Closed routes and short stops

August 25^th, 2026

Williams, Arizona

Woke early at 7:00am and got ready.  Loaded up the bike and had everything ready to go around 8:00am.

After final room check, we dropped key at office and hit the road.

Stopped after a mile to do the drive through Route 66 shield in Grants, NM.

Then we were back on the route.

Decided not to stop to look at an old tank and gun sitting on side of road in veterans park, no real good place to park, so hopefully it will show up on the video.

Nice route through the towns and into the countryside.  The old alignment mostly follows along the Interstate here, sometimes right next too it, others a bit of distance, but always in view.

I know today would have lots of time on the Interstate as much of the original routes are now under it.

So, when Maps told me to get on the freeway, I assumed we were good.  But it did its thing again of changing my route for no reason.  So, I lost out on a few miles of the old route and that included the stop at the Continental Divide marker.  I could have pulled off the freeway, but was a bit angry, so just kept going.

Bit later it did it again, but just for a short route, but still annoying me that it keeps ignoring the route I setup on the computer.  The App must have a different logic behind its routing process, so you get different results in it than on the browser.  Really lame.

Coming into Gallup the road was suddenly closed.

While it was open to local traffic, I decided to follow the detour onto the freeway, and I did see a few miles later that the road was basically gone.  The state highway (118) had been overrun by some massive construction project.  Looks like they are building a new interchange, though not sure why, seems like odd place to build one.

Past that the highway is accessible, but not doing any back tracking on this trip unless to see a place.

So pulled off the freeway at the main exit where the business interstate route takes over. (This is usually the original highway that the interstate replaced, just labeled BR-# to allow you to access the local businesses).

The old alignment here takes you through Gallup.

I thought about eating here, but never did find anything that looked good.

Took the highway out of town and about 6-7 miles later, suddenly it is closed again.  No warning back when I was at the interstate exit, so now I had to back track those 6-7 miles to reach the only access point for the interstate, and I found no other routes around, not even a gravel road.

Once on the freeway I noticed that the closed section was actually just a 1 way lane over a bridge and got really pissed off, but then a few more miles the road was fully closed for something they were doing with another Bridge.

Few more miles and I was able to get back onto the highway, and this route took me to the Arizona border.

I decided at this point to skip a stop I was going to make there, had lost enough time already and was really in a foul mood now as well.

I stopped at the rest area there, then crossed over to drive the short section on the south of the freeway, then back onto the interstate as no routes exist here.

Just past the Houck exit I did pull off and take one of the very old alignments.  This was a 5 mile section and it was gravel, but I wanted to visit the old Querino bridge which is on this section of the route.

The gravel was mostly well graded surface and not to think, but road was a bit wash boarded and some pot holds, made a bit of a rough run.

Stopped at the bridge for a few photos and then finished the road back to the interstate.

Had a long section of freeway now across the rest of the Navajo region and past Petrified Forest.

Got of in Holbrook and stopped to refuel.

I then stopped to eat at Burger King as I was too hungry to look for a local diner anymore.

I also had one stop to make in Holbrook.  I had driven by the place dozens of times, but wanted to stop and see the big dinosaur figures at a local rock shop and check out the shop.

The place is only 1 block off the route through town, so found it and parked, and then saw that the shop was actually closed.  Thankfully the dinosaurs are all outside around the building and lot, so could take a few photos.

Got back on the road, rode past the Wigwam Motel (I had stayed here on a trip about 12 years ago, so why I never even thought about stopping here on this trip).

Stopped on edge of town for the drive through Route 66 shield for Holbrook.

Then it was back onto the freeway.

Just past there you can get off and drive the original route through St Joseph which I did.  Then I got back on the freeway, but made a mistake there.

For some reason I was not looking at the maps closely, just seemed to recall there being only a short section here, but missed that the route actually went on the south frontage road for a few miles, ending at the Jack Rabbit trading post exit.

Oh well, guess I will need to pay more attention to the maps, but with it frequently altering my course as well, might just need to go back to using paper instructions in the map pocket of the tank bag.

I pulled off at Jack Rabbit post anyway so I could take photo with the sign, and had to stop and clear a few stop markers on the map program as it was trying to make me back track to those markers now.

A bit past there you get off the freeway and ride the original route through Winslow.

I decided not to seek out the corner (Standing on the Corner in Winslow Arizona fame) as I had done that 12 years ago as well on that other trip.

I did however go off the route a bit to reach the railroad park in town.

Winslow owes its existence to the railroad, so they honor its part in the town’s history with a small park which has several older rail cars sitting in it, right next to the still active rail line.

I walked around the trains for a bit, then went back to the bike to look into the chain as it was making noise again at low speed in the lower gears.

This has occurred a few times, though all after I had been riding in wet conditions for a long time.

Today I had only had a light rain, barely enough to get the road wet, so should not have been much water on the chain, but it was clunking again.

I unpacked the bike enough to get the chain oil and spent a few minutes oiling the chain again.

This seems to fix it, but still odd that it started today without the water.

Once everything was back on the bike we got going again, and sure enough, no more clunking.

From here on there are no more sections of the road to ride until you reach Flagstaff.

While some of the older alignments do exist still, many are gravel, and those that are not are still no longer connected on both ends, so you have to ride out and back.  Just not wanting to spend that time anymore.

I pulled off the highway though at one section to visit the Meteor City.

This domed building was once a stop on Route 66 and had sat abandoned for many years.

Recently someone fixed it up and has a gift shop and museum inside, and outside several activities, the main one being a dinosaur park you can drive through with lots of large dinosaur sculptures.

You can also spray paint a Volkswagen beetle, pan for gold, shoot targets, and hire a pedal car to take through the dino part instead of your own car.

I was not going to do any of that, but was cool to look at stuff inside, lots of rocks and dinosaur related merch.

Bought a cold soda though as it was hot outside today.

Drank the soda while standing at the bike, then got back on the road, going back to the exit to get on the freeway.

A bit later you pass the road going to the Meteor Crater, but as I had just visited that a few months before this trip, did not feel like doing it again.

The next place on the old route is the old town of Two Guns.

Not much left here, some old ruins and stories, and part of the old route goes over an old bridge here (gravel road).

I had originally planned to stop, but was running late enough, and it was hot enough to make me skip it and go onward.

Next stop is Two Arrows.

This former roadside fuel station and stop is in a sorry state, but wanted to at least stop for the one arrow still standing.

The other arrow collapsed a few years ago, and then someone stole it shortly after that.

The one still standing is probably going to collapse in a very short time if something is not done, but seems to be no interest in getting funds to restore at least the arrows at this site.

The buildings are just shells now, covered in graffiti and probably not salvageable anyway.

Back on the road we continued onward toward Flagstaff.

I decided not to take the Winona exit which follows the older route up north of town before coming back south.  I had already driven that section of road 12 years ago, so opted for a later routing that starts at the Walnut Canyon exit.

This alignment is shorter, but was actually a very nice route and scenic, and is the official Route 66 signed route going into Flagstaff, having the big Route 66 stone signs then built along the route.

Once in Flagstaff we made our way through town and stopped for a few cold drinks on the far side.

From here you have to get back on the freeway and continue west.

At Bellemont you can exit and follow some of the earlier alignments here, but they are all gravel roads, and I actually road them on this bike about 5 years ago, so stayed on the freeway as there are no paved alignments here, they are all under the interstate now.

This brought me to the edge or Williams where I will stop for the night.

Once off the exit from the freeway, you catch the original road again into town.

Williams was the very last town bypassed by I-40, they hung on till the very end, but eventually the road went around them, but they still have a decent amount of visitation due to other things nearby that keeps the town going, and they embraced the Route 66 history as well.

I found my motel in the middle of town, got checked in and over to the room.

Room is in a corner, so cannot park right in front, but close.

The entrance to the room though is a stupid narrow hall that I can barely wall through without turning sideways, and with the bags in my hands had to turn like that.

Room itself is good sized, though huge bed uses up most of it.

The usual stuff, including a couch/fold out bed, but the thing is filthy.  Stained horribly on the surface, not even going to sit on it.

Oddly rest of the room is nice, clean and in good shape, so hard to see how they can leave this sofa in here.

Got unloaded, then sat around to cool off for a while.

Then we secured the bike and changed so we could walk over someplace for dinner.

Went down the road to Cruiser’s Route 66 Café and had a good sized meal there. Actually, was too much food, so brought half the boneless wings back to the room for later.

Once back in the room, I did a few quick things online, then decided I was ready for bed, just wiped out today.

I will be staying here 2 nights, so can get things done in the morning.

Catch ya down the road.

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