I will begin this part of the journey emphasizing, again, the importance of checking az511.com or azdot.gov before heading off to Route 66. On the day I was in the area I couldn’t get to my ultimate destination, which was the Chief Yellowhorse Gift Shop at the New Mexico state line. Road construction thwarted my continuing, so I never got a photo of Chief Yellowhorse. I was disappointed, but there are plenty of gift shops along the way.

If you find yourself driving westbound on I-40/Route 66 and have just crossed into Arizona from New Mexico, do make a stop at Chief Yellowhorse, it’s one of the biggest gift shop/tourist traps on the route. Along the way westbound there are minor attractions in Houck and Sanders, but the biggest one, next on the route, is the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest. I recommend an overnight stay in the Petrified Forest area because it’s a National Park and so vast you’ll want to spend a full day there. See the Painted Desert and the petrified logs, hunt for petroglyphs and be sure to hydrate — the heat is brutal in summer.

The next fun stop is Holbrook, where you can find rock shops, petrified wood, and lots and lots of cool dinosaurs (some really cheesy ones, too). By far the most unique stop is the Wigwam Motel, where the motel rooms are tipi-shaped, and each one has an antique car parked in front of it. It’s a nostalgic Arizona icon and Route 66 classic.

Cheesy gift shops are up next, including the Jackrabbit Trading Post at the end of the yellow “Here It Is” signs; a few miles on is the Painted Desert Indian Center, where you can buy petrified wood and genuine Indian art.

The next city on Route66/I-40 is Winslow, home of La Posada, one of the more exclusive hotels in Arizona. It originally opened in 1930. Not far away is the famous Standin’ on the Corner statue, probably the most photographed spot in Winslow. It was hard to get a photo without a tourist in it! The statue references the famous song by the Eagles, and there’s another statue nearby, of Don Henley. This is the first time I’ve photographed the statue since my feelings about the Eagles are the same as The Dude from The Big Lebowski. I heard some great electric guitar blues riffs, and nearby found a guy busking in front of a music shop and sounding great.

The next westbound stop is Meteor City (not the location of the Wes Andersen film Asteroid City). The place had fallen into disrepair and was abandoned until renovated in May 2025. Aside from a large gift shop there were other attractions available where kids could spray-paint cars, mine for gemstones or ride a dinosaur. There’s also the Dino Drive Thru where you can see thirty different dinosaurs from the comfort of your car. It’s a fun stop on the way to Meteor Crater. Yes, Meteor Crater is a large hole in the ground (the same is said about the Grand Canyon, but neither statement is entirely accurate).

Meteor Crater, aka Barringer Crater as it was originally known, is an impact crater from a meteor, like what we see on the moon. It’s a privately run operation on a par with anything you’ll find in a national park, including a gift shop, educational theater, restaurant, etc. There are many overlooks where viewers can take in the entirety of the round crater, which is smaller than most craters on the moon! The crater was formed about 50,000 years ago.

Continuing westbound toward Flagstaff are two abandoned sites, Two Guns, which is little more than a graffiti-covered old gas station, then Twin Arrows, another abandoned, graffiti-covered trading post, and, sadly, only one arrow is still standing. It’s a spray-painted monument to what was.

This is a long drive, which should be done in two days, if you have time.

Coming up:
Central Arizona: Williams and Flagstaff
Western Arizona: Kingman and Oatman