Such A Fine Sight: Winslow's Route 66 Plaza

Last summer I wrote about stopping in Winslow, Arizona, the town made famous in the song “Take it Easy” by the Eagles. I lamented the fact that Winslow isn't a very nice place, and wondered why they couldn't take advantage of their fame and Route 66 connection to benefit the town.

Well, the news came a couple weeks ago, but I missed it until now: ground has been broken on Winslow's years-in-the-planning Route 66 Plaza, which will extend the Standing On The Corner Park into the area formerly occupied by the JC Penny's store that was destroyed by a fire.

After the site was cleared, the remaining walls, one of which bears the mural, needed to be stabilized. And now, finally, the plaza will be built. An arch will be tunneled through the wall, leading to a walkway made from “actual Route 66 concrete,” extending from a mural of Chicago, tracing the Route 66 route westward and ending at a mural of the Santa Monica Pier. The park, of course, will feature 1950s-style neon. A Route 66 logo will cover the intersection of Kinsley and Second.

No word on when this thing will be finished, but I'll make sure to pass through next time I'm in the area. In the meantime we have the artist's rendering, and my photographic rendering of what it looks like now.

Read more at AzJournal.com and RoadsideAmerica.com.