Route 66, Standing on the Corner, Oil Change

After the Holbrook area, our next stop is Williams, Arizona where we will visit the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.  On the way to Williams, however, we had some errands to run:  stop at the Wal-Mart in Winslow to get an oil change for the Trek, pick up a rental car at the Flagstaff airport, and then stop at Camping World outside Flagstaff to get a new thermostat.

There are fragments of Route 66, the old "main street of America", running alongside I-40 between Holbrook and Flagstaff (and beyond).  So rather than make our little journey to Flagstaff entirely on I-40, we decided we would hop off to drive on Route 66 segments whenever we could.  An that is exactly what we did.  It was actually pretty neat to drive along that old road. In some places, there are clear remnants of old gas stations, roadside motels, and diners.  Some of these buildings have been restored and are in use.

And do you know what is in Winslow, Arizona besides a Wal-Mart?  The Corner, of course, and we decided to go and stand on it! I'm talking about the second verse of Jackson Browne's song, Take it Easy, made famous by the Eagles:

Well, I'm a standing 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

The corner referenced in this song is found at North Kinsley Avenue and West 2nd Street (which is  eastbound Route 66) in downtown Winslow.

We had to park the Trek in a residential area and walk 3 or 4 blocks to get there.  The weather was beautiful and we did not mind at all. In fact, it was only because we were walking that Lynda noticed and we got photos of an apparently common (so a passing woman told us) sky-bound rainbow... when there was no falling rain.  The woman told us these are caused by moisture within the clouds.

Anyway, take a look at our photos - hope you enjoy!

Oh, and the oil change at Wal-Mart was a smooth experience.  They charged $50, considerably less than the other 2 places I called (Camping World quoted $90+oil filter, Jiffy Lube quoted $100) and did a good job.  You just need to call ahead to make sure the Wal-Mart offers vehicle service and has bays big enough to accommodate your RV.