Winslow, Arizona will always have a special place in the heart of this team. In January of 2022, we were making our way from Ohio to Oklahoma. Next we traveled across the plains of Texas and spent an evening in Gallop, New Mexico. After a few long days of travel, we left New Mexico heading north towards our destination of Las Vegas, Nevada. Bobert then realized we’d be passing by the corner in Winslow, Arizona made famous by the Eagles in their classic song “Take It Easy.” We love music, and this city was iconic enough to warrant a stop.
Bobert insisted we stop. I realized there was no way we could possibly pass the city and not stop for a few minutes if nothing more than for a photo opportunity. Little did I know that Bobert had a plan up his sleeve.
It was such a fine site to see
We roamed around enjoying the mural in the square. We checked out the statue of the musician on the sidewalk. Winslow is a very small town. There really weren’t a lot of things to do once we arrived, so I thought this was a quick trip. We took several selfies and I thought we were going to be on our way. Bobert insisted I couldn’t get the mural in our selfie and suggested we ask a stranger to take a better photo. Finally a man walked by and Bobert was able to ask him to take snap a photo. As he drew me in closer for the photo, turned looking at me, he nervously smiled and dropped down to one knee. As he looked up at me, he gently said “Come on baby, don’t say maybe,” and presented me with a unique engagement ring.
I said yes!
I was absolutely awestruck that he had chosen me to spend the rest of his life as adventure buddies. We discussed marriage several times before and both agreed that we didn’t care whether or not we had a legal document saying we were together forever, we knew from the beginning that we were destined to travel through life together forever.
A picture is worth a thousand words
The gentleman taking the photos had absolutely never used a smartphone before. We have a few 3 second clips of our feet as Bobert took a knee and one of my feet as I giggled and agreed to be his wife. We recreated the moment while the gentle stranger figured out how to capture a photo with my iPhone. Then he told us stories about his life. He claimed that the song was referencing his flat bed Ford. The stranger smiled and told us there wasn’t a girl in his truck, but it was his vehicle in the song. He told us that his family made the bricks that pave the area. After we asked if we could snap a photo with him, he obliged. Casually, he just walked away to allow us to enjoy a very special moment in our lives.
We never got his name, but I will always remember the stranger we met on the day we were standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. It was such a fine site to see. I’m a girl my Lord, there’s a flat bed Ford, Bobert dropped down and he took a knee. He said, “come on baby don’t say maybe,” and I knew that his sweet love was going to save me. While our proposal sounds like it is straight from a 90’s rom com, I wouldn’t change a single thing.
Winslow, Arizona… a city that changed our lives forever
After we took a few moments to really take in the moment, we roamed across the street from the murals, the plaque, and the statue. Finally, we decided to buy ourselves a few small souvenir items to commemorate this exciting day. We bought a lapel pin with the flat bed Ford that says Winslow, AZ, and we bought a tea towel that says “Welcome to the Shit Show.” We repurposed the towel and made a curtain for our back door. Now every time we leave the kitchen through that door, we’re reminded of that special day when we decided to take it easy and stop for a quick photo opportunity.
While our trip to Winslow was short, it quickly became one of my favorite stops. The town is quite small, and time seems to have mostly stood still for the people of Winslow. Many corners have decorative flat bed Fords parked for photos. Each small business offers merchandise promoting their claim to fame. While we only encountered three people the entire hour or so we visited, the locals were friendly. I definitely recommend that you make it a point to swing by and visit when you’re travelling down Historic Route 66.
