Friday, February 17, 2017

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


27 comments:

  1. Now you've gone and done it---that song will be running through my head for at least the rest of the night. What a great piece of history. I did not know they had made that memorial there. I have been down several stretches of Route 66....amazing journey, isn't it? A step back in time for sure- even though parts of the route are missing now.

    I did not realize you had lost a preemie. We have lost more than one here over the years and one little granddaughter. So sad- the children you will never know this side of heaven.

    God bless you and your family, Sugar. Great post. xo Diana

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  2. Di, I lost a set of twins before I had my three daughters many years ago. This was our first granddaughter. She would be 17 next month. Her mother just did a beautiful tattoo in her memory. You're right though. The sorrow of "what could've been" fades, but never leaves you.

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  3. I have stood on that corner with my daughter and my grandchildren. And then a year later I stood there again with my husband who calls it the "standing on the standing on the corner corner".
    Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my post!

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  4. Aw, Sugar, tears for the lost babies....now sweet angels in heaven. My daughter tried for years to have a baby, then lost it. They gave up and then a miracle....my little grandson was born 3 mos. ago. To say we are overjoyed is an understatement. I have been on that corner many, many years ago when that song first came out. I was a newlywed and we left our home in New England and all the people we knew to make a new start in Tucson, Arizona. We took route 66 the last part of the journey. The commemorative bricks are really touching. So nice to see this place once again. Sending hugs xo Karen

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  5. Lost babies is so hard, I would have had 7 if they had all survived we are blessed with 3 daughters and thank God for them daily. A lovely post.

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  6. How wonderful! Such a fascinating place and so full of memories for you and many others too. I'm never likely to visit you country let alone that part of it so it was wonderful to see all your photos and read your words:)

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  7. I love this story! What a great tribute to the song and the town, the bricks are like little time capsule. I can't stop a) thinking about everyone who laid a brick in the pavement and b) singing that darned song in my head - it'll be there all day for sure.
    Great Five.

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  8. so interesting! I've never been to the southwest...went to Missouri for a week years ago....MUCH prefer the great northeast :) Thanks for the comment on my blog.....happy to meet you!!

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  9. What a great post! I love that song - and I wasn't "of age" in the 1970s. I think Winslow has done a great job, embracing and celebrating the connexion. As for that memorial wall...so poignant. I hope Stephanie and Juan are happily married somewhere. x

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  10. Loved your post! My family drove Route 66 many a time as we drove from California to Oklahoma to visit grandparents. And it was definitely in pre-air conditioner days.
    Love the Eagles and Take it Easy is one of my favorites.

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  11. Did you check out La Posada which is a quick walk from the Corner in Winslow, Arizona?

    We stayed at La Posada several years ago on a trip to Santa Fe. It's an old railroad hotel. The train would pull up, passengers would disembark, spend a lovely night in a fabulous hotel and the reboard the train in the morning. The restaurant is fabulous, the art amazing, the rooms beautifully restored and the architecture is amazing.

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  12. So sad to hear of the lost babies, but your great description of this place has certainly made me long to go to Winslow. I will be singing the Beatles the rest of the evening, you know.

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  13. Well that was a fascinating story about a song and a town. I can see why you wanted to stop there! And I remember too when the dollar bought a whole lot more than it does now.

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  14. hi! saw tour comment about the soup! wanted to let you know that it isnt My pic which is why i credited taste of home. but yes mine came out like that because the meatballs dont fall apart in the crock pot! we havent eaten beef in 3 years..lwe switched to bison and mainly only eat bison a couple times a month, antibiotic free hormone free chicken and fish. our youngest is a vegan and our oldest will eT beef if out or with friends. 🙂

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  15. What an interesting corner that is.
    I know the song well and yes, I was singing it.

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  16. I have always wanted to go there! Thanks for visiting my blog!

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  17. Hi and welcome to FFF! I loved this post and the tour of Winslow. So much fun. And can I say your profile blurb made me laugh right out loud. Probably because I can so relate. Thanks for joining in and hope to "see" you again!

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  18. Sugar, I will definitely check it out if I get to visit the beautiful Southwest again. We have a friend who was a close friend of Glen Frey's. He misses him very much. I'll have to ask him if he has been to Winslow.

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  19. This is such a good post. Glad I didn't miss it. I'm already singing "Take it Easy" in my head! There will never be another group as good as the Eagles, there will never be another Glen Frey. I want to take that drive down Route 66! Maybe one day. :)

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  20. Sugar, as soon as I saw your heading, "Winslow, Arizona," the Eagles's song started playing in my head. Great post! If ever I get that way, I'll have to stop and take pictures, too.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  21. Sugar, Thank you so much for the invitation to visit your blog and read your wonderful post! Hubby and I are recently retired baby boomers and plan to soon take a trip out west. I'm pinning Winslow, Arizona to my bucket list!

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    1. Suzy, so glad I encouraged visitors to Winslow. It is a wonderful experience and it helps the town to support the park. They do a wonderful job. It was also the site for one of the Harvey Houses, which is where the Harvey Girls worked in the Westward movement. Read up on the Harvey Girls before going as it is real interesting and I've since heard there's a museum type place there to see.

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  22. I was singing that part of the song, before I READ that I'd be singing it, and yes I'm from that era! Love(d) the Eagles. I love this post! Now I want to go there!

    Cindy

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  23. Fantastic post - thanks for coming past my place earlier to entice me over here.
    I doubt if I'll ever get to Winslow so it's been really great getting a glimpse of it through your eyes. The memorial tiles are so moving.
    I loved the Eagles during that period and sang Take It Easy at many's a party although I never realised that Jackson Browne co-wrote it.
    I'll be back :)

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  24. Ah, loved this post! I didn't know there was such a corner to commemorate the song. The Eagles were a big part of my teen years, and still are!
    Wendy

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  25. It's a good song! I am surprised that there are several things to commemorate it; one would be adequate!

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  26. Oh boy, now Take It Easy is playing over and over in my head. I used to love that song!

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