Route 66 Leg 5: Albuquerque to Flagstaff

Sedona’s Oak Creek Canyon Scenic Drive is a little slice of desert paradise filled with churches, hiking trails, jewelry, and more. Make a quick stop at the Oak Creek Canyon Vista. Here, you can soak up the views of Sedona and browse Native American jewelry and crafts. The Airport Mesa hiking trail offers more than just breathtaking views of red rocks, stately pines, and majestic mesas—you'll also get to visit a vortex.

Sedona is known for being home to more than one site of swirling energy said to have an effect on a person's mental or spiritual self. People who come to Sedona to visit one of four vortexes usually spend time meditating, praying, or reflecting at the sites. Whether you're a staunch believer in the power of an energy vortex, or just a curious observer, these are definitely worth a visit.

After you've been re-energized—by the vortex or the scenery—check out the Chapel of the Holy Cross for a more traditional spiritual experience. This Catholic church was built right into a rocky mesa by a local rancher and artist so people of all religions and creeds could have a place to reflect on Sedona's beauty. And if you're feeling extra inspired, you won't be surprised to learn that it is also built on the alleged site of another Sedona vortex.

Montezuma Castle National Monument might be one of the greatest misnomers in the country. It looks nothing like a castle, never housed kings or knights, and was built well before Aztec warlord Montezuma was even born. So if Montezuma Castle wasn't used as a castle, and Montezuma never lived there, how did it get its name?

When American settlers first encountered the ruins in the 1860s, they mistakenly assumed it was built by, and for, the Aztec emperor. In reality, the crumbling building was actually more of an apartment complex for the Sinagua people and built between 1100 and 1425. It was mostly abandoned (empty of residents but frequently visited by Indigenous people as well as looters) about 40 years before Montezuma was born.

Now it's known that the Sinaguas built the dwelling to avoid having their homes destroyed when the Beaver Creek, which provided necessary water for their crops, flooded each year. That way they could continue farming while having their homes above the ground, where the water couldn't touch them. The complex grew to be about 4,000 square feet spread across five stories, perched perilously on the side of a cliff.

Against seemingly impossible odds, the structure is still intact today, a testament to the Sinaguas’ engineering and construction skills. After the people left, the "castle" sat mostly abandoned until it was declared a national monument through the American Antiquities Act of 1906. You can't go inside anymore, but you can get pretty close.

Sedona is one of those places you just have to experience in person—even the most spectacular photos don't fully do it justice. Surrounded by majestic red rock canyons and pine forests, this small desert town is known for its vibrant art scene and mysterious healing forces. Yes, you read that right—Sedona is supposedly a hotbed of cosmic activity, sitting atop several energy vortexes that are easily accessible through hikes and tours. With its artsy vibe and comfortable climate, Sedona is also home to cute shops and restaurants, galleries, and lots of aging hippies.

Two Guns is located 30 miles east of Flagstaff, on the rim of Canyon Diablo. Legend has it that in 1878, Two Guns was the site of a mass murder. Apaches hid from their Navajo enemies inside a cave; when a fire was lit at the cave's entrance, 42 people were asphyxiated inside. The cave, now called the Apache Death Cave, is still accessible by a rickety wooden ladder.

In 1922, Earle and Louise Cundiff purchased the land and built a store, restaurant, and gas station. Three years later, Harry Miller leased the property from the Cundiffs and added a zoo, gift shop, and post office, and began offering tours of the cave. In 1926, the highway that passed by Two Guns was renamed Route 66—and Miller shot and killed Cundiff during an argument (Cundiff was unarmed, but Miller was acquitted).

In the late '60s, a motel, a tavern, new zoo exhibits, a Shell service station, and a KOA campground were added to the site. The service station burned in 1971 and the site has sat abandoned ever since. The buildings are in various states of ruin and the kidney-shaped swimming pool is covered in colorful graffiti, making it a great place for photos. There are rumors that the site also contains buried treasure and more than one dead body. While we can neither confirm nor deny these claims, you might want to bring a metal detector just in case.

Just outside of Flagstaff is one of the weirdest attractions in the West: Meteor Crater. The impact crater formed when a meteor hit Earth about 50,000 years ago and left a massive, almost mile-wide hole in the ground. The visitor center features a museum, videos, and a great observation deck.

Rock Art Ranch is a privately-owned working cattle ranch that was originally a part of the Hashknife Cattle Co. It’s also home to incredible Anasazi dwellings and petroglyphs, and the onsite museum is a labor of love by proprietor Brantley Baird.

The resurgence of Winslow didn’t start entirely on the corner. During the town’s heyday as a stop for steam locomotives, Fred Harvey wanted to build a landmark hotel in Winslow. With a price tag that would equal nearly $40 million today, La Posada Hotel was completed just after the stock market crash. It would only be open for 27 years, eventually having most of its fine furnishings sold at auction, but efforts to save the Winslow icon were eventually successful.

Facing the threat of demolition for several decades, the La Posada Foundation and the new owners of the property finally restored La Posada Hotel to its former glory as the Jewel of the West. The foundation changed their name to the Standin’ On the Corner Foundation and took on their next project, helping to make the now-famous park a reality.

Thanks to Standin' on the Corner Park, Winslow, Arizona, is back on the map as tourists once again travel through the heart of town. The park features a couple of statues and a mural of a girl in a red Ford truck, with the flatbed perpetually parked across the street. But this perfect photo op is only the beginning of what Winslow has to offer.

Homolovi State Park is home to 13th- and 14th-century artifacts and ruins. The park offers year-round petroglyph tours, a museum, and trails leading to the beautiful ruins. There is also overnight camping with electricity, water, and clean showering facilities. Homolovi is the closest campground to Petrified Forest National Park.

When you’re ready for a bite to eat, head to Aliberto's, a local chain that serves up authentic Mexican cuisine. If you only order one dish while in Holbrook, make it the green chile plate from Aliberto's—green chile is a local specialty, and after eating here you'll understand why it’s so popular.

We don’t know for sure that this is actually the world’s largest petrified tree, but it is definitely big, reportedly weighing 80 tons. Stop for a photo, do a little climbing, and then it’s on to the next stop.

Drive through the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park in the late afternoon and then stop at Wigwam Village Motel #6 for the night. The rooms of this charming historic motel—located inside individual concrete and steel teepees—are pure roadside kitsch. There are only three remaining Wigwam Motels, and the vintage cars parked outside of each room make this the best one for photos.

This classic Route 66 restaurant is best-known for its homemade red and green chile sauces. Even if you’re not hungry, it’s worth stopping for a photo in front of the building, which features a hand-painted map of Route 66.

At Stewart's Petrified Wood, you can buy the world’s most colorful petrified wood—some of which the store claims is more than 225 million years old. If that’s not reason enough to pull over, Stewart’s also has ostriches and ostrich eggs for sale.

Holbrook is a town that’s defied extinction, in more ways than one. It’s one of the rare Route 66 towns that managed to scrape by after the Mother Road was decommissioned. Holbrook is steeped in retro vibes and remains filled with “touristy” kitsch; its proximity to Petrified Forest National Park hasn’t hurt its popularity. Whether you’re trying to find the best deal on gemstones and souvenirs—or you’re in search of as many dinosaur statues as possible—Holbrook is worth exploring. It also happens to be home to the iconic Wigwam Village Motel #6, so you can spend the night and grab a breakfast burrito smothered in red or green chile from Joe and Aggie’s Cafe in the morning.

This is a great base camp for exploring the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park. It’s also just an hour west of Meteor Crater. The campground offers full hookup RV sites, tent sites, and cabins.