March 17 – 20: We spent a relaxing few days at La Posada with Doug. This former Harvey hotel was imagined by architect Mary Jane Coulter as a home, built over decades by a wealthy Spanish ranching family to house the many visitors they entertained. As such, the many spaces seem to flow from one to the other, incorporating related materials but not duplicating features. Each bedroom was uniquely decorated and the common spaces, once visited by the passengers disembarking for lunch or dinner from one of the dozens of trains to stop by each day, were elaborately (but not ostentatiously) decorated in a way that those wealthy passengers would find comfortable and welcoming. That all came to a close with the advent of automobile travel, especially since Interstate 40 bypassed the town in the 1950s. Although all the finishings and furniture were auctioned off by the railroad once the hotel was closed, the current owners have re-imagined her vision using furniture built, borrowed and reclaimed. There are pieces bought at auction that have been donated (or sold) back by buyers who had loved the original hotel and were anxious to see it recreated. One unique hall stand, bought by a former frequent guest, had been carted all over Europe as its owner relocated several times, only to be bequeathed to La Posada on his passing.
Aside from the hotel itself, which demanded a lot of our time and study, we visited the Petrified Forest/Painted Desert NP and took lots of pictures, then spent several hours roaming around the town, snapping more photos and listening to Tommy, a blues musician who came to town as a ten year old from Mississippi. A self-taught guitarist, he has been recognized by arts organizations across the country and has become a downtown Winslow institution, strumming each day right on THE corner made famous by the Eagles (and a determined group of Winslow citizens who funded a mural and several statues to mark the place). Ron and Doug also spent a considerable amount of time watching trains go by…
The Ultimate Road Trip 