Day 6: Gallup, NM to Williams, AZ -Breakdowns, Iconic Stops, and Haunted Hotels

ByPete

What a day. If you ride motorcycles long enough, you learn that the road always has its own plans. Day 6 of our Route 66 100th Anniversary tour gave us a little bit of everything: closed roads, mechanical scares, legendary Americana, a spontaneous detour to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, and a night in a haunted hotel.

Here is how it all went down.

Morning Glitches & Roadblocks

It was another crisp, cool desert morning as we loaded up the rigs in Gallup, New Mexico. Before rolling out, we popped back into the lobby to grab a killer 360-degree photo—if you look closely at the top corner, you can actually spot the building’s historic secret room.

We fired up the bikes and pointed the front wheels toward Williams, Arizona. Suddenly, Blake’s check engine light and temp light both flashed on.

We limped into a McDonald’s parking lot to assess the damage.

  • Step 1: Checked all fluids. Everything was topped off and looked clean.
  • Step 2: Ran the diagnostic codes. Code: Coolant circulation.
  • The Verdict: Likely a failing water pump.

With limited options, since it was early and cool outside, we decided to push on carefully towards Williams, AZ and will stop at the Grand Canyon Harley Davidson outside of Flagstaff.   

However, Route 66 threw us another curveball. We hit a section of the Mother Road that was completely closed. No signs, no warnings, no detour notices. Just a dead end. We flipped a U-turn to double back, and had to jump on I-40.

We made a quick fuel stop at the Navajo Country Store, where we met two awesome riders from Memphis (living in Lakeland) who were heading east. We traded quick road stories, wished them rubber-side-down, and kept heading west.

Iconic Route 66: “HERE IT IS” & Winslow, AZ

No Route 66 trip is complete without the classics, and today we hit two of the biggest.

First up was the legendary Jackrabbit Trading Post west of Joseph City. Family-run since 1949, this place is an absolute staple of the Mother Road (plenty of cameos in Pixar’s Cars).

  • Naturally, we all took turns riding the giant fiberglass rabbit in the parking lot for the obligatory photo-op.
  • Inside, we checked our mileage, bought our own personal “HERE IT IS” signs to hang up back home, and the owner took a group photo of the four of us with our signs to post on their store page.

Next, Blake insisted we hit Winslow, Arizona, as bike problems in 2020 had prevented us from visiting. He had been blasting The Eagles in his helmet all morning; every time he rode up next to me, I could hear Glenn Frey singing through his intercom.

We parked the bikes and took the traditional “Standin’ on the Corner” photos, checked out the town totem pole, snapped a picture of the historic Winslow train, and got ready to deal with Blake’s ailing bike.

The 4-Hour Detour: Turning Lemons into the Grand Canyon

Blake had wisely called ahead to Grand Canyon Harley-Davidson to let them know we were coming. We rolled in hot, ready to do our official tour mileage check-in, only to find out someone had actually stolen the dealership’s mileage validator badge! Unbelievable.

The service tech confirmed our fears: it was indeed the water pump.

At first, the computer said they didn’t have the part in stock. Our hearts sank. But the legendary parts guy kept digging in the dusty depths of the backroom and—lo and behold—found one! They quoted us about a 3.5 to 4-hour wait for the install.

Since Tyler had never seen the Grand Canyon and we had half a day to kill, we grabbed my (Mike)  bike and Tyler’s and rode the 75 miles up to the South Rim.

Pro Tip: When life gives you a 4-hour mechanical delay on Route 66, you ride to the Grand Canyon.

We stood on the edge of the rim, FaceTimed the girls back home to show them the massive view, browsed the gift shop, and then high-tailing it back to Williams to retrieve Blake’s freshly repaired glide.

On the way back, we stopped for fuel at a really cool vintage Shell station that doubles as a Gas Stop Museum, packed with old classic cars and memorabilia. Sadly, it was closed, so we just grabbed our gas and got back on the road.

Note to self: Don’t try to be clever at gas stations. There was a massive bump at the front entrance, so I decided to exit out the back to avoid it. I ended up routing myself down 100 yards of brutal, washed-out, deep gravel meant only for semi-trucks. I chose poorly. But we kept the bikes upright!

Gunslingers & Ghosts in Williams, AZ

We rolled into Williams and checked into the Historic Grand Canyon Hotel, the oldest hotel in Arizona (established in 1892).

Williams is known as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” but this hotel has a long history. In 1895, a massive fire leveled the entire street—except for this hotel. Legend says the spirits of everyone who perished in the fire fled into the Grand Canyon Hotel, and they’ve lived there ever since. Over the last century, the lobby has served as a pharmacy, a grocery store, and a dance hall. Today, it’s a living museum filled with authentic, creepy-cool historical photos and artifacts.

Our buddy Billy had secured the reservations under his name so we could check in smoothly. Even better: we had FedEx’d a package directly to the hotel because UPS had screwed up our shipping back home.

Inside was our new shipment of Custom Stator Hater Poker chips (complete with the QR codes on the back). We opened the box right there in the lobby and started handing them out like hotcakes.

Just as we were unloading our gear, a local guy stepped up to us. He was straight out of 1880: dusty cowboy hat, long canvas duster, and a real-deal six-shooter riding on his hip. He let us know the nightly town gunfight was kicking off at 7:00 PM right up the street.

We walked down by the Circle K and watched the cowboys do their thing. They put on a shootout somewhere in Williams every single night, and it’s a blast to watch.

Wrapping Up Day 6

For dinner, we grabbed outdoor seating at Cruisers Cafe 66 Grill right where the gunfight ended. Over burgers and beers, we listened to the live music and mapped out tomorrow’s run to Needles, California.

  • The Plan: Kickstands up at 5:30 AM. We have to cross the desert early to beat the brutal summer heat.

Billy and Blake headed off to do a late-night run of laundry. Tyler and I were completely spent, so we decided to push our laundry to tomorrow and crashed early.

But the hotel ghosts might have had other plans. When the guys got back to the room, the lights and ceiling fans were acting completely haywire. Turn one switch on, the other goes off; turn both fans off, they both turn on. There wasn’t even a wall switch for the main upstairs light. Eventually, a frustrated Blake just stood on a chair and unscrewed the hot lightbulb manually.

Whether it’s bad 19th-century wiring or the spirits of the 1895 fire… I guess we’ll find out tonight.

Catch you all at 5:30 AM. Time to conquer the desert!