Monday, November 17, 2008

A Road Trip: Phoenix


Way back in September, I drove over to Phoenix to see my family...here are some of the things one can see along the way. Above: those odd decorative items often sold along the side of the road--are they rugs? Blankets? Towels? Metal dinosaurs... Cool 1960s-era motels... A hotel from an earlier era (film director Wim Wenders wrote a little poem about a painting in its lobby)......and gift opportunities. A town with a sense of humor... (and what is UP with a "Shrimp Fest" smack dab in the middle of the desert?!)... Dateland, where you can get (what else)... Date shakes!!! There are gigantic sand dunes... Giant piles of boulders...the geography in eastern San Diego county is fascinating... And a cute little "hotel" for sale in Bankhead Springs--a community that basically doesn't exist anymore (sad).
Part of this trip was along Old Highway 80, the east/west road that was bypassed by Interstate 8; here's an interesting article about it. Like Route 66, it had been a stretch of road with small but thriving communities catering to motorists...now, not so thriving, unfortunately.
Almost home...

1 comment:

Various and Sunday said...

That looks like a fun road trip. Kind of surreal almost with all the "ghost towns." Neat though.