Twin Arrows, Arizona: Twin Arrows Trading Post - Ruins

I first saw Twin Arrows and Two Guns in June of 1965, Dad hauled his wife and 6 kids in a 1958 Ford wagon with a sign hanging out the back that said "California or Bust" from Chicago to Long Beach Ca. for a permanent move.

I started driving Trucks around 1977 and would drive past these two landmarks many times on my runs; it never occurred to me that they would ever fall to disrepair.

I am going on a motorcycle tour of the Grand Canyon on 05-09-2009 -- I may have to take a side trip just to get my picture taken at these two places before it all crumbles to the ground.

It's a shame that all it takes is some money to restore these two Rt. 66 icons. If I were a rich man it would get done for future generations to see on this historic route.

I first visited the Twin Arrows Trading Post in the Summer of 1973 on the way to Florida with my parents and six of my brothers and sisters in our Ford wagon. My father snapped pics of my younger brother and I in front of the arrows. I returned in 2000 with my daughter and snapped pics in the spot. Recently, I learned of their rapid demise. They were always one of my fondest memories of the old Route 66. Therefore, I included them as an element in my new tattoo which features my `47 Plymouth, the Wigwam Motel, the Twin Arrows and a Route 66 sign.

The Jersey barriers are gone ... you can pull right up and look around now. [April 2007 - Tara Emory reports that the barriers are still there]. Sadly, it's still falling apart. What a perfect Route 66 restoration project for somebody.

We just did a Route 66 from Barstow to NM, and stopped by Twin Arrows. Sad to say you can't just pull off the road to see them. The road has concrete center dividers blocking the area off from any vehicle. We did park our car in a very unsafe area to explore. It's heart breaking to see the mess of the area. There are two poles, but one really dilapidated arrow remaining. Someone needs to save this town so it doesn't end up looking like Two Guns. We read in a paper in AZ that a land developer in Tucson bought the city , and plans to tear it down to build 600 houses.

My wife and I just finished a tour of Route 66 between Albuquerque, NM and Oatman, AZ and are sorry to report that one of the two arrows at the Twin Arrows Trading Post is beginning to fall apart. There were boards from the point and tail lying around the ground so we collected all the pieces we could find and placed them at the point of the affected arrow (yes, we jumped the barriers). The road by the trading post dead ends in a loop so you can easily park and explore this great memory from the glory days of Rt. 66. When we visited in 2002, the arrows were in significantly better condition than they are now -- so visit soon!