Route 66 Leg 6: Flagstaff to Santa Monica

Surrounded by national forests and designated wilderness areas, and just 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is an oasis of natural beauty with all the comforts and conveniences of a big city. Home to Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff somehow manages to be a bustling college town with a quaint, small-town vibe. Its historic downtown is home to breweries, restaurants, and shops located in buildings from the 1890s. Unlike the dry, sweltering desert cities in southern Arizona, Flagstaff—thanks to its elevation of nearly 7,000 feet—has a more comfortable four-season climate with plenty of snow in the winter, so plan accordingly.

The South Rim is the most popular place in the entire park, thanks to its accessibility, amenities, and epic views. It can get really crowded—particularly during sunrise and sunset—but it's worth fighting the crowds to see the canyon lit up in spectacular technicolor.

Located in the heart of the northern Arizona high desert, Seligman occupies a very cozy enclave surrounded by mountains to the east, desert to the west, and the Grand Canyon to the north. Seligman's Main Street is lined with historic, locally-owned businesses that, against all odds, have withstood the test of time.

Originally founded as a railroad town, Seligman was named after a railroad financier in 1886. With the establishment of Route 66 in 1926, Seligman became a popular stop for cross-country roadtrippers. Interstate 40 bypassed the town in 1978, threatening businesses, but a local group successfully lobbied Arizona to designate Route 66 as a Historic Highway in 1987. Seligman’s Chamber of Commerce began promoting the town as the “Birthplace of Historic Route 66,” and the town’s historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

An inspiration for Disney’s Cars, Seligman has retained its historic charm, working hard to preserve the early 20th century buildings that line Main Street, Railroad Avenue, and Chino Street. Throughout town you'll see old-timey cars parked in front of businesses, which makes for great photo ops.

The largest motel in Seligman is the Stagecoach 66 Motel. It has some great neon out front, a few themed rooms (including one inspired by Cars), an onsite pizza joint with a bar and pool table, plus WiFi and coffee and pastries in the morning. Even if you don't stay the night, snap a picture with the sign and chat up locals in the bar over a cold beer.

The Route 66 RoadRunner is located in the old Olsen’s Chevrolet dealership and garage building. Built in 1936, it features a classic adobe look and original redwood beams. The souvenir shop sells the expected Route 66 kitsch, along with locally-crafted Native American jewelry. The restaurant serves up snacks and to-go grub such as ice cream, coffee, and breakfast burritos, plus sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and booze.

The Black Cat Bar has existed in some form since the early 1900s, keeping locals liquored up and happy. Today, it remains a no-frills, cash-only, down-to-earth joint where you can enjoy a stiff drink with locals. Play pool or just enjoy a drink on the patio before retiring to your motel for the evening. This place is true-blue Seligman to the core.

The Historic Seligman Sundries is located in one of the town's oldest buildings, which dates back to 1904. It's utterly adorable and has been a dance hall, a theater, a trading post, and a soda fountain. It was refurbished in 2005, and a lot of the signs hanging up inside are authentic vintage artifacts uncovered during the renovations. Sit at the counter, which used to serve as a soda fountain, and enjoy a coffee or bottled soda.

The Historic Route 66 Motel is a small, authentic motor lodge that maintains an old-school charm while offering modern amenities.

The Roadkill Cafe sets itself apart from other retro diners on the route by being totally strange. The menu features dishes such as Bad-Brake Steak, Fender Tenders, Splatter Platter, Swirl of Squirrel, and Highway Hash. The same building houses the O.K. Saloon, which features Wild West memorabilia and pays tribute to Arizona's rough and tumble past.

As far as photo ops in Seligman go, The Rusty Bolt is easily the most ridiculous. Old storefronts are lined with signs and topped with posed mannequins in wacky costumes. Humorous jokes, weird props, eccentric employees, and cute souvenirs make this a must-stop.

When Juan and Mary Delgadillo opened the Snow Cap Drive-In on Route 66 in Seligman in 1953, they probably didn’t anticipate it becoming a worldwide tourist attraction. More than 60 years later, Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In is one of the most sought-out Route 66 destinations. Built with scrap lumber from the Santa Fe railroad yard, the Delgadillo family constructed the drive-in on an absolute shoe-string budget.

To attract travelers, Delgadillo took a 1936 Chevy, cut the top off, and decorated it with every weird paint color and doodad he could find, including a Christmas tree in the back. The plan worked and it’s still one of the most photographed pieces of Route 66 Americana.

Known for bantering back and forth with his customers, Juan would often joke, “Do you want cheese on that cheeseburger?” He passed away in 2004, but his spirit lives on at the Snow Cap today.

The drive-in isn’t the only iconic Route 66 location in the Delgadillo family. Juan’s brother, Angel, made his mark on the Mother Road with his barber shop (now a gift store). Angel, affectionately known as the “guardian angel” of Route 66, founded the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona in 1987, a move that would quickly be imitated in other states along the route.

Angel and Juan are regarded in such high esteem that when Disney/Pixar’s John Lasseter wanted to learn more about Route 66 for his movie Cars, he went to Angel for a history lesson. The friendly barber told the tragic tale of how traffic all but dried up after I-40 opened. Both brothers are listed in the credits of Cars, and if you stop by Angel’s Barbershop, you’ll see a signed Toy Story sketch hanging on the wall.

Kingman sits at the heart of an unbroken, 158-mile stretch of the Mother Road. Its historic downtown includes more than 40 places listed on the National Register of Historic Places, museums, historic homes, hiking trails, and colorful murals.

Hackberry General Store is a travel photographer’s playground. You may not find gas here, but you will find vintage gas pumps, beautiful signage, a diner, and old, rusty cars to photograph to your heart’s content.

Mike’s Route 66 Outpost & Saloon is beloved by locals and tourists alike but it’s not just a dive bar and pub—it’s also an RV park where you can enjoy a cold beer after a long drive and tuck in for the night. The Outpost is situated right next to the train tracks, so be prepared for trains to pass by every 15 minutes or so.

You’d be hard-pressed to find a ghost town more real—or more alive—than Oatman. Located at the edge of Arizona on Route 66 and perched 2,700 feet above sea level in the Black Mountains, Oatman is a strange place run by wild burros.

In 1908, gold was discovered in the Black Mountains and many prospectors flocked to Oatman to stake their claims. For the remainder of the 19th century, mining in the area steadily decreased, and in 1921, a fire ripped through town, destroying most of the buildings. I-40 bypassed Oatman in the early 1950s, and nearly a decade later, it was a virtual ghost town.

But the people of Oatman fought to survive and now the town has more than 40 shops, eateries, and other attractions including Wild West reenactments, gunslinging shows, annual bed races, a sidewalk egg fry contest, Gold Camp Days, the International Burro Bisket Toss, and a yearly book fair and bake sale.