Ailana’s Journal: Part 2—2026-06-27 (Patreon)

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STANDING ON THE CORNER… by Ailana Geven Keller

…of Winslow, Arizona, And such a fine sight to see! This area was dedicated as a tribute to the 1970s Eagles song that made Winslow famous!

Co-written by Jackson Browne and Glenn Frey, “Take It Easy” began taking shape in 1971. Lore has it that Browne got stuck on a verse after breaking down in Winslow, Arizona. Frey finished the verse, and the Eagles recorded it. Google says “It became their defining 1972 debut single and a foundational West Coast rock classic.”

I was asked about stopping here by Lauren Whitaker (@laurenwhitakernews), so of course I did.

One of my favorite things to do is read your comments and suggestions and try to respond to your ideas. It makes all this feel more real and alive!

Several stops on this trip have come from readers, so if you know of something we should see—say, east of Albuquerque—please share your recommendations.

That’s all from here. I’ll check in later from another stop, and of course there will be a goodnight post, too. See you soon!

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All characters in this story are fictional characters, their images generated with AI for AGI Stories. They do not represent any real person, nor is their appearance based on any real human.

THE DIRT IS ALIVE by Ailana Geven Keller

We stopped late this afternoon at West Mesa Open Space on the western side of Albuquerque, in the desert transition near the northern reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert.

At first glance, the ground looked dry, dusty, and almost empty. Then we started reading the signs and realized how wrong that impression can be.

Some of what looks like ordinary dirt can actually be biological soil crust—a living community made up of organisms such as cyanobacteria, mosses, lichens, algae, and fungi. Together, they help hold soil in place, capture moisture, reduce erosion, and make it easier for desert plants to survive.

And one careless step can damage it.

That surprised all of us. In a place this wide open, the natural temptation is to wander toward whatever angle offers the best picture. But the desert is not a giant empty studio. Footprints, bicycle tires, and vehicle tracks can break apart living crust that may take decades to recover.

So we stayed on the marked trail.

The kids took pictures from the path, Jason worked with the long lens, and everyone gathered notes for the travel articles and sidebars. We also talked about how conservation sometimes begins with something as simple as deciding where not to put your feet.

I think deserts fool people because they do not look fragile. There are no lush leaves to crush or soft flowers to trample. Everything appears tough enough to survive anything.

But sometimes the strongest-looking places are protecting life so small we cannot see it until someone teaches us where to look.

We came for a stretch break and a few photographs. We left understanding that even the dirt beneath us has a story—and that being a good visitor means leaving that story undisturbed.

Now we’re heading farther into Albuquerque, tired, dusty, and a little more careful than we were this morning.

And… Thanks to ChatGPT and Gemini for doing the research!

GOOD NIGHT by Ailana Geven Keller

We covered a lot of miles today and made several amazing stops. Now, we're at the Monterey Motel, another classic along Route 66.

We checked in, cleaned up, changed clothes and rested in the rooms for a little while. Honestly, zero complaints about the accommodations. It feels like a modern hotel, but it carries all the mid-twentieth-century nostalgia that made Route 66 famous.

We got here after the stop in the desert early enough that Kel and Emily hit the pool for a little while. Jason and I stayed inside the room. I organized notes and he sorted pictures.

Earlier today, we stopped briefly in Grants to see the Route 66 Neon Drive-Thru Arch. It gave everyone an easy opportunity to take photographs, gather notes, and create some roadside content, and it didn’t take too long.

Overall, we feel like we gleaned a lot of interesting information and took a lot of great images to go with it. The idea of these trips is to be able to collect enough notes to keep us writing for months.

Case in point, I still get requests for updated versions of my Alaska and Everglades articles. I have the original drafts and notes, more images than I’ll ever use, so I can update the statistics and reuse the work.

That makes trips like this pay off big over time.

Now, we’re just about to go to dinner at 66 Diner. As far as I know, it is not owned by Dina, but it is in the desert and has desserts. We’re looking for the classic Albuquerque Route 66 experience: burgers, green-chile cheeseburgers, milkshakes, checkerboard décor, and retro visuals.

That’s about it for today. I’ll be back tomorrow with more, so see you then.

May you learn new things as you go through life—things that help you see the world better and more fully understand your place in it.

Good night.

Be your best you!

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