Jillian Sim of American Heritage stays overnight at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Ariz., and tells about it.
Sim neglects to mention of another teepee-shaped motel on Route 66 — the recently restored Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif.
Jillian Sim of American Heritage stays overnight at the Wigwam Motel on Route 66 in Holbrook, Ariz., and tells about it.
Sim neglects to mention of another teepee-shaped motel on Route 66 — the recently restored Wigwam Motel in Rialto, Calif.
So why can’t we forget about all this “politacal correctness” long enough to enjoy what our Southwest and Route 66 has to offer us? We too “slept in a wigwam” in Holbrook, AZ back in 1993 and loved every minute of it. What’s wrong with forgetting about our “modern conveniences” for one night. Granted the AC was great, but are we so addicted to the telephone that we can’t experience one night of peace and quiet (except for the wonderful, lonely sound of that train whistle and yes, even the clickety clack of the rails as the train passed so close by) and just experience the wonderful Arizona sunset and the marvels that the western states has to offer the rest of the United States along Route 66? So we stopped at every tacky (in some peoples minds) tourist attraction, look, we were in the land of cowboys and indians and anyone growing up in the 40’s and 50’s, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers were our heros and we all wanted to be like them with our cowyboy and indian games….such a shame now a days that our children are glued to electronic devices that supposedly give them pleasure or keep them occupied and how many of the youngsters of today would probably love to be able to ride with Gene or Roy or spend time with their parents on a road trip, just being kids. Hopefully, these places like the Wigwam’s in Holbrook, the Painted Dessert and Petrified Forest, among other attractions, will still be a strong enough attraction so parents will want to take their children along Route 66 to see how so many Americans lived and spent their time, when summers seemed to go on forever and a family still played together without the dependence of batteries, electronics, earphones glued to your ears while watching DVD players and never really seeing the part of our country and it’s people that made our country so great. Here’s to more “political incorrectness”!
While it’s not on Route 66 – I would like to mention there is another Wigwam Motel still up and running.
I just stayed in the Wigwam Motel No. 2 in Cave City, KY two weeks ago. It was quite an experience. Both the inside and the outside look very much like the postcards sold on e-bay. Not much has changed. The timber bed, chair and vanity appear to be original. (Had I known that, I wold have taken many more photos.) The tile work in the bathroom is the same as in the postcards, too.
The price was right. The bed was comfortable. I would give it an A for atmosphere with a B for cleanliness.
A note on safety –
It’s in a fairly remote area. (There are businesses, but they are obviously closed overnight.) Other than the dim lights outside of the Wigwams, it’s pitch black. The motel office closes in the evening and then you are alone. We were lucky enough to be staying on a night when the Wigwams were filled. The children ran around playing on the playground equipment while about 15 adults started a campfire in one of the two fire pits and made s’mores. We talked for hours. It was fantastic and seemed like we had stepped into a time machine. I felt better knowing I knew some of my “neighbors.”
I am very grateful for the experience.