabama and ended in Hollywood.  Before you read the song titles, see if you can guess the songs that took us there.

LAKE SHORE DRIVE--  Alliota, Haynes & Jeremiah
BORN ON THE BAYOU--  CCR
BACK IN NEW YORK--  Kiss

RAMBLIN' MAN--  Allman Brothers
GOING TO CALIFORNIA--  Led Zeppelin
BAD BAD LEROY BROWN--  Jim Croce
TAKE IT EASY--  Eagles

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM--  Elton John
SWEET HOME ALABAMA--  Lynyrd Skynyrd
HOLLYWOOD NIGHTS--  Bob Seger

My only problem with her ten was when she introduced the Eagles' "Take It Easy" and just said that people stayed in motels in Winslow, Arizona, and nothing about it being on ROUTE 66.  You'd think she would have since Route 66 went through her town of Berwyn (BERWYN!!!)   He was standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, right there on Route 66.  They even have a Standing On the Corner Route 66 Festival every year.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "Well, I'm Standing On The Corner In Winslow, Arizona."  Answer below.  --RoadCorner


"Take It Easy"

Along 66, Sept. 2018: Who's That Guy Standing On the Corner?

SEPTEMBER 28--  The Standin' On the Corner statue in Winslow, Arizona, is marking its 20th anniversary.  To put it mildly, it is an oft-photographed piece of work.  Who knows how many selfies have been taken there.  Money well spent for the town

Of course, the "Standin' On the Corner" was taken from the Eagles' song "Take It Easy."

The statue was sculpted by Ronald Adamson of Libby, Montana and it is not of one of the song's co-writers and singer of the song, Glenn Frey, as most think.  (Nor is it of the other writer, Jackson Browne.)

Well, you know the words, but I'll write them down anyway:  "Well, I'm standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona, (Add 'Right on Route 66' here) such a fine sight to see, it's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford slowing down to take a look at me."

Words Ingrained In My Head.  --RoadCorner

News From Along Route 66, September 2016: Standing On That Corner in Winslow

SEPTEMMBER 3--  The Paul Bunyan muffler man statue in Atlanta, Illinois, got a new coat of paint.  Now, if they would just paint over that stupid water tower.

SEPTEMBER 6--  Seven historic Route 66 bridges in Oklahoma are on the endangered list, including the Pony Bridge, which likely will be saved.  That is one neat bridge.

SEPTEMBER 7--  A Glenn Frey statue will be installed September 23 in Winslow, Arizona, at the famous "Standing on a Corner in Winslow, Arizona" corner.

Takin' It Easy.  --RoadDog

News From Along Route 66, August 2016: Springfield, Missouri

AUGUST 13--  Winslow, Arizona will soon dedicate a statue of Glenn Frey.  You know, that "Standing On the Corner" thing.

AUGUST 14--  Springfield, Missouri Old City Jail (1891) is now the Springfield Police Museum.  Always room for another museum.

AUGUST 15--  Record crowd attends Birthplace of Route 66 Fest in Springfield, Missouri.  Estimates have 38,000 attending over the three day event.  There were 28,000 on just Saturday.

Oh, Give Me a Route 66 Fest.  --RoadDog

News From Along Route 66-- January 2016: Deaths of Former Blue Swallow Owner and Glenn Frey

JANUARY 19--  Dale Bakke, former co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, dies.  Dale Bakke and his wife Hilda bought it in 1999, not long after Gene Shelton bought it from long-time owner Lil;ian Redman.  They sold it in 2006.

Dale was an excellent electrician and handyman and they restored the place to its former grandeur.

They owned it when we stayed there.  Great people.  I bought a beautiful photo Dale had taken of the sign with a beautiful sunset behind it.

JANUARY 19--  Co-writer of that great Route 66 song, "Take It Easy," Glenn Frey of the Eagles dies.  More on that in my Down da Road I Go Blog.

JANUARY 20--  Nearly 200 people gathered at the "Standing On the Corner Park" in Winslow, Arizona, for a memorial to Glenn Frey.

"Standing On the Corner in Winslow, Arizona."  --RoadDog

Down Da 66-- More on Route 66 Motels

The October 9th Arizona Republic had an article by Scott Craven titled "Vanishing Route 66 motels."

He cites the two major reasons for the decline of them to be the freeways and the hotel chains offering continental breakfasts and "comfortable sameness."

Arizona's motor courts are fast vanishing. "Only a handful survive thanks to proprietors who cater to the few travelers who still prefer the country's byways to its soulless highways." Well, "soulless highways" might be putting it a bit harsh, but it makes a point.

Emily Priddy blames this on the "homogenization of society where people prefer the convenient and predictable." Liz and I always try to stay in the old mom and pops, but sometimes we worry that we just might be getting into some situation that we don't want to be in. You never know with these mom and pops.

The article talked at length about Winslow, Arizona's Marble Motel on Route 66, dating back to the fifties. In 1974, Lee and Floranel Earl bought it and did some repairs before reopening it as Earl's Motor Court. I-40's bypassing of Winslow really hurt them. Fortunately, both had other jobs, which helped pay the bills.

Last summer's release of the animated movie "Cars" caused them to dig out the old neon signs, repair them, and put them up. They also returned to a policy of nightly rentals instead of weekly and monthly. Right now, they are at the break-even point. Let's hope they are able to make a go of it. I know where I'm going to stay the next time through, perhaps for the fun "Standing on the Corner Festival."

The article also talked about Allan Affeldt who bought the deteriorating La Posada Hotel ten years ago and have returned it to its former glory. We'll visit it, but it might be a bit too expensive for us. We walked through it at last year's Corner Festival and were impressed. They have done a great job to that historic place.

ONE OTHER THING, the Rt 66 News says that Albuquerque, New Mexico's La Posada Hotel might be reopening next year. Good news.

Save Those Old Motels!!! --RoadDog