When I was 16 I ran away from home. I wasn’t mad at Mom & Dad or anything, it’s just the whole country was on the move and I didn’t want to miss out. My first big adventure.
In the course of this adventure, I ended up hopping a freight in New Mexico, with 3 guys and 2 dogs. It was a rough ride, a constant struggle not to bounce out the open boxcar as the train jostled down the track. My friends went to sleep, but I spent all night watching lightning play over the mesas as we traveled along.
We jumped off the train at sunrise, and stumbled into a surreal landscape. We wandered through a circle of weird fake ticky tacky teepees. Teepees in the desert? That’s just not right! Where the Hell is this? We walked up to a neighboring gas station and asked. The old guy working there looked at us a little strange and said, “Holbrook, Arizona.
The ticky tacky teepees are still there. Wigwam Village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built in 1950, it’s a slice of historic Route 66. Classic cars are parked in front of each “wigwam”. It’s still a working motel.
Well, of course, I had to stay there, for old times’ sake. There are cheaper places in Holbrook to stay. There definitely are fancier places. But there’s nowhere with more character.
Why stay here? Holbrook is the closest town to Petrified Forest National Park. If you are a nostalgia fan, get your kicks on Route 66. Stay at the Wigwam Village in Holbrook.
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