The Ruins of Two Guns, Arizona
Photographs along the side of the road.
The first weekend of 2025 found me in northern Arizona on a mini road trip. My wife and I wanted to start the year on a positive note so we did a few things we have been wanting to do for a while.
On day one we hiked the rim of the Grand Canyon, then spent some time in the forest around Williams, AZ.
Day two found us in Winslow. My wife had never seen the statue of Glenn Fry standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona… what a fine sight to see.
We had coffee and headed back toward Flagstaff, west on I40.
I had a bout of nostalgia when I saw the ruins of the old Two Guns gas station. It was the first stop we made in the old Pontiac on our way to see Grandma back in ’62. It was along Route 66 and featured a “Mystery Cave” (formerly known as the “Apache Death Cave”, a remnant of the history of this vast land.)
These are ancient canyons, and people have been here since about 1050 AD, some saying a lot earlier.
The ruins we see here are not from those long ago native Americans, but from a recent historical event.
“The Mother Road”, Route 66 was more than a road, it was a culturally defining moment in the US. People could travel from Chicago to Los Angeles on a single road.
Two lanes. Wide shoulders.
As Chuck Berry said so eloquently:
“Well it winds from Chicago to L.A
More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it goes from St Louie, Joplin, Missouri
Oklahoma City looks oh so pretty
You’ll see Amarillo and Gallup, New Mexico
Flagstaff, Arizona, don’t forget Winona
Kingsman, Barstow, San Bernardino…”
(There was even a TV show about this road: Route 66, lasting four seasons.)
Across prairies, over mountains, through deserts, forests, and cornfields.
And along this fascinating strip of asphalt and concrete were built the first Tourist Traps.
Roadside spots designed to bring in the adventurers, have them cool off and spend money on chachka and artifacts.
The ‘Souvenir’.
“Two Guns”, founded by entrepreneur Henry “Two Guns” Miller became a small town along what was known as the “The National Old Trails Highway”, and “The Santa Fe Highway” in Arizona.
Those roads became part of Route 66. And the heyday of that famous road began.
It’s hard to imagine today, but over 2000 people lived in Two Guns during its long life. Today the population is zero, although there is still an on/off ramp along I40 for the town.
When the freeway replaced I40, Two Guns was granted the exit, but a fire destroyed the main buildings and the town was abandoned to the elements.
If you’ve seen the Disney animated movie, “Cars”, you know the story.
The town is built along a deep ravine known as Canyon Diablo. This rugged and difficult canyon provided many difficulties for the early pioneers.
Much earlier it was important to the original people who used it for water, hunting, and hiding from predators.
As a tributary of the Litte Colorado River, it cuts its deep groove upon a wide expanse of the Colorado Plateau.
Pioneers faced lengthy delays, road builders found it formidable, and even the bridge experts of the railroad took Canyon Diablo at its word; Devil’s Canyon.
If you go: 30 miles east of Flagstaff, take the “Two Guns” exit and stay south of the freeway. You will see the ruins in the distance. No special vehicle is needed, but go slow. And be respectful.
Hi, I’m Don Giannatti, a photographer and mentor for up-and-coming photographers. You can find me on my website, Don Giannatti, and at my Substack site, where I also publish for creative people.