Headed for Flagstaff and our usual visit to Black Barts, we made the obligatory stop at the Route 66 town of Seligman.  The entire town is a museum celebrating Route 66.  Memorabilia shops and restaurants abound and the street is thick with tourists from all over the world.

 The angel of Route 66, Angel Delgadillo, is often at his barber shop in Seligman to welcome fellow Route 66 fans.  Below is his barber chair.  Angel received his barber’s license in Pasadena, California!   ON TO TWO GUNS! 

OUR NEW FRIENDS FROM FLORIDA, JOE AND LANYING ZEIGLER, FOLLOWED US TO THE SITE OF TWO GUNS WHERE ALAN LECTURED ON THE HISTORY OF THIS FASCINATING SPOT.  IT WAS ONCE A FAMED STOP ALONG ROUTE 66, BUT THE TRUE STORY INVOLVES THE APACHE DEATH CAVE AND STARTS LONG BEFORE THE MOTHER ROAD WAS A CONCEPT.THIS SPOT IS EASY TO MISS.  WHEN WE TOOK OUR SANTA MONICA TO CHICAGO ROUTE 66 TRIP WE MISSED IT COMPLETELY.  IT WAS ONLY LATER WE LEARNED THE GRUESOME STORY AND VISITED THE AREA TO INVESTIGATE. MOUNTAIN LIONS (ABOVE)???? WHAT IS THAT DOING HERE?  LOCATED OUTSIDE OF FLAGSTAFF BETWEEN THE TWIN ARROWS AND METEOR CITY,  THE CRUMBLING ROCK SHELTERS WERE ONCE CAGES IN A TOURIST TRAP ZOO ALONG THE ROAD.  TWISTED BARBED WIRE FENCES REMAIN.  QUITE PHOTGENIC, ESPECIALLY UNDER AN ARIZONA SKY.

ACOSS THE BRIDGE MORE RUINS MAY BE EXPLORED.  BUT THE REAL STORY THAT DRAWS VISITORS INVOLVES THE APACHE DEATH CAVE.  THE CAVE IS LOCATED BELOW THIS ROCK SHELTER.  YOU CAN PROBABLY CLIMB DOWN TO ENTER, BUT IT LOOKS PRETTY DANGEROUS.  AND WHY WOULD YOU ENTER A DEATH CAVE ANYWAY? AS THE STORY GOES, HOSTLE APACHES ENTERED THE CANYON, SLAUGHTERING MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.  THEY CARRIED OFF NAVAJOS FOR SLAVES.  ALTHOUGH NAVAJO WARRIORS BLOCKED OFF THE EXIT TO THE CANYON, THE APACHES NEVER SHOWED.  WHERE WERE THEY?  HOW DID THEY ESCAPE?  THE ANSWER WAS EVENTUALLY DISCOVERED:  THEY WERE HIDING IN A LARGE CAVE WITH THEIR HORSES AND CAPTIVES.ABOVE IS THE PRESENT DAY CAVE ENTRANCE.  WHEN THE NAVAJOS REALIZED THE APACHES WERE HIDING IN THE CAVE, THEY BUILT FIRES TO SMOKE OUT THEIR ENEMY.  TO PROTECT THEMSELVES, THE APACHES KILLED THEIR HORSES, STUFFING THE BODIES INTO THE CREVICES TO STOP THE SMOKE.  IT DID NOT WORK AND THEY ALL DIED.  AND SO, TODAY WE ARE LEFT WITH REMNANTS FROM THIS GRUESOME STORY OF THE APACHE DEATH CAVE!

 AFTER EXPLORING THE AREA AND TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF TWO GUNS, WE TAKE OFF FOR ANOTHER ADVENTURE, ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY.  SOON THE BLUE SKY TURNS GREY AND AN APPROACHING STORM HURRIES US ALONG.  THIS IS NOT AN AREA WHERE YOU WOULD WANT TO BE CAUGHT IN A FLASH FLOOD.

EXPLORING DIABLO CANYON

AFTER A FEW MILES OF DIRT ROAD WE FIND THE SIGHT OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS AT DIABLO CANYON.  LOOKING AHEAD THINGS APPEAR ROSY, BUT WHEN WE TURNED AROUND….WE COULD SEE THE STORM APPROACHING.  PHOENIX WAS JUST WIPED OUT BY MANSOON FLOODS, SO I WAS A BIT CONCERNED!  OUR FRIENDS JOE AND LANYING STUCK WITH US. FROM 1880 TO 1882, THE RAILROAD CAMP CALLED DIABLO CANYON SUPPORTED CONSTRUCTION CREWS “AND A BEVY OF RUTHLESS CHARACTERS.”   IT IS SAID THE MAIN STREET WAS DUBBED “HELL STREET” FOR THE FOURTEEN SALOONS, TEN GAMBLING DENS AND BROTHELS.

THE BRIDGE SHOWN ABOVE IS THE CURRENT BRIDGE OF MORE MODERN CONSTRUCTION.  IN THE CANYON BELOW ARE REMNANTS OF THE ORIGINAL TRESSLE BRIDGE FOUNDATIONS WHICH WAS HIGHER AND VERY PRECARIOUS.  THE TRAINS (AT&SF AND TODAY BNSF) TRAVELLED TO FLAGSTAFF AND ALL THE WAY TO LOS ANGELES IN A PATTERN FOLLOWED BY ROUTE 66 WHEN IT WAS INITIATED.  

 HEADED BACK TO FLAGSTAFF WE STOPPED AT THE TWIN ARROWS CASINO TO MAKE OUR DONATION TO THE NATIVE AMERICANS!

BUT THE DAY’S ADVENTURES WERE NOT OVER.  HEADED BACK TO FLAGSTAFF WE DROVE OUT TO WUPATKI SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT.

HERE REMNANTS OF THE  DWELLINGS OF PUEBLOAN PEOPLES ARE PROTECTED AND A VISITOR CENTER AND MUSEUM OFFER EXHIBITS AND A MOVIE TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC.THE PEOPLE OF THE WUPATKI PUEBLO STRUGGLED THROUGH HARSH WEATHER CONDITIONS AND POOR SOIL.  RAISING CORN WAS DIFFICULT UNTIL THE LAND RECEIVED A BENEFICIAL ASH FALL FROM NEARBY SUNSET CRATER.  HOWEVER, THAT SOON DIMINISHED AND EVENTUALLY THEY MOVED ON.   AND SO ENDS OUR ADVENTURES IN AND AROUND FLAGSTAFF.  WE WERE READY TO HEAD ONWARD AND EXPLORE IN AND AROUND LAKE POWELL.