We gave Arizona short shrift, although some might say that by taking in the Grand Canyon, we’d seen the best the state has to offer. Tucson and Tombstone will have to wait for another day. Texas is dry, New Mexico is dry and Arizona is drier still … our bodies needed to get out of the dry and get quenched, and the best way we knew how to do that was head to the ocean – on the other side of Arizona and across California. A stop for the Grand Canyon, and then we were off.

Our visit to the canyon put us in Flagstaff for two nights and Williams for one, and in each case we arrived in town well after dark with no other plans than to rest our weary bodies after a long day. Mornings were for getting on the road, but first breakfast. We could see the sign for the Galaxy Diner from our hotel parking lot in Flagstaff and made a beeline for it on foot. We opened the door and were transported back to the ’50s: photos plastered on the wall, Elvis coming over the sound system and a jukebox up front beneath a Route 66 sign. We’d found Route 66 again – we weren’t looking for it, but there it was.

And Elvis! No question about it, this guy gets around. Posters up near the ceiling, prints of him in the bathroom, and his picture interspersed among other oldies but goodies on the walls. We plunked ourselves into a booth and ate hearty at the Galaxy both mornings we were in town. We didn’t see anything else in Flagstaff, but we did see Elvis.

Further along the Arizona road is Williams, where we laid our heads after our final day at the canyon. Again, it was too dark to see a thing, although to be fair, Williams is a small town, so there isn’t a whole lot to see. But there it was in the morning …

… and Elvis swiveling his hips on main street …

From Williams, we head west as far as Kingman, where we say goodbye to Route 66, at least for now, and make a beeline for San Diego and the ocean!