Standing on the Corner...

Good things don't last forever (darn it!) and our campground in the Coconino National Forest was closing for the season in just a few days.  We decided that the Meteor Crater near Winslow, Arizona was to be our next adventure.  Also on Route 66 in Winslow was architect and designer, Mary Colter's masterpiece, La Posada, the "Last Great Railroad Hotel."

Meteor Crater, about 20 miles west of Winslow

La Posada means the resting place and it was the last and most elegant of the great Fred Harvey Hotels built by the Santa Fe Railroad.  Mary Colter designed the hotel as a fabulous Spanish hacienda and it was the only project for which she was able to design the buildings, decorate the interiors, plan the gardens and oversee construction.  Although Mary Colter is most famous for her magnificent buildings at the Grand Canyon, La Posada was her favorite.

Place mat designed by Mary Colter for the dining room at La Posada

But time was not kind to La Posada.  People stopped riding trains, planes flew farther and faster and Route 66 was bypassed and abandoned.  La Posada was closed in 1958 and gutted and turned into offices by the railroad.  Then the hotel was scheduled to be torn down - a beautiful American building and piece of history in ruins.  Fortunately it was bought in 1997 and is slowly being returned to its former glory.  Each year a few more rooms or a new garden is restored. 

David and I dined in La Posada's elegant restaurant, The Turquoise Room.  Our meal was beautifully presented and featured local and organic ingredients.  David had prime rib with fresh vegetables (which he actually ate!) and a potato.  I had the chipolte rubbed smoked chicken with tomatillo sauce, black beans, tamale and fresh vegetables.  The food was as tasty as it was pretty.

It was good to see La Posada, Route 66 and Historic Downtown Winslow being restored and rediscovered.

Signature Soup - Black Bean & Corn Chowder with Chipolte Sauce

 

Our entrees - Yum!