Travel and music seem to go hand in hand. Great cities and memorable places stir the creativity of artists all the time. Musically there are hundreds of songs that were inspired by a magical vacation or a night on the town. My first experience with this was in our High School Jazz Band. We played this tune called April in Paris. Didn’t really mean much to me but someone was touched deeply by their springtime visit to the world’s most romantic city. There were more memorable songs for me along the way. Songs like Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles, Bermuda Nights by Gerald Albright, Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John. Hundreds come to mind but I think you get the jest (leave your favorite songs about places in the comment section above).
Some time back I took a driving trip and covered Route 66 from the West Missouri border, basically Galena, KS to the western limit of Route 66: the Santa Monica Pier. Ironically I had created a music playlist for the journey; probably had close to 500 songs on the playlist. I hit randomize and as I pulled out of the driveway I couldn’t help but laugh as the first song to kick off this trip was Tom Petty singing Runnin Down a Dream! So the first lyric I heard on the trip was: It was a beatiful day, the sun beat down, I had the radio on, I was drivin’ …I can’t make this stuff up! Had I selected the song myself I probably would have chosen get your kicks on Route 66- this was so much better!
Anyway- I love driving, I love exploring new places and I love the evolution of how we do things so driving Route 66 has always intrigued me. On the third day of the trip I happened to roll up on Winslow, AZ. Ring any bells? Right! The Eagles song, Take it easy.
me and Glenn Frey 
Dave Zoretic with Jackson Browne 
yeah, she’s slowin’ down to take a look at me! 
a corner in Winslow, AZ
I was standin on a corner in Winslow Arizona such a fine sight to see. It’s a girl my Lord, in a flatbed Ford Slowin Down to take a look at me…. (written by Glenn Frey and Jackson Browne)
Inspired? Perhaps. It did resonate with me enough to get off the highway and look around Winslow. While I was driving just the name Winslow immediately brought the thought of the song to mind but I didn’t realize there was actually a Standing On The Corner Park!
The park consists of statues of song writers Glenn Frey and Jackson Brown; a mural of a “my Lord” worthy young lady driving her flatbed Ford giving the eye as she drives by and an actual Flatbed Ford is parked on the street. WINSLOW * ARIZONA is painted on the brick building that serves as a backdrop and in the intersection there is an amazing Route 66 logo bricked into the street! No end to the photo ops in this tiny little Arizona town. It was one of the many unexpected joys with a musical tie on a trip I will never forget.
Sometimes the place inspires the song but this was without a doubt a song that inspired a place!
If you are ever out in this neck of the woods, I highly recommend taking the drive from Winslow to Phoenix down the canyon rim on highway 87. It takes about 3 hours. It starts out not so great but about halfway down you will arrive in a little town called Payson. When you exit Payson and begin the descent down the canyon prepare to be amazed! It is quite possibly the most breathtaking drive I ever made (and I have made many).