Arizona - July '06
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Gas - Food
The first stop on our road trip through Arizona ? the Hi Sahara Oasis in Essex, Calif., off Interstate 40.
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Highlander Motel
Williams, Ariz., on Route 66 was our destination on Day One. We picked the Highlander Motel because it had the best sign, but after we checked in they turned off the neon. Still, you can't beat the $45 nightly rates or the proximity to Old Smokey's Pancake House.
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Desert View Watchtower
The Desert View Watchtower stands on the southeast rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Like Father, Like Son
On a lookout point near the southeast rim of the Grand Canyon.
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Wukoki Pueblo
The Wukoki pueblo at Wupatki National Monument. We drove through the Wupatki park looking for a giant crater that we never found, in the opposite direction that we thought we were going. Before the sun went down, though, we came upon these ruins in the desert.
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Western Hills Motel By Day
The Western Hills Motel in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Route 66. Another motel we picked based on the sign, and another bargain — I think it was $50 for the night.
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Western Hills Motel By Night
The Western Hills Motel sign reflecting on our rental car.
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Original Formula
Cheap drinks in our motel room. One night earlier, I ordered a Jack & Coke at the Sultana Bar in Williams and received a Jack & Pepsi. C'mon ? how hard is it to get this right? The ingredients are right there in the name.
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Flatiron Cafe
From inside the Flatiron Cafe, after breakfast, in Jerome. The former mining town that was once dubbed "the wickedest town in the West" is now an artist colony, but many of its century-old bars and brothels are still standing.
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Bumble Bee
We pulled off Interstate 17 at the Bumble Bee exit just because we liked the name. We immediately found ourselves alone on a winding road surrounded by the first large cacti we'd seen on the trip.
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Just Around The Corner ...
... is where the paved road ends, so this is as far as we went. Turns out (we found out later) that if we'd gone further, we would've found a really cool ghost town. Damn!
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The Shade, It Does Nothing
The sprawling Saguaro National Park is just outside Tucson and features miles and miles of cacti in all directions. This desert hiking trail in the park had a few shaded benches, but they were little help in the 110�+ heat.
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So Hot, The Cacti Are Melting
Weird cactus in Saguaro National Park outside of Tucson.
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Hotel Congress
The hotel was really cool ? it was built in 1919 and it has its own bar/nightclub. Unfortunately, it was also really hot (i.e., it does not have air conditioning in the rooms), so we didn't stay there.
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"Hey, You Wanna Take My Picture?"
He said his name was Chicago and that not enough people had taken his photo lately. He also mentioned something about a public-access TV show.
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Tombstone Traffic
A tour carriage in Tombstone. The main strip here is mostly souvenir stores. I recommend you avoid the "Ghosts and Legends Tour" (unless you like cheesy animatronic corpses who beg to be taken to Boot Hill) and go straight to the Bird Cage Theatre, one of the few remaining original structures and home to a wealth of local artifacts.
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The Bird Cage Theatre
This combination saloon/ brothel/ gambling parlor is definitely the best thing to see when visiting Tombstone. The building houses a treasure trove of local artifacts, as well as numerous bullet holes in its walls. (Take a closer look.)
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Can't Read, But They Sure Can Write
Backstage at the Bird Cage Theatre.
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The Black Moriah
If they could afford it, this hearse was the nicest way a Tombstone resident could get to Boot Hill. Its current owners say it was one of the first vehicles outfitted with curved glass panels, and they claim it is worth more than $1 million.
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Gamble With Your Money Or Your Health
A high-stakes poker game ran 24/7 in the theater basement for many years. The below-ground level also housed bedrooms where prostitutes worked.
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Who Are You Calling Yellow?
In addition to being "the town too tough to die," Tombstone is also home to the fighting Yellowjackets.
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St. Elmo Bar
A bar sign in Bisbee, another former mining town that is now an artist colony. The area is also famous for its turquoise, nicknamed "Bisbee Blue."
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Alley Flight
An old metal staircase climbs the end of an alley in Bisbee.
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Bisbee Gets Egged
San Francisco tag artist egg left his mark on Bisbee. I used to
see this guy's tag all over the place when I lived there (including
the curb in front of my house), and I admired the simplicity and
humor of it.
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Horse Shoe Cafe
We were only passing through Benson on our way to and from
Bisbee, but we stopped to snap shots of the small town's neon.
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Tumac�cori Mission
The bell tower atop the mission at Tumac�cori, as seen through
the ruins of a nearby storehouse on a stormy day. The mission
was built in the early 1800s by Franciscan monks who came to
Tumac�cori after Jesuit missionaries had abandoned the area.
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