Getting My Kicks on Route 66

Ha, I live on Route 66.  I just got a P.O. Box and that is the address.  HA!  I just think that is funny.  The story behind it, not so much.

I came to the mountains near Flagstaff AZ to escape the heat of lower elevations. I needed to get onto free boondocking lands where I could begin finalizing plans to hike the Arizona Trail, unloading my trailer, repairing gear, fixing stuff, etc., without having to do it in public area.  Fine, found all that, now to get a place to receive packages since people are beginning to send me gear off my Amazon Backpacking Wish List (http://a.co/j7L6J5a ).

I had been told by another vandweller that some folks got mail in Parks.  So, I went there and asked at the gas station near Exit 178 off I40, about receiving General Delivery and packages. I didn’t know there was another option at the time. One would think they would tell you if there were any restrictions as to the type of packages they could accept, USPS, UPS, FEDEX, etc., I asked, but they didn’t tell.  So I got the proper wording for the address and got on line and put it in Amazon and sent it to my SD mail service.  Two friends ordered gifts off Amazon, and immediately got word back there was a problem with the address.  (WTF???  Excuse me.)

Well, I went back in at 10am Sat. (Mail counter only open til noon on Sat.) to pick up the 2 packages, but they were not there. But UPS tracking showed they were there, received on 6/15 and signed for by the owner. I left, double-checked the one UPS tracking number, and returned insisting that the owner signed for it on 6/15 at 4:57pm. They gave me ONE package then. Turns out it was not the one I was expecting and so I checked that tracking number and learned it was delivered the same day as the first one. So where was the first one???  I went back again... they had hid them from me, not putting a notice in General Delivery folder for me, until they could talk to me and tell me NOT to have packages delivered there, not even if I rented a P.O. Box from them. O.K., they been talking to me about this for two hours now, where is my other package??? Finally, after standing and staring at the owner for 15 minutes, she casually says to the gal in the mail room, will you get her other package for her????  Only USPS packages would be accepted for me there. Well, I had discussed that with them in advance too… that ordering from Amazon, you had no way to select which carriers would be used.  One employee had even told me to call Amazon Customer Service and talk to them.  I told them there was no phone number for that… and she insisted there was.  I double-checked Amazon site and could not find one.

Altogether, I spent three hours going back and forth, getting on line, checking up on tracking numbers, only to find they could have given the packages to me at 10am and I would have been out of their hair.  So by 1:30pm, I was finished with them and on down the road to the General Store to rent a box there.


Parks in the Pines General Store, an old photo from their Facebook page..
Established in 1906

That stove, neat thing… it’s a replica and it is electric.

So, back (I had had breakfast there after not finding my packages at the other place – a Super Burrito-made two meals of that) at Parks in the Pines General Store (Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/ParksStoreandDeli/) I rented a box. This is a brand new service… they are now an official Postal Annex… and so new, that many of the boxes are still unrented and the software is still being learned by the people working there.  I got to pick my own box number… just by looking to see which were empty.  These folks, Cary and Susan Asel, are great and so very sweet.  Susan even offered to let me leave my rig there free while I am section-hiking the Arizona Trail.

They also have a Deli there and the food is really very very good (got a Hawaiian Pizza last week to take back to camp and made four meals out of it.). 

There is a sitting area inside and outside.  And you can call in to order food in advance or to go.  Great deli…. http://route66historicparksgeneralstore.com/deli-special-s.html … see their menu.

I asked it I could call in weekly to see if I had mail, since it’s over seven miles one way from camp, and Cary said I could call in anytime. By this time, he is using my first name, like he had known me forever.  And they will also email me when mail comes in. What service!  I think they are capitalizing on the lack of service and bad karma given out at the other place.  I overheard men at the tables outside talking about how great it was to have this new Postal Annex run by caring people.

Oh, also, they have hitching racks outside for horses and do get riders.  I also noticed a lot of motorcycles stopping by.  This is my new home.  I’m adopting all of them.

They even filled a six gallon water jug for me, and Susan carried it to my van because she saw I was having trouble with my shoulder. I offered to pay for the water since everyone in this area has to pay to have water hauled in, but they would not take my money.  I am trilled to find such nice people here.  I plan to hob-knob a bit with the locals and see if I can’t arrange shuttle service to trailheads in the area.  I have a feeling some of these folk would love to help me with my goal to hike the entire 800 mile long Arizona Trail.

The other place gets NO MORE of my business. NOPE.

Yes, I am having my kicks on Route 66.  So if ever you are out looking for your kicks on Route 66, don’t pass up Parks in the Pines General Store (http://route66historicparksgeneralstore.com/).  It is a true treasure.