Route 66 Leg 6: Flagstaff to Santa Monica

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Another classic Arizona road food stop is Mr D'z Route 66 Diner. The retro diner prides itself on its home-cooked food and family-friendly vibe. Try the chicken fried steak and wash it down with a root beer float.

While on your way to or from Oatman, make a stop at another Route 66 icon: the Cool Springs Gas Station. Dating back to the 1920s, it was once one of only a few places to stop for gas on the Arizona portion of the route. Right before the intense drive through the Black Mountains, with its steep grades and hairpin curves, Cool Springs was the ideal place to grab some food. As the road's popularity dropped off in favor of interstate highways, Cool Springs began to struggle, and after a fire in the 1960s, the remains of the building were left abandoned.

Other than a brief appearance in the 1991 Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Universal Soldier, Cool Springs was mostly forgotten until 1997 when Ned Leuchtner passed by while traveling along Route 66. He spent several years trying to buy the property, and in 2001, the previous owner was finally ready to sell. Cool Springs was reopened in 2004. Today, it's a small museum, gift shop, and a classic Route 66 photo op.

If you're looking to hang out with locals, or happen to be rolling into town after 5 p.m., Judy's Saloon is your best bet. The beer is cold, the iced tea is sweet, the crowd is awesome, the music is rocking, and the manager is (allegedly) the "rudest bartender on Route 66" (their words, not ours).

Built in 1902, just before the final major gold rush, the two-story adobe hotel is a famous historic landmark. The hotel was rebuilt after the 1921 fire. In 1939, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard checked into the Oatman Hotel for their honeymoon. Gable returned often to play poker and visitors still claim to hear the two lovebirds whispering and laughing from their room. The spirit of an Irish miner, nicknamed Oatie, who died behind the hotel supposedly also roams the halls playing the bagpipes.

Tourists have been signing singles and hanging them on the walls and ceiling of the Dollar Bill Bar for ages. The tradition reportedly started back in the town’s mining days, when miners would take a dollar from their check on payday, write their name on it, and hang it up on the bar's wall as a tab that they could use until they got paid again.

The Glory Hole, famously featured in the 1962 Western How The West Was Won, is an antiques and collectibles store located in a historic building.

Built in 1954, Peggy Sue’s is set against the dramatic backdrop of the Calico Mountains. The ambiance will make you feel as if you’ve just stepped into an episode of Happy Days and the food portions are generous.

Established in 2000, the Route 66 Mother Road Museum is one of the final museums on the route dedicated to its history. Housed in the historic Casa del Desierto Harvey House, the building makes for a great photo.