How to Visit the Standing on the Corner Sculpture in Winslow, Arizona

For years, Winslow, Arizona, was merely a fueling station for those traveling across the American southwest on I-40. With tourist attractions like the Petrified Forest National Park and the Meteor Crater a distance away, and sizable cities like Flagstaff and Albuquerque, Ndw Mexico, even farther, the small, windswept town of Winslow seemed destined to oblivion. However, in the early 1970s, the Eagles, a rock music group on the crest of national fame, recorded a song entitled “Take it Easy” with lyrics about a beautiful girl noticing a modern minstrel who was hitchhiking through Winslow. Years later, the town decided to honor the song and this fictitious event with a bronze statue and an etched store window.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Map of Arizona
• Sunscreen
• Camera
• "Eagles Greatest Hits" CD

Such a Sight

1. Stop in Winslow instead of passing through. Make sure to take the West 3rd Street exit (Exit 252), even if traveling west off I-40. Winslow has two east-west main streets, each of them one-way. The statue is located on West 2nd, with eastward traffic only. The streets fork about 10 blocks before the statue.

2. Look for a brown-brick, two-story building on the corner of 2nd and Campbell, noticeable by the bold white lettering: WINSLOW ARIZONA in a strong red field. The corner street lights are vintage 1960s.

3. Park anywhere in the vicinity, noting that there may be a two-block walk at most.

4. Walk to this famous corner and immediately notice the statue. This traveling vagrant, in bronze, with guitar at foot and appropriately disheveled hair, stands below a traffic sign that quotes the famous lyrics. Note that he’s staring blankly toward the street, seemingly at nothing.

5. Look at the window in the store. The reflection of a young blonde driving a red Ford pickup appears, and is smiling toward the statue. It's all true to the song.

6. Look toward the second story and the third window from the left. Here the window is etched as partially opened, and jumping somewhat ahead in time, the minstrel and the blonde are locked in a warm embrace.

7. Note that at the first window from the left, a bald eagle seems to be viewing the entire event through a reflection in this window. The eagle is not only a fitting homage to the musicians responsible for this memorial, but also its sense of true Americana.

8. Note that the entire experience of visiting Winslow’s famous corner takes mere moments. So, since downtown Winslow is within walking distance, find a nearby diner (possibly the place for the song’s inspiration) where you can relax and contemplate that long drive ahead.

Resources

• Winslow Website