Winslow and HOME!

September 26, 2023

September 22, 2023 – Friday, Winslow, Arizona

Breakfast at the hotel was even less than normal – no bacon or sausage, no eggs. So, we checked out and stopped at Denny’s – scrambled eggs (with salsa), hash browns, and sausage for M, ham and hash browns for R.

Since we didn’t have far to go, we diverted to visit Bluff, Utah, where we stayed several years ago. The scenery from Farmington to Bluff is truly spectacular and the weather was perfect.

Stopped at the Bluff Visitors Center and watch a short film about the Mormon families that migrated to the area in the 1880’s by wagon train over some incredibly difficult country. It took six months and required some astounding engineering to get across the Colorado River Gorge. They were heading into “uncharted” Utah in order to “settle” it for the “Church.”

On the way to Bluff, we crossed four states – New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Utah – and drove to the Four Corners Monument. Two problems with the monument. First, modern surveys show it is in the wrong place – about 1,000 feet off. Second, the monument is owned by the local Indians, who are now charging an $8.00 entry fee. Sorry, we were not about to pay to see a misplaced monument.

From Bluff, we drove up to Blanding for one of M’s favorited eating places: the A&W root beer and bowling alley. No bowling but we each had a (grilled!) hot dog, washed down with A&W root beer. I was SOOOO happy! Knowing that we would be having dinner at the Turquoise Room, I figured it was an appropriate lunch!

From Blanding, we headed toward Winslow via a very scenic, off-beat route: Back to Bluff, then to Rock Point, Chinle, Greasewood and Dikon. Find these on the map, if you can. (It was such a challenge to even find on our detailed Arizona map, that I actually went ahead and dotted the route in pink magic marker so that R could navigate the route appropriately!)

Checked in to La Posada (room 240 – M’s favorite) and went to the bar for some wine and bar snacks. Since we were hungry, we moved our dinner reservation at the Turquoise Room to 5:00. Note: The bar is fairly new; R hadn’t seen it before, although when M and Jay met the Zappalas and Hilary there last October, it was in place, but the bar snacks were new! We had a fabulous Mexican “egg roll” with salsa that was amazing!

Dinner was (as usual) outstanding. R started with the Turquoise Room signature soup – half corn chowder, half black bean; main course: 10 oz New York Strip steak, steak fries and sautéed mixed vegetables. No room for dessert. M had salad with blue cheese dressing, marinated and grilled chicken breast, sweet corn tamale. Also no room for dessert.

Back to the room. The perfect end to a really outstanding day!

Up about 5 am, tubbed and out the door by about 5:30 am to start the drive home!! Made it to Payson and the Bee-Line Café for breakfast. As I had really had my fill of breakfasts, I was able to get a bacon cheeseburger with hash browns, and it was delicious!! R had a BLT, which he very much enjoyed. Made it home by about 12:30 pm – SO nice to be home after a truly fabulous road trip!!