Palm Sunday, Walnut Canyon and La Posada

Another busy day here in Arizona. I was wiped out yesterday from walking the Red Rock State Park, so I got up early this morning to post yesterday's blog entry. By the time I was finished, it was time to head out for church. Today was Palm Sunday, which has always been significant to Kathy and I; it was 35 years ago today that the Lord gave us the name Hosanna for our daughter.

There is a Calvary Chapel in Flagstaff and Steve VanDalen is the Pastor. They meet in a high school just outside of town. We got there a little early and were able to talk with Steve before the service began. During the service we learned a new chorus that Kathy really liked: Crushing Snakes. After the service we spent a little more time visiting with Steve and his wife Brittany, and their three children.

We went to lunch at the Northern Pines restaurant and then cruised through the historic downtown section of Flagstaff, before heading off to see the Walnut Canyon National Monument on the way to Winslow. 

Walnut Canyon is an area that was populated by the Sinagua Indians (the ancestors of the Hopi and perhaps the Zuni) between 1100 and 1250, about the time of the Crusades in Europe. The Sinagua built their homes into the side of the cliffs, using the naturally occurring overhangs as roofs and the remote location for protection.

When we arrived at the National Monument, the ranger let all of the cars behind us back up, while he explained why we shouldn't purchase two single-entry tickets for $30 when we could, as senior citizens, purchase a year long pass to all of the national parks for $20. I was very impressed, and of course, we bought the pass.

To walk down into the Canyon, (called the Island trail), you have to climb down 385 steps. A sign at the head of the trail reads, "Climbing down is optional; climbing back up is mandatory." It wasn't as bad as it sounds, though, and it was really spectacular. 

Kathy really enjoyed it. There were a lot of other families on the trail as well, those with children, and couples who were closer to our age.

After Walnut Canyon we got back on US 40 and headed for Winslow. We thought about stopping to see the Meteor Crater, but our guidebook said that it's kind of an overpriced attraction. Kathy said, "It's a hole in ground!". We skipped it in favor of something much more significant.

Winslow is famous both for its mention in the Nat King Cole song, Get Your Kicks on Route 66, as well as the more recent Jackson Browne song, recorded by the Eagles, Taking It Easy. Like every other tourist to this town, we had to take our picture, standing on the corner.

The real reason we stopped in Winslow, though, it to spend the night at one of the classic restored hotels in the world, La Posada. Build by Fred Harvey, and designed by Mary Colter, this was one of the premier tourist destinations for upper-class tourists visiting Indian Country. They even made a Judy Garland musical about it, Harvey Girls.

When it opened in 1929, before the stock market crash, this was the place for the rich and famous to go. Howard Hughes, Bob Hope, Albert Einstein, Frank Sinatra, and others all stayed here. 

After the depression and World War II, train travel dried up, and middle-class Americans took their automobiles instead, staying at places like the Wigwam Motel (where we'll sleep tomorrow). By the 1950s, La Posada closed for good. The Santa Fe company converted it into offices.

In 1997, Allen Affeldt, and his wife, the painter Tina Minon, purchased the property with the goal of restoring it to its original glory. Today, it's almost always fully booked. Apparently, it's very popular with European tourists, who rent motorcycles, living out the Easy Rider Route 66 dream.

The other reason people come from all over to Winslow is to eat at the hotel's Turquoise Room. This was our vacation splurge night, so we made reservations for 5:30 (the only time we could get).

This time, I didn't forget my duty; I remembered to take pictures of the food. We started by sharing a bowl of sweet corn and black bean soup in a yin/yang shape, with the La Posada initials drizzled over the top. It was great.

Then, I had the wild platter; a deep-fried quail, with a tender elk medallion, accompanied by a cheese and corn tamale, covered with bison, venison, and javelina chili. (I told Kathy that I was going for it; no more chicken breast or shrimp or pasta for me.)

Kathy's dish was certainly as unique, if not as "out there". She had grilled salmon, cooked inside a tamale. It was also delicious.

Tomorrow we're going to put our new National Parks pass to good use and visit the Petrified Forest, sleeping at the Wigwam Motel #6 in Holbrook, the last one left in the United States.