Route 66

Last week I drove 125 miles of historic Route 66 between Williams and Holbrook, Arizona. Retracing what's left of "The Mother Road," the iconic 2400 mile highway that stretches from Chicago to Los Angeles, was a mixed bag of emotions. By the mid-eighties nearly all of the towns along Route 66 in Arizona had been bypassed by Interstate 40. Many of the bypassed towns have withered severely over the years. I only had a few hours this trip, but I could spend a week on Route 66 in Arizona alone. The road is rich with history and stories of a bygone era. Many great photographers have captured this strip of road in the past, but here's my humble contribution to telling the story of America's highway. Thanks are due to my dear wife for graciously letting me take a day of our vacation to shoot these photos.

Wigwam Village Motel #6 - Holbrook, Ariz.



 Parks, Ariz.


Cowboy Joe Herman, 55, is seen at the I-40 truck stop in Bellemont, Ariz. where Route 66 once lay. Herman raises quarter horses on his ranch in Parks, Ariz. on old Route 66.


Morning breaks on Route 66 in downtown Williams, Ariz.


Winslow, Ariz.


A collection of Route 66 signs is displayed in Williams, Ariz.

Downtown Williams caters to tourists and visitors of the nearby Grand Canyon.


Winslow, Ariz.


Circle K gas station attendant - Williams, Ariz.


Twin Arrows, Ariz.


The abandoned Twin Arrows Trading Post.


Interstate 40 bypasses the Twin Arrows Trading Post which once served Route 66.


One of three remaining Wigwam Village Motels in the United States. - Holbrook, Ariz.

Thanks for looking!

**Photos copyright Luke Sharrett**