Twin Arrows Casino Resort

Above, Twin Arrows Casino Resort. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Whenever I've gone deep into Arizona, I find that a food stop (usually breakfast) at Twin Arrows Casino Resort east of Flagstaff is a great respite.

As I was heading to Kingman, I stopped in. It turned out to be the halfway point between Jamestown, New Mexico and the clampout, about 175 miles.

Prior to the casino resort's construction, Twin Arrows, Arizona was known as a ghost town on Route 66.

From Wikipedia:

The area in which Twin Arrows is located was inhabited by the Hopi and Navajo tribes. The Navajo fought against the Apaches in the area. The first setters to arrive in the area of European descent were the Spanish conquistadores. The area became part of Mexico when Mexico gained its independence from Spain. 

The United States fought against Mexico in what is known as the Mexican–American War. The war ended officially when the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed and forced onto the remnant Mexican government. It specified its major consequence, the Mexican Cession of the northern territories of Alta California and Santa Fe de Nuevo México to the United States. 

Wagon roads routes between Flagstaff and Winslow were surveyed in the 1880s. The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad choose to build the railroad along it. The railway passed to the north of the modern alignment of the National Old Trails which would eventually become US 66. The U.S. Highway System established US 66 in 1926. US 66 served as a major path for those who migrated west during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s. The road supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. 

Traffic began to flow through the Twin Arrows area because Route 66 was aligned along the National Old Trails Road. A business named the Canyon Padre Trading Post, named for the gorge that cuts nearby, was established in the late 1940s in Twin Arrows. Business was slow for the store and diner until the owners changed its name to "Twin Arrows Trading Post", inspired by nearby town of Two Guns and added a service station. Two 25-foot (7.6 m) giant arrows which were placed on the property were easily recognized by traveling motorist and the business began to fourish. 

The Twin Arrows Trading Post began to fail with the construction of the Interstate 40 (I-40), because motorists no longer had to take US 66. Business for the Twin Arrows Trading Post began to decline and it was not long before the store/diner/service station/gift shop passed through the hands of various owners. This continued until 1995, when it was finally closed and abandoned. The land where Twin Arrows is located is in the Navajo and Hopi reservations and owned by the Twin Arrows Navajo Casino.

The ruins of the Twin Arrows Trading Post still stands, along with the two giant arrows on the property.

Above, the giant twin arrows. Wikipedia photo.

I usually dine at the Four Elements Cafe. The prices are reasonable and the food is good. Last Friday, I stopped in and had their huevos rancheros. Very tasty!

Prior to this most recent trip, I stopped in for a rest break. This was after having the heart attack in Wells, Nevada and I drove home a few days later from Mitch Geriminsky's in Lake Havasu.

While there, I ran into a fellow clamper in the main lobby. I was wearing a clamper t-shirt and he approached me.

Twin Arrows Casino Resort is a nice facility and well worth a stop. They have a parking area for RVs. As yet, they have no RV park/campground.

To access their website, go here.