What -- A 'No-Frills' driving tour around Northern Arizona. Route will cover 750 miles over the course of three days.
When -- Thursday, May 2nd is the start date for the tour. Return is Saturday, May 4th.
Where -- We'll leave from The Bashas' Market at 15310 N Oracle (in Catalina) at 9:00 am.
If you are late we don't wait. Drivers meeting at 8:45am. Start at 9:00am. If you arrive at 9:05 we will be gone.
Pack a picnic lunch. Our lunch stop will be the Vineyard Canyon Picnic Area on Roosevelt Lake. After lunch we'll drive north through Payson and up the Mogollon Rim. Final stop on Day 1 is La Posada Hotel in Winslow -- total of 266 miles.
Now is the time to make your room reservations. Suggested lodging for May 2nd is La Posada Hotel in Winslow. The phone number for reservations is 1-928-289-4366. There are a limited number of rooms at the lowest rate, so if you are going, get your room lined up as soon as practical.
Dining on Thursday night will be in the fabulous Turquoise Room at La Posada. A reservation has been made which will have us dining in groups of 4 to 6 with seating from 6:00 to 6:30. While in Winslow check out the Standin' on the Corner Park to see how the town has made the most of its bit of fame.
On Friday we'll grab a box lunch from the Turquoise Room and visit the famous Meteor Crater west of Winslow. Admission is $10 (seniors 60+) and $11 (<60) and will be collected upon arrival. After touring the crater and visitors center we will have our box lunches in the Astronaut Garden picnic area.
Our afternoon drive will have a historic & shopping stop at the Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site near Ganado. This is both a remarkable part of Arizona's history and a working trading post -- we'll see the grounds and you can shop in the Trading Post.
We will continue our drive through the Navajo Nation to our overnight stop in Holbrook, a total drive of 252 miles.
Friday evening (May 3) you can 'Sleep in a Wigwam' if you make a room reservation at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook. Reservations for a Wigwam can be made by calling 1-928-524-3048. Suggested time to call is after 4 pm. Alternately you can email requesting a reservation at: reservations@sleepinawigwam.com. Wigwam availability at the motel is very limited so this one should be booked as soon as you decide you are going.
On Saturday we'll return to Tucson via Salt River Canyon. We'll stop for a farewell lunch at Chalo's Mexican Restaurant in Globe. Total for Day 3 is about 240 miles.You may want to have an Arizona map, snack items and soft drinks or water. A cell phone and AAA card never come amiss if you have them.
If you are unfamiliar with 'no-frills' touring you might take a look at this website for comments about a tour that was around for awhile. In particular, note the 'Insider Information' offered.
An important note: Joe Lucas needs to know if you are planning to attend. This is still a low-key, disorganized event but as a practical matter having some idea who and how many will be there makes it easier to plan meal stops, gas stops, etc. So if you are planning to attend please drop Joe an email at: joe.arizona.roadrunner@gmail.com.
Joe is on Facebook. Facebook members can find Joe here: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001321863458
The other reason for asking to be notified of your intent to drive is that La Carrera PanArizona will be limited to 10 cars to assure that our casual approach to driving, parking and dining doesn't become a logistic nightmare.
No other advance arrangements have been made. This is a no-frills event. You are responsible for your own room arrangements, your own dining arrangements and your own car.
¡Vamos amigos!
Vintage (pre-1980) British Vehicles Only, Please
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