Who Could Resist a Road Trip Like This?! Day 1

     Going on a great road trip is one of my favorite things to do.  Don't get me wrong, I love to fly.  If I have a super long distance to go, or don't need a car when I get there, flying is the way to do it.  But, you miss so much!
     Last week, my friend Denice and I set out on a road trip to the Southwest.  Our main goals were to see the Grand Canyon and Mesa Verde, with a stop at Four Corners in between.  Those destinations were incredible...and I will write about them in my next post.
     But, it's sometimes the quirky things you see along the way that really make memories!  
     
     We spent the night with my parents in the Texas Panhandle and then we headed west.  Our first fun stop was the Cadillac Ranch, just west of Amarillo.
      I had seen the Cadillac Ranch from the highway many times but never stopped.  So glad we did!
      The Cadillac Ranch sits off the highway in a cow pasture owned by the late Stanley Marsh.  He was the sponsor of the project, but it was the brainchild of an group of artists/architects named Ant Farm.  It was established in the 70's as homage to the old style of Cadillac.  The cars were buried nose first to display the fins, which were omitted from the updated models.  They are buried at an angle that corresponds to the Great Pyramids in Egypt.  Who knew?
    
   

     What fun!   Spray cans and lids littered the area, but they just kind of fit in with the "decor".
     
 

        We got our pics and had to back track to a turnaround to get back on the highway.  That's when this happened.

    Of course we had to take pictures.  But, we didn't go check it out!
I did a little digging after we got back just to see....and it appears that is is just a sign.  Whew!  Some people believe it was placed there by the Cadillac Ranch overseers.  Maybe?  It would definitely fit in with their quirky sense of humor!
    All of this and we were barely on our way!
   

  Our next big stop was to stand on the corner in Winslow, Arizona.  I mean, if you are a child of the 70's or just an Eagles fan, you can't resist!  Right?  I will admit, the part of town we were in was a little sketchy, but we found Winslow Street, jumped out and got our picture, and headed on!

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Our destination for the day was Flagstaff, Arizona.  This was my first time in Arizona, and I loved it!  I don't know about you, but I have kind of always had a "stereotype" image of Arizona...meaning that I guess I just assumed it was all desert and rocks. 

 

 How wrong I was!  Flagstaff is gorgeous!  Mountains and evergreen trees!  Beautiful blue sky, when the sun was out. 

If you ever go to Flagstaff, you must eat at Black Bart's Steakhouse!  It's a little pricey, but the food is wonderful and the decor is cool in a kitschy sort of way.  But, the big surprise is the entertainment!  




     All the servers sing the entire time you are there.  They switch off and on...someone is always up there singing, either solo or groups.  And, in a place like this you might think they would be singing country or folk  music.  But no!  It's mostly Broadway show tunes.  And they are great!  Probably, most of them are students at Northern Arizona University!

     I think it was a great first day!  More coming soon!