Get Your Kicks on Route 66 in Arizona

By Rick Thompson

Route 66. It started in Chicago and ended in Santa Monica. It’s an icon known throughout the USA. What lots of folks don’t know is if you have a beer in Zermatt, Switzerland, home of the Matterhorn mountain, you might see a Route 66 sign on the wall of the bar. It’s that well known. In fact, the first time I photographed some of the remaining retail stores in small towns like Hackberry, Arizona, it was a surprise to me that many motorcyclists and drivers of convertibles spoke German, French, or another non-english language. Driving Route 66 is an international phenomenon.

Why so famous?

It’s famous because it’s the quintessential “boom and bust” story. It’s the stuff of dreams, big dreams. The “boom” part was huge; the roadway hosted a thriving array of boomtowns built around oil mines, railroad stops, cattle ranches, resorts, stagecoach stops and gold mines. Each state that the roadway traversed had it’s own charm and story. Arizona is no different. But some of Arizona’s uniqueness of the Route 66 roadway are sensational.

Swastikas.

That’s right, swastikas appeared on Route 66 in Arizona in the 1930’s. We think of swastikas as a symbol of Germany during WWII. To the Navajo people in Northern Arizona, the swastika was a “whirling log” and was considered a sacred symbol. It was so sacred and important, the whirling log appeared on Arizona highway markers until 1942.

Camels.

Right from the beginning, the roadway was no ordinary road. In 1857, Lt. Edward F. Beale led a wagon train from Fort Defiance, New Mexico to the Colorado River along the 35th parallel. The expedition brought along 23 camels to test their usefulness in hauling cargo. They were eventually turned loose and the descendants of the original heard were spotted well into the 20th century.

Railroads.

The Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (later to become Santa Fe), closely followed Beale’s original wagon road and brought about the Arizona cities of Winslow, Holbrook, Flagstaff, Williams, Ashfork, Seligman, Kingman and others, too. It was the Fred Harvey Company that brought mass tourism to Arizona and constructed lavish “Harvey Houses” that offered railroad patrons food, lodging, and rest. When the automobile age came to Arizona, the Harvey Company “boomed” even more.

Where to start.

Starting from Southern California, head East on I-40 and head towards Flagstaff. But before you get there you will want to take a detour just as you cross the state line and you will be at the Colorado River, Arizona milepost 1. Head north from I-40 and head for Oatman, Arizona. If you have survived the road to Hana, Hawaii, you will survive the road to Oatman. It will be worth the trip.

Oatman is rich in Route 66 history and was named for Olive Oatman whose family was massacred. She herself, was held captive by American indians for 5 years. Back in the boom time, the population soared to over 20,000. The new Route 66 bypassed Oatman in 1952 and within 24 hours, 6 of the 7 gasoline stations closed and the population dropped to about 60. But it thrives today and the city is over run by donkeys who roam the town with much spirit. Visit the Oatman hotel downtown but stay in Seligman.

After Oatman, head for Seligman and stay at the Canyon Lodge. It is very adequate. Eat down the street and Westside Lilo’s or the Road kill Cafe. This is small town route 66 so don’t expect fine china and stemware. What you can expect is good food, cinnamon rolls the size of an old hubcap and black forrest or carrot cake that is excellent. After a night’s rest, head towards Flagstaff on old Route 66 until you get to I-40 East. When you get to Flagstaff, stay at Little America for a couple of nights and rest up. It’s worth it and you will be refreshed.

More to come. Enjoy your road trip, stay safe and have fun.