Route 66: La Posada Hotel - Winslow, Arizona

The La Posada Hotel on Route 66 in Winslow feels like an unexpected rustic lodge and oasis in Arizona's plateau highlands. The gardens are lush and the interior is strikingly beautiful. Though you're not at the Grand Canyon or Yosemite, it's no wonder you feel as though you might be; the hotel was designed by premier turn-of-the century female architect, Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter. Famous for her landmark buildings along the South Rim, Colter worked with the Santa Fe Railroad and Fred Harvey Company from 1905 to 1950. The Harvey family turned to her in the 1920s to design La Posada, last of the "Harvey Hotels" along the Santa Fe Railway line, which opened in 1930.

The Harvey Hotels were famous for their exemplary food and service along the Santa Fe. After a fist fight broke out among all-male wait staff, Fred Harvey revolutionized waitressing by replacing them with a highly-trained, diligent and well-paid staff of young women who wore conservative dress, worked long shifts (as much as seven 12-hour days) and lived in dormitories. Being a "Harvey Girl" was a respectable profession for young women in the West, which also paved the way for other opportunities.

Today, visitors can still travel to La Posada by Amtrak, and can view passing trains while dining in the Turquoise Room.

It's been a couple of years since we were fortunate to experience this unique place, but I'm sure it remains a timeless and unique retreat on the Route.

http://laposada.org/history/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-the-west-was-won-by-waitresses-7575782/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Colter

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