Arizona republican., 1920-12-27
TOURISTS SPEND. WHITE XMAS IN NORTHERN ROAD
Motorists Encounter Old Lava Bed, Mud And Snow On Trip From WinsloW To Flagstaff

To Flagstaff
 About 25 tourists spent a white Christmas at the auto camp grounds just above Flagstaff according to a report brought here by Wade Gilman of Indianapolis who is motoring through from the Hoosier capital to Los Angeles.
 We left Winslow early Christmas morning." he said, taking the road north of the Santa Fe railway tracks. The temperature was down to a point where heavy wraps were necessary, but the sun was shining and there was no indication of snow to the casual oh- server As we struck out across the desert and entered the Canyon Diablo we were greeted with a very strong wind which brought traces of mois- ture.
 " Looks like we are going to run into a white Christmas one or us observed and our thoughts naturally reverted back to the blustery weather this season of the year generally ush- CTS nito Indiana We had g. peculiar feeling of being at home in strange land. We were speeding along through unfamiliar desert country and yet there was a tinge in the air Which brought to us the touch of Lake Mlchl- gan and a familiar overcast SKY which presaged snow for the Christ mas dinner setting.
 Several hours ride from Winslow we found a lone Indian trading stauon where we stopped to get warm anu purchase pair of heavy Navajo In 1 dian blankets The store was far re- moved from the sound of the locomo- 1 tive whistle but the young man III charge said he was kept busy through out the day waiting on motorists ana l the stray Indians who sauntered m with blankets their squaws had woven. Drivina Through a Bed of Lava
 After leaving the trading station we i came into great beds of lava. Ou1 road wound around black mounds and
 age-old cinders crunched beneath our tires. A drizzling rain was driven l into our faces by a sharp wind. Max l inc a search of the car we failed 10 find any storm curtains. We finally 1 decided some garage man had appro- 1 nriated them. The drizZle became more emphatic and finally evolution lized into sleet. The Navajos already had paid dividends upon the invest lnent But the steady drive or ICY moisture was beginning to penetrate their comfortable thickness and we had about resigned ourselves to pre- pare for good soaking when wt I dipped down into a little valley ant
 found the sun again.
 But the general trend of the roat Il from Winslow to Flagstaff was up ward. We climbed from the deser into the pines. Here we found th'
 first traces of soft falling 1uleudi
 snow It touched the great green tree'
 very lightly and melted away on th' ground But 1t was snow. The req stuff. like they have back east, il
 Alaska, up at the North Pole, or an. place else in the world. We met
 party of motorists with a stalled car ]" Merry Christmas we shouted an' we felt it. One of the party asked t , be taken to the nearest garage wher
 he could get certain part for tn
 disabled car. and we accommodates him.
 Into the Snow Belt
 Up and up we went among tn
 pines. The trees became larger an
 the snow heavier. We came to a lon : stretch of mud on what purported t : be part of our highway. Before u
 half dozen cars were hopelessl
 struggling.
 Let's take the ditch,' was tn t suggestion. It cant be any wors ] than that road and into the ditch W e plunged. 4 motorcycle and side ca Q struggled through the mud of the roaC
 A girl clad in khaki riding attir
 leaped lightly from the side car an l. pushed vigorously. The wheels spul | caught, jumped. and the car was ou
 of the worst part. The girl made = run and regained her seat. We ra !. them slippery race and beat them | the good road but a few minutes late they passed us with a cheery admoni ton to Hurry up and we'll have you turkey ready
 "On a rise in the pine forest over ' looking Flagstaff we found the aui camp. A little one-room store catere to the tourist trade and was enjoyir a lively business at the time we al k rived. Half a dozen sleeping ten had been thrown up in the vicinity the store in a semi-circle which fes tured a huge open fire of pine log E Near each of the tents stood a mot,
 car and their license tags told stori'
 of long distances travelled to reaC
 Arizona for the holiday season. E "Our friends of the motorcycle hs R already made themselves comfortab
 before the blazing logs. They hs H journeyed through from Astabul h Ohio ,on a honeymoon jaunt A b
 Indian. gaudily clad, feathers and a joined the fireside group To mar good natured greetings he mere grunted He spied the young brio