On our way back through Texas we made this required pilgrimage to the Cadillac Ranch, on Historic Route 66 near Amarillo. We didn’t paint, although there were plenty of people who were painting (I got lucky that they all happened to be hidden in this shot). We had to be careful and stay upwind of the overspray!
We’re home now, but I’m a few days behind in processing photos.
We stopped for breakfast at the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. It is purported to be the halfway point between Chicago and L.A., and who am I to argue? Great breakfast and interesting memorabilia make it a worthwhile stop.
Kathy & I spent a night at this motel on the “strip” in Tucumcari, New Mexico. A town with a long history as one of the highlights of Route 66, Tucumcari is struggling a bit these days, although a few of the classic hotels appear to be doing a remarkable job of hanging on. The Motel Safari is one example of those classic hotels. I’ll have more to say regarding our Route 66 experience, but suffice it to say that we would not hesitate to return to this motel.
While in Albuquerque, Kathy & I rode the Sandia Peak Tramway to the top of the mountain for lunch at 10,378 feet! That’s high! The tram ride was fun and the views fantastic. Lunch was very good, too! 😉
We were there…had to do it. 🙂
This park is on the same loop road as Wupatki – interesting that two distinctly diverse parks can be located within a few miles of each other. Sunset Crater was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption that occurred around AD 1085.
We were able to get tickets for a daytime walking tour of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff. Highlights of our visit included looking at the sun through a solar telescope and visiting the building that houses the “Pluto Discovery Telescope.” I think I want to be an astronomer when I grow up. 🙂
Interesting story about the boxing glove. It was put there by a maintenance guy who kept hitting his head on the end of the counterweight.
Kathy & I visited this amazing place on Monday…words cannot do it justice. We did the westbound shuttle, catching most of the overlooks out to Hermit’s Rest. After lunch at the El Tovar (incomparable!) we drove out to Desert View and The Watchtower before returning to our humble accommodations in Williams.
We started off our Route 66 adventure on Sunday with dinner at “Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner.” Homemade Root Beer and excellent burgers!
Mission San Xavier del Bac is a historic Spanish Catholic mission located about 10 miles south of downtown Tucson, Arizona, on the Tohono O’odham Nation San Xavier Indian Reservation. The mission was founded in 1692 by Padre Eusebio Kino in the center of a centuries-old settlement of the Sobaipuri O’odham, a branch of the Akimel or River O’odham located along the banks of the Santa Cruz River. The mission was named for Francis Xavier, a Christian missionary and co-founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order) in Europe. The original church was built to the north of the present Franciscan church. This northern church or churches served the mission until it was razed during an Apache raid in 1770.
The mission that survives today was built between 1783 and 1797, which makes it the oldest European structure in Arizona. Labor was provided by the O’odham. An outstanding example of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States, the Mission San Xavier del Bac hosts some 200,000 visitors each year. It is a well-known pilgrimage site, with thousands visiting each year on foot and on horseback, some among ceremonial cavalcades or cabalgatas.
Half of the actual church building was covered in scaffolding due to renovations, but this is an adjacent chapel which carries through some of the same architecture.
