My original plan was to leave L.A. at 6AM Monday morning, to cross the desert before the worst of the heat, to arrive in Ariz. mid-afternoon. But a combination of rain and a headache kept me home a few extra hours. I hit the road around 10:30 AM.

Full tank of gas, everything else packed - maps, snacks, camera stuff, laptop, etc.. I crossed over to Interstate 15 by taking Pearblossom Hwy out of Palmdale. Zipped up 15 to Barstow and caught Interstate 40 over to Arizona. With just one stop in Needles (so hot I could hardly breathe when I briefly emerged from the car,) I crossed the Colorado River and Arizona state line and passed through Kingman, Williams, and Flagstaff. Each of those towns reminded me of details from previous trips. Driving is like that for me, it evokes a flurry of memories.

With the exception of one horrific downpour of rain going through Seligman, through which I couldn't see anything but two blurry red rear lights on a sixteen wheeler ahead of me, it was a peaceful, non-eventful drive.

I do love the scenery of No. Arizona, with its alternating rock formations, pine trees and flat expanses of land. And I always grin at some of the names along the way. Rattlesnake Wash, for example, and Holy Moses Wash.

Weary from driving and hungry for a good meal, I overshot my destination by ten miles. More specifically, I overshot it by a couple miles and then had to wait another eight miles or so for an offramp to turn around.

I pulled into Winslow, Arizona around 7:30PM and found my way to La Posada Hotel. I had visited this historic railroad hotel years ago, but had never had the opportunity to stay there. This trip I was determined to move it from my "wish list" to my "recommended lodging" list, which only happens after I spend a night as a guest.

You would never know there was a magnificent lodging establishment on this property if you were to just drive by. Unless the sheer size of the structure (72,000 square feet) grabbed your curiosity, you might only see a haphazard sign, with nothing but dirt and distant train tracks behind it. But if you had heard about it ahead of time, or caught a documentary or one of many feature articles about the hotel, you'd know it was worth a stop.

This Mary Jane Colter masterpiece, a Fred Harvey, Santa Fe Railway hotel, has been in continual stages of restoration for many years. Much remains to be done, but what has already been accomplished is amazing. Thirty-seven remodeled guest rooms are up and running, with another entire wing yet to be tackled. The lobby and common areas are awe-inspiring, filled with original hotel artifacts, unique contemporary artwork and historical photos. There are sitting areas everywhere, some with videos showing different aspects of the remodeling and restoration process, some with tables for writing and visiting, some just comfortable couches and chairs in friendly arrangements.

Off the hallway that connects the hotel lobby to the guest rooms, doors open to a classic mediterranean style garden. The Sunken Garden offers outdoor seating on an upper terrace level, next to a bubbling fountain. A few steps down, walkways run along each side of a narrow lawn. This garden is a peaceful oasis, surrounded on three sides by exterior hotel walls to keep the heat from building up . Guests are asked to keep voices down in the evening, as the noise drifts up to the rooms above.

For many years, La Posada Hotel was a popular destination for Hollywood stars and politicians. Each room is named after a famous guest. I was given the Dorothy Lamour room, #212, located upstairs in the middle section of the building, where passing trains (50+ per day, between freight and Amtrak) wouldn't be too noisy. Still, I propped open my windows to allow some of the ambiance of rattling wheels on tracks to sink in. After all, this was a railroad hotel. No reason to pass up an authentic experience.

The room itself was spacious, with a private bath, small writing table and television (no phone.) It had an entry hall with a hanging tin star light and the walls were painted with Southwestern colors in peach and watermelon hues. Immaculate and comfortable. Rustic and artsy at the same time.

Famished from the long drive, I tossed my bags into my room and returned downstairs to the hotel's restaurant, The Turquoise Room. Hospitality seems to be a priority here (the check-in process was easy and the desk clerk helpful.) I was seated in a very comfortable booth, a real treat after a long day on the road.

I decided to order the "Killer Vegetable Platter," which was excellent. This was not a typical stir-fry concoction, but a feast of mini-portions, including sweet corn tamale, cheese-stuffed chili pepper, mushroom flan, grilled tofu, black beans, grilled corn on the cob and a few other items, all presented on a piping hot platter. A salad was included, as well as a basket of assorted breads. It was a feast.

Some post-dinner wandering gave me time to take in some of the artwork and to sit in the Sunken Garden for awhile. But nine hours of driving caught up with me quickly. I turned in for the night, knowing fresh coffee would be waiting in the main hallway in the morning.