This first one is an abandoned hotel in Tecumcari, NM, featuring an awesome mid-century-modern sign. It's famous for being one of the first hotels ever with the "Magic Fingers" mattress, no lie. This is from the absolute heyday of Route 66.
Here's a lovely photo looking down the street in Tecumcari. Just about every business is abandoned. It feels like the Forbidden Zone in Planet of the Apes. It is both beautiful and incredibly sad.
Finally, this is the gorgeous deco lobby of the Monte Vista hotel in Flagstaff, AZ. The people in the upper right are real, they are not spectral.
Our last day was kind of "hurry up and get there" -- after spending another couple hours messing around in Flagstaff, which we officially fell madly in love with (I could spend a month exploring the lovingly restored 1800s-era buildings as well as the Route 66-ania hotels along the business loop), the rest of the day was basically just ONE. LONG. DRIVE. with a few stops along the way to pick up supplies / pee / gas up. Route 66 fans: I'm sure I-15 from Barstow to Los Angeles is a perfectly wonderful modern invention that speeds up transit but it is also the most DANGEROUS AND AWFUL stretch of road I've ever driven. Gone is the leisurely pace our 50s forebears had, replaced by psychotic Los Angeleans driving 1000 mph to and from the outlet mall on the edge of Barstow. Gah. It sucked.
We ended our trip having a lovely dinner at the Formosa, a gorgeous Olde Hollywood restaurant not five blocks from my house. Its absolutely marvelous -- the food's great, and its loaded with atmosphere and old ghosts.
Ladies and Gentlemen of Los Angeles: Miss Trixi B has officially arrived!
9 comments:
Welcome Home Trix! ;-)
Tell us more please, about the GHOSTS.
The Blue Swallow Motel? That's a sign that's gorgeous AND funny!
A cool trip to bring the cool couple home.
The Blue Swallow is anything but abandoned. It's just on a temporary hiatus while its owners take a vacation for themselves during the slow winter period.
As for I-15 between Barstow and Victorville, try taking old 66 instead. It's a nice 2-lane with a lot to see, but still a pretty good pace if you want it to be. Unfortunately, though, that Cajon Pass mostly still has to be traversed via the superslab as old 66 has been obliterated by it.
What a cool road trip. We are off to Memphis soon! You must be loving being together now, congrats you two.
My brother and I used to have a cast of characters with crazy voices we would do when we were little. One was named "Barstow" (after the pokey lil' town which we discovered on our drives from the OC to Havasu) and to this day my brother can reduce me to laughin' tears just by yelling, "BARRRRSTOOOOOWWWWW!" Guess you have to be there.
HAVE SO MUCH FUN, TRIXL!!! (and you too, Jon)
>>> The Blue Swallow is anything but abandoned. It's just on a temporary hiatus while its owners take a vacation for themselves during the slow winter period.<<<
You don't know how awesome and heartening that is. Beautiful. Next time I'm through there, I'll stay there!!
Bolg was the son of The Great Goblin in The Hobbit. He leads the Goblin armies against the dwarves, elves, and men after Gandolf kills his father earlier in the story.
Just thought I'd share.
Looks and sounds like a great trip.
Glad you made it safely!
Welcome back Jonny, and welcome to your lovely lady!
So now that you're back...I'm sure you have a long list of things to do.
Like...play another show with Silver Phial, so I could actually be there. D'uh!
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