Christmas on Route 66

Any time I hear Christmas music being played in a public space in mid- to late-November — that window of time when it’s a little early for it, but not too early to get into the holiday mood — I think about the bathrooms at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park.

It also happens that every November since 2019 is the time of year when Dan and I get deep into reminiscing about our Route 66 cross-country trip. And this year in particular, I wanted to remember all the “Christmas on Route 66” moments we stumbled into.

Because we planned to hit the road on November 2 and be in California by November 24 for the week of Thanksgiving, it was inevitable we’d see some holiday decorations by the end of the trip. But I didn’t expect that the holiday spirit would be as large a part of the journey as it was.

For the first four days of Route 66 travel, we burned through three states (Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas) and if we saw a wreath or heard a carol anywhere, I don’t remember it one bit. By the time we rolled into Tulsa on November 7, however, we got our first wallop of holiday decorating.

Upon the recommendation of our new friends at the Tulsa American Legion (another story in itself), we treated ourselves to a dinner away from the campervan at Roosevelt’s on Cherry St. Unbeknownst to use, this is one of those restaurants that really goes all out for the holidays.

Every square inch of ceiling space was dripping, dangling, and decked with holiday greenery and baubles. The Christmas overload atmosphere really elevated our buffalo chicken salad, let me tell you.

Primed as we now were for the presence of twinkling lights, we’d have to hold off for a bit. A few days later, we crossed the border from Texas into New Mexico and, as the Ghost of Christmas Present in Muppets Christmas Carol would say, “It feels like CHRIIISTMAAAAS.”

Santa Fe is a city that always feels festive, with its red chile bundles and papel picado festooning lampposts and stores. (In addition to its constant slightly magical and otherworldly feel — that place is a vibe for sure.) So even if there wasn’t so much official holiday decor everywhere as I truly remember, there was certainly a bit of sparkle in the air.

Further west in Gallup, I’d recommend the historic El Rancho hotel as a must-stop any day of the year. But at Christmas, when they bling out their gorgeous wood-beamed two-story lobby with a towering tree in front of a roaring fire? One of the most memorable nights of the trip, and not just because it was an ideal respite to do laundry and have a nip of bourbon.

(Please also note that the taxidermied deer in the photo are wearing their own holiday hats.)

In Arizona, we found ourselves in a holiday kaleidoscope when we pulled into the Little America travel center in Flagstaff to spend the night. It was already dark when we arrived, and every tree in the parking lot and in the landscaping surrounding the building was wrapped in colorful lights.

This was also the night Dan got food poisoning, unfortch. Which meant it was lucky we only needed to drive 30 minutes the next morning to the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park in Williams, AZ. We were already booked for two nights there, and what a wonderful wonderland it turned out to be for many reasons.

As we pulled into the RV parking lot, staffers were busy wrapping the trees there with lights and getting the place fully holiday-ed out. Every public space, from the hotel lobby and dining rooms to the historic train station (a former Fred Harvey property) and some of the old locomotives themselves were garnished and belled and twinkling.

This also included Christmas songs piped into the super-clean, super-convenient laundry and restroom facilities 24/7, so as I spent the day and evening doing “housekeeping” (campervankeeping?) and wandering the property, I was treated to a holiday display everywhere I went.

And you haven’t fully lived until you’ve been brushing your teeth and showering to “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” for two days and nights in a row.

Downtown Williams was also in the holiday spirit, with the municipal tree matching perfectly with the classic neon signs of the small downtown strip of stores. Red and green and glowing everywhere we looked!

When we finally reached the end of the line in California, we were fully immersed and feeling holiday ready. San Bernadino’s incredible Mitla Cafe, one of our final meals on the road, had its own tree and red, white, and green papel picado, bringing it all full circle. (How convenient that the colors of the Mexican flag match so well!)

Oh, and of course we went to Disneyland during our week in LA! And I’m sure you can imagine that they didn’t do anything special for the holidays…. nope, nothing.

JUST KIDDING. In addition to fulfilling a life dream of seeing Haunted Mansion Holiday, I was overwhelmed with happiness strolling through Radiator Springs with our friends. Seriously, my eyes may have welled up more than once.

While driving the length of Route 66 in November had its challenges — chillier weather and the threat of snow, darkness by 4:00 pm, businesses already closing for the season — the unexpected pleasures of the road, like these holiday moments, always make up for the obstacles.

If I can look back fondly on “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” piped into a bathroom, you know it was definitely worth it.