Holbrook Arizona – A Place to Rest and Eat on Route 66

We arrived in Holbrook, Arizona to find our hotel, a survivor of Route 66′s cglory days. The hospitality of America’s Best Value Inn was friendly and prompt, and provides a complimentary breakfast. We proceeded to find our rooms, all on the only upper floor, each with a door which opens to the outside walkway and balcony. This hotel or as many we’re called motor inns or motels, instantly took me back to days when I was younger. When I was in growing up, my family would often stay in roadside motels like this on our vacations and road trips. These days my family most often stays in hotels with many floors, interior only access to the rooms with big swimming pools and business centers. Our rooms were quaint and clean and I enjoyed a much needed hot shower after a day of playing in the sun and on the hot mesas.

We had dinner at Tom and Suzie’s Diner, attached to the motel, which with a group of more than 20 took a bit, but they were able to serve us all and it was definitely worth the wait. I ordered the spicy Mongolian BBQ over rice with a glass of lemon water. The diner has a large selection as others ordered steaks, shrimp, burgers, ice cream and tall shakes. Probably one of the best things the diner offered is their free access to their high speed Internet. This mad our university group extremely happy as we all could finally post work and communicate with loved ones after a day in the hot sun on Route 66.
Also, if you have a chance to have breakfast at Tom and Suzie’s, it was fast and delicious.
~Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013

Canadians Traveling Route 66

On our stopover in Holbrook Arizona’s Tom and Suzie’s Diner, I had the opportunity to meet an interesting retired couple from Toronto, Canada. Doug and Peggy Purdy are traveling with their terrier, Chloe on Route 66. The couple had recently visited Oklahoma’s stretch of the route and in addition to meeting our group from the University of Oklahoma, they also met a group from Oklahoma State.

While visiting Red Rock Canyon in Hinton Oklahoma, Doug was injured on a hike which required medical attention. He hit his head on a tree and the wound was deep enough to require stitches at an Oklahoma hospital. Canadians receive socialized healthcare coverage for all citizens and they were unsure how it would work since they were in a different country when he sustained his injury. The couple said it took longer to complete the paperwork and the calls from the hospital to Canada, than the actual time spent with the doctor in the emergency room; however they left Oklahoma without a medical bill and were pleased. Since the couple is touring the United States and spending quite some time here, he needed to have his stitches removed while still away from Canada. Mr. Purdy visited the hospital while in Sante Fe, New Mexico and left WITHOUT stitches but WITH a $500 hospital bill. We spent much of our conversation discussing U.S. vs Canadian healthcare, which I found quite interesting and I enjoyed my time with the Purdy’s.

Post by Shelly Perkins on University of Oklahoma Road to Ruscha trip 2013