Named after the president of the St. Louis and San Francisco Rail Road, Winslow is a small city in Arizona’s Navajo County. It was located along the famous U.S. Route 66 before a bypass was constructed in the 1970s. Winslow shot to national attention after being mentioned in the Eagles' 1972 song “Take It Easy”.
Things to do in Winslow
You can delve into the local history at the Old Trails Museum, which exhibits artefacts from the area’s Hopi, Laguna and Navajo peoples and its earliest settlers. Learn about the impact of the Santa Fe Railway and U.S. Route 66, as well as the “Harvey Girls” who worked in the first restaurant chain in the United States, the Harvey Houses.
If you’re a fan of the Eagles, make a pilgrimage to Standin' on the Corner Park, which commemorates Winslow’s reference in the song “Take It Easy”. It features a large mural painted by John Pugh and a bronze statue depicting Jackson Browne with a guitar by his side. Admire the vintage Ford flatbed truck on display and read the local anecdotes about what makes Winslow special.
Winslow makes a good base for exploring the Meteor Crater Natural Landmark, which lies within a desert landscape to the west of the city. It was created around 50,000 years ago during the Pleistocene when the surroundings were blanketed in grasslands and woodlands. On the rim of the crater is a visitor centre where you can learn about the significance of the site before embarking on a guided tour.
Getting around Winslow
Winslow is around an hour’s drive from Flagstaff and Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, which has regular flights to Phoenix and Dallas-Fort Worth. Southwest Chief trains stop at the Winslow railway station and the city centre is compact enough to explore on foot.