August 21st, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues! Day 25 Route 66 Caravan – Williams, AZ

Today, we drove from Meteor Crater RV Park, in Winslow to Grand Canyon Railway RV Park in Williams, Arizona. Heading west from Meteor Crater toward Flagstaff, the route climbs swiftly from the hot red desert up into the cool green pines. Old-road fanatics will want to take the time to explore what remains of two old-time tourist traps lining the roadway.

One of a number of symbols of bygone days along historic Route 66 in Northern Arizona, today only rickety structures, rubble and graffiti mark the spot where Meteor City used to reign supreme as a must-see stop for fans of the legendary Mother Road. The ramshackle Meteor City; the ghost town of Two Guns and the ruins of the Twin Arrows. The days are numbered for these three iconic sites unless they are rescued soon.

But, there is good news for one of the locations. Even as dust blows through the carcasses of its buildings and trailers, there is hope to resurrect Meteor City. The Meteor City Trading Post, named in honor of the nearby Meteor or Barringer Crater, is the first of three Route 66-inspired roadside attractions located only a few miles apart along a 30-mile stretch west on Interstate 40 from Winslow to Flagstaff. Meteor City was first opened in 1938 and was operated as the Sharber Service Station, under the Texaco brand, by Arizona resident Joe Sharber. In 1941, an expansion of the property by a new owner, Iowan Jack Newsum, nicknamed “Lonesome Jack,” included the addition of a trading post where visitors could buy gas, groceries and curios. At first, a roadside city limits sign declared, “Meteor City: Population 1,” but when Newsum married in 1946, he updated the sign to read population two.

A geodesic dome, complete with a bright yellow faux Mohawk, was built in 1979 on the site to house the curio shop that stocked with a variety of items, including moccasins, postcards and Baja shirts. It was later featured as a restaurant in the 1984 movie “Starman,” which was directed by John Carpenter and starred Jeff Bridges. The first dome burned down in 1990 but was replaced with the current structure. The trading post closed in 2001 but was later reopened by Richard and Ermila Benton. It was put up for sale again in 2012 with an asking price of $150,000. The doors closed when no buyers came forward and vandals eventually smashed everything in sight including display cases.

The freeway crosses deep Diablo Canyon, where an old Route 66 bridge still spans the dry wash. Walls of a half-dozen bleached buildings are all that’s left of the Two Guns Trading Post. A roadside attraction par excellence, Two Guns had a zoo full of roadrunners, Gila monsters, and coyotes, and one building still has a sign saying Mountain Lions—all for the entertainment of passing travelers. For a while in the 1970s, Two Guns was a KOA Kampground (with a swimming pool!), and according to various reports down the Route 66 grapevine, Two Guns has been on the verge of reopening many times, most recently after reports circulated that the whole shebang had been purchased by Australian actor Russell Crowe so that he could film a remake of the classic Yul Brynner film Westworld. But most of the time Two Guns is dead quiet, with the old access road blocked by a sign reading “No Trespassing by Order of Two Guns Sheriff Department.” Probably a good thing, since the old buildings are all dangerously close to collapse.

A dozen miles or so west of Two Guns is another Double-Attraction: Twin Arrows, where a pair of giant and surprisingly well preserved red and yellow arrows point toward a long-closed café and trading post, last seen alive in the 1990s movie Forrest Gump. IKE MANY AN ICON OF Route 66, the Twin Arrows Trading Post has certainly seen better days. Situated on the side of I-40 in Arizona, the giant, yellow twin arrows still remain, standing out as a beacon to bored drivers, but the store and diner have fallen into disrepair.

Built-in the late 1940s as Canyon Padre Trading Post, the store soon changed its name to Twin Arrows, seemingly inspired by the nearby town of Two Guns. It was then that the iconic wooden arrows were built, planted in the parking lot to guide motorists to the trading post’s doors. The post included a gas station, gift shop, and a Valentine’s diner. Unfortunately, the creation of a nearby interstate led to a swift decrease in road traffic and combined with the changing cultural tastes that were moving away from kitschy roadside attractions, the trading post fell into decline. Twin Arrows operated under different owners as best it could until 1995 when it was finally abandoned. Currently, the land is owned by the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino, nestled off an exit across the interstate. In 2009, the casino cleaned up the wooden arrows but has not made any other efforts toward restoration of the trading post or diner. The abandoned buildings have become a canvas for graffiti artists, adding to the site’s eerie charm.

As tail-enders, we had another stop on the side of I-40, to help a caravanner in distress. With 18-wheelers whizzing by, the rig owner and Charlie are working under the coach on the road side … watch out! With their hoses clamped and more anti-freeze in radiator, we are on our way again!

Flagstaff is a mile high! Seeing some flowers and green vegetation! Oh yeah, and we are climbing, climbing, climbing!

We arrived at Grand Canyon Railway RV Resort, our home for the next few nights! Grand Canyon Railway RV Park is also just two blocks away from Route 66 and downtown Williams.

The last Route 66 town to be bypassed by I-40, Williams held out until the bitter end, waging court battle after court battle before finally surrendering on October 13, 1984. Williams today is primarily a gateway to the Grand Canyon, but it also takes full advantage of its Route 66 heritage. 

Their downtown streets sport old-fashioned street lamps, and every other store sells a variety of Route 66 souvenirs, making the town much more than a pit stop for Grand Canyon-bound travelers. Apart from the Route 66 connections, Williams’s pride and joy is the vintage Grand Canyon Railway, which whistles and steams its way north to the canyon every morning, taking roughly two hours each way.

We enjoyed a buffet dinner at Harvey House part of the Grand Canyon Railway. The Fred Harvey Restaurant is the perfect start or end to your Grand Canyon journey. Located across from the hotel and adjacent to the depot, the 350-seat restaurant serves breakfast and dinner for Grand Canyon Railway passengers and patrons. Savor the rail atmosphere as a model replica of the train circles the room in the restaurant. They are proud to carry on the legacy of the Santa Fe Railroad and its partner, The Fred Harvey Company. Beginning in 1876, Fred Harvey introduced a new standard of service and quality with his “Harvey Houses” along Santa Fe Railroad routes throughout the West, including the world-famous El Tovar Hotel at Grand Canyon’s South Rim and the Frey Marcos Hotel here in our town of Williams.

We enjoyed a quiet evening before our train ride in the morning!