On the Mother Road, Winslow, Az.

Well, “[Pete’s] standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona . . . .”

Above is a shot of the corner in Winslow, AZ, dedicated to the song “Take It Easy” by the Eagles. Jackson Brown and Glenn Frey wrote the lyrics.

Many fans have paid tribute to Frey, who died at the age of 67 on January 18, 2016.

“It’s a girl, my lord, in a flat-bed Ford . . .

. . . slowin’ down to take at look at me . . . Take it easy, take it easy / Don’t let the sound of your own wheels make you crazy . . .”

We stayed at the historic La Posada Inn, an impressive hacienda that was the last great railroad hotel built for the Fred Harvey Company along the Santa Fe Railroad. In the early 1930’s the renown Southwestern architect Mary Colter designed La Posada in the style of a Spanish rancho circa the early 1800’s.

Most people think of horses when they picture the Southwest, but Edward Beale, the frontiersman, built the Beale’s Wagon Road (part of RTE 66) with the help of camels from Tunis.  La Posada’s entrance pays tribute to the pack animals of the Camel Corps.

La Posada fell into disrepair after the Depression until two local designer-artists bought it in 1997 from the Santa Fe Railway and decided to restore the hacienda to its former glory.  It is still undergoing renovation.

Beautiful furnishings, tilework, Navajo rugs, glass-and-tin chandeliers fill the interior.

Objects of art adorn every niche.

The period style rooms are named after famous former guests.  We stayed in the Victor Mature room.

We dined  at the inn’s Turquoise Room. Its celebrated Southwestern chef served up possibly the best meal we have ever had in our lives.  Above is a shot of Jill’s Killer Vegetable Platter–sweet corn tamale, red caboose mashed potatoes, grilled fresh corn, grilled mild chili stuffed with 3 cheeses, wild mushroom corn custard and a crispy fried egg roll filled with red, brown, and black sticky rice, roasted chili and jicama.

Here is a shot of Pete’s Wild Platter–crispy quail with orange Oaxaca sauce, Colorado farm-raised elk medallion with black currant sauce, green chili, cheese tamale topped with bison, elk and wild boar chili, finished with a fresh vegetable medley.  Wow!

The inn is also a museum that displays the works of one of its owners, Tina Mion.  Her splashy canvases of political figures and first ladies are famous.  Her portrait of Jackie Kennedy was purchased by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in D.C. It is one of 3 paintings by Mion in its permanent collection.

Her other canvases are haunting . . .

. . . and humorous. Above is Dick Cheney as the Wizard of Oz. Guess who the others are?

Some of her paintings are historical, such as this one called “The Last Harvey Girls.” The famous Harvey Girls served food in Harvey Houses.  Harvey recruited over 100,000 girls – mostly white women from the East in search of western adventure, selected for their work ethic and wholesome appearance.  A few of these women are still alive and living in Winslow.  In the above painting, the artist wonders who will be the last Harvey girls.

Clearly out of place was the dedicated parking and charging stations in the Posada Inn’s parking lot. We never spotted one of these vehicles on RTE 66.