When Pocket Change Got You Lunch
Mile 1,053, Painted Desert, AZ
Easily the most charming structure—out of some ten within the entire Petrified Forest National Park, it seems—is the Painted Desert Inn, which overlooks the area it’s named for. It was built in 1940 with a red adobe-like feel that makes it appear as if it grew out of the Painted Desert itself, was closed in 1963, and was recently refurbished to its original glory as a museum. The dining room contains a menu from its early days, with the most expensive item being a chicken sandwich—for 35 cents.