November 17-23, 2022
Road Trip: Las Vegas – St. George - Kanab – Page – Flagstaff – Needles – Las Vegas


A nice little jaunt around the Southwest


Who knows how many times I have driven over these roads… Unlike airline flights and train trips, I don’t log my road trips. The closest I came was marking all of the roads I drove in my old 1988 Mazda B2200 pick-up. Through three different engines over 21 years, I put almost 500000 miles on that truck. I drove to all of the contiguous 48 states and much of western Canada during numerous drives from Alaska down to the Lower 48 and back. I would go out of my way to drive roads I’d not yet driven – mainly just to see what the country looked like where they passed through. I’d mark all those roads in a Rand McNally driver’s atlas with a dayglo marker and – after 15 years – here’s how the U.S. portion of that map looked:



Almost everything I’ve driven in my 1988 Mazda B2200


The individual state pages in Rand McNally maps have faint county outlines, and in 2004 I discovered that I had driven to all but 29 counties in the west, “The West” being defined as Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico and everything west of there. So in the fall of 2004 I took a big road trip and knocked off the rest of those counties – in total 409 of them.

Now a lot of people might say “What’s the point?” For a kid like me who was born and raised in The West – when it was a lot more rural with two lane roads running where interstates run today – I absolutely love the landscapes. Even at a very young age, I loved just seeing the country. There was no mountain range I could look at and not wonder what was on the other side. There was no road I could pass by and not wonder where it went. Even as a backpacker, I was drawn to hike most every trail in the Weminuche Wilderness of the San Juan Mountains in southwest Colorado. And, having enjoyed that scenery, I have no problem with coming back to visit again and again, much like enjoying a good meal in a favorite restaurant or hanging with your friends in a favorite bar.

Beyond enjoying the scenic attributes of America’s diverse landscapes, one of my favorite things about driving around the back roads of America is staying in old motels. Once known as Tourist Camps or Auto Courts, these smaller roadside accommodations began appearing in the late 1920s and 1930s as cars became common and more vacations began to center around driving. The first auto courts were more like campgrounds with small cabins and communal toilet and cooking facilities. Located on the outskirts of most towns and generally set around a central courtyard, these accommodations were designed to be automobile friendly. You could park next to your individual room, or under a carport. Eventually, filling stations, restaurants and cafes began to appear nearby.

Route 66 between Chicago and Santa Monica, California probably did more to promote the modern day motel than any other highway in America. The “motel” became a fully integrated building under a single roof. Swimming pools and restaurants were often located on site as well. One of the things I like most about many older motels are the colorful neon signs at their entrance. After a long day of driving, the warm, bright colors of that sign advertising amenities like color TV or air conditioning are always a welcome and alluring sight.

Above all else, motels are an affordable alternative to more expensive hotels in town. They’re also more… how do I put it… psychically comfortable. That is to say that for me at least, those old motels feel as comfortable as an old pair of jeans whereas a Hilton or Sheraton – nice as they are – feel out of place to me.

There are occasional exceptions though. About fifteen years ago, I signed on with the loyalty programs for both Wyndham and Choice Hotels. Both groups represent a wide variety of hotel chains such as Travelodge, Ramada Inn, Econolodge, Quality Inn, et al. Over the years, I’ve attained Diamond status with both chains and while it doesn’t carry the same level of benefits as top tier status in an airline program, it does occasionally get me a free upgrade to a suite. Such was the case on my first night at the Quality Inn in Boulder City. The hotel looks to have been built in the 1970s and features large rooms with large balconies/patios. I got upgraded to a mini-suite which basically meant the addition of a couch in a slightly larger room. Additionally, in the morning I could see from my balcony what’s left of Lake Mead out in the distance. Above all, I appreciated the increased spatial ambiance of the room.

The next night, I stayed at the Econolodge in downtown St. George, Utah. This definitely was a 1950s/60s era motel with large rooms and thick walls that had probably seen a few different owners and names over the years. The hotel had been well looked after over the years and was a joy to stay at. In the morning I took advantage of the late check out and enjoyed a pretty good Penang Curry at the attached Thai restaurant. The restaurant was built in the classic coffee shop design of the day with booth seating along the street side of the restaurant with huge windows through which to enjoy the sunny day outside.

But hey, let’s check out some scenery between Kanab, Utah and Page, Arizona -
.


Colorful Southwest


65 mph beauty


Spectacular Strata


Looking back…


Approaching Big Water


Page, Arizona is home to the Glen Canyon Dam which holds back Lake Powell. Indeed, the very reason for Page’s existence is the Glen Canyon Dam as Page sprung up as an employee town where the construction workers lived while the dam was being built in the late 1950s.



Glen Canyon Dam


Lake Powell – what of it there is…


Back in 2006, I spent a month managing the Lake Powell International Hostel while the owner was vacationing in Tucson. The hostel was housed in some of the old employee apartments, many of which have since been converted to hotels. I’ve stayed in many of those little hotels – the Red Rock Motel, Bashful Bob’s et al, but this time I wanted to stay in a hotel overlooking Lake Powell. I’d long yearned to stay at the Quality Inn, a 1970s era hotel perched on a bluff at the northwest end of town, but it had always been too expensive. Now – in mid-November it was just before high season and rates were very affordable – I paid $72 for a lake view room. As an added bonus, the hotel had an in-house Mexican restaurant that served up some very tasty chimichangas.



Lake Powell – what of it there is from my balcony
The view used to be much better when the lake level was higher


Climate change and the ravages of a multi-year draught have really taken their toll on Lake Powell. I’ve never seen it so low, and I remember seeing it at its high point back in 1983. You can read more about it here if you want:

https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/30/u...ate/index.html

https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/...r-6952489.html

Who knows? Hayduke may have his way after all…

Moving on from Page, it’s a pretty drive down through the high desert to Flagstaff (elevation 6,910’ or 2,106m). I’m amazed how much this town has grown! Back in the seventies, I used to hitchhike from my college in Durango, CO to Gallup, NM where I catch Amtrak’s Southwest Limited to Flag to visit friends who were attending Northern Arizona University. Suburban sprawl notwithstanding, Flagstaff is always nice to come back to.



Colorful corner


Orange Butte


Hotel Artwork


Flagstaff is right on Route 66, and since the old “Mother Road” also serves as the Business Route through town for Interstate 40, it is home to dozens of classic old motels and cafes. My favorite amongst the cafes is the Crown Railroad Café. It just oozes 1960s charm and the comfort food is top notch. It was pretty quiet when I came in at 11:00am, but within a half hour the luncheon crowd had the waitresses hustling. Check it out, and be sure to click on the menu page and check out the 66 different omelets.

https://www.thecrownrailroadcafes.com/our-story



Crown Railroad Cafe


Green Chile Chicken Fried Steak


Departing Flagstaff to the west, unless you drive old Route 66 through Seligman and Peach Springs there’s not much to see along Interstate 40 on the 210 mile stretch to Needles. Choosing the Interstate for today’s drive, I just set the cruise control at 70 and enjoyed the afternoon sun as well a few sets of Grateful Dead covers that I created during the early days of the pandemic.


And on that note, who’s ready to go to Bali?

Right on! We’ll just drop the car off in Vegas, fly to San Francisco for the night and then relocate across the country to Newark’s Liberty International Airport. Awaiting us is a room at the Crown Plaza where I enjoyed one of the best burgers ever down in the hotel bar.

The next morning – we’re off to Singapore in Business Class aboard the world’s second (by 10 miles) longest flight.