Standing On The Corner, Winslow Arizona

Hey...did you miss me? We took a road trip to the West Coast, and part of it was on the old Route 66 through the American Southwest. 

We've been down that road between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Flagstaff, Arizona too many times to count. When we get near Winslow, Arizona my whine factor goes up considerably until Wild Bill finally agrees to stop. 

Why stop in the tiny town of Winslow, out in the middle of nowhere, smack dab in the hottest part of the desert? 

Well here's 5 reasons why...And it all has to do with the Eagles' song, Take It Easy, or sometimes referred to as the "Standing On The Corner" song. Joining Amy today at Love Made My Home for Five-On-Friday and Fridays-Fav-Five at Living To Tell The Story.

One: The Song.  Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey (Eagles band member) wrote this song, which was a hit for the Eagles in May 1972. If you were "of age" during the 70's I think you're probably already singing the lyrics in your head, right? 

Especially the part that goes...

...Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona

and such a fine sight to see

It's a girl, my Lord, in a flatbed Ford 
slowin' down to take a look at me

Come on, baby, don't say maybe 
I gotta know if your sweet love is gonna save me...

Two: The Town  The people of Winslow took down all but one wall of a building, on a corner lot, and put up a memorial to the song. Over the years, commenerative bricks have been added, which help pay for the upkeep of the corner. Donations are also appreciated.

Three: Route 66  For anyone who traveled Route 66 as a child or teen, packed into the family's old station wagon (the SUV of its day) and elbowing your sister or brother for more room in the backseat (while suffering heat-stroke from the hot air coming in the four windows rolled down for ventilation in that pre-air conditioning era), Route 66 can bring back a flood of memories. 

Arriving in a town on Route 66 meant being sprung from the car and given an hour to roam! 

Back then, no one worried about kids wandering around alone in a strange town, and dads dispensed a dollar to each kid, which could buy them a hamburger and a drink with change left over for a cheap tourist trinket. Man...that was a vacation!!!

Four: The Memories  In Winslow, on that tiny street corner, you can almost imagine the people who traveled there (some many times over) by the memorial words left in the bricks and blocks. Here's a few of them...

I have to admit, I shed quite a few tears as I read some of the words of sadness and celebration. Can't you just see Stephanie standing on this spot in the park and carefully reading the bricks at Juan's insistence? I wonder if he went down on his knee as Stephanie read the words Juan surprised her with that day? 

"Stephanie Will U Marry Me (heart) Juan"

March 18, 2000

Almost exactly 2 years (to the day) later, we made our very first visit to the Standing On The Corner Park in March of 2002. A few days later our first granddaughter was born several months early, with complications, and never got to take a breath or know her sweet parents. Perhaps someday her name will be added to the memories on the bricks of the others shared here.

Some of the memories are of rowdy friends like "THE BUST-OUTS" here. And then below them...some time later...another group who called themselves "NEAR BUST-OUTS". Was this a group of younger siblings who were always trying to follow in their older brothers' footsteps?

Five: The Art  After his death last year, a second statue of Glenn Fry was placed in the park as a tribute to him. People like to stand next to the statue on the corner and take pictures with him. Here's some of the people who were there posing that day. I didn't get their names, but I did tell them I would be posting them here on the blog.

On the wall (left from the building that stood here at one time) a mural has been painted as if the window reflected "a girl in a flatbed Ford" driving down the street. 

 Here's a picture of the reinforcement they put on the other side of the wall to stabilize it. Looks like it will hold for a good long time!

If you're ever doing a road trip in the desert Southwest between Flagstaff and Albuquerque, stop by and stretch your legs in the little town of Winslow. I guarantee you will not be able to get the lyrics to Take It Easy out of your mind for days. A small price to pay! 

For more information:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standin'_on_the_Corner_Park

Thanks for dropping by!

Stop by here too:

Five-On-Friday at Love Made My Home
Fridays-Fav-Five