ON THE ROAD

PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE) JEFF STVAN, ANDER ALEGRIA, JONATHAN SHARP, AARON HALL, PETER HVIDSTEN, GOULDY, SHUTTERSTOCK, GRANT ORDELHEIDE, TORI PEGLAR, KINGMAN TOURISM DEPARTMENT, THOMAS HAWK

ON THE ROAD

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Historic Route 66 CHICAGO TO SANTA MONICA, CALIF. 2,448 miles, Too Many Hours to Count

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Historic Route 66 PHOTOS BY (CLOCKWISE) JEFF STVAN, ANDER ALEGRIA, JONATHAN SHARP, AARON HALL, PETER HVIDSTEN, GOULDY, SHUTTERSTOCK, GRANT ORDELHEIDE, TORI PEGLAR, KINGMAN TOURISM DEPARTMENT, THOMAS HAWK

Get your kicks on Route 66. Plunge deep into Americana in this 2,448-mile odyssey from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif.

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TIP

New Mexico goes to Daylight Savings time each year, but Arizona does not. This creates a one-hour time difference between the states, which confuses many visitors. Remember this time change as you travel between the two states.

veryone has to travel at least one section of the legendary Historic Route 66 in their lives. Established in 1926, the legendary road stretched 2,448 miles from Chicago, Ill., to Santa Monica, Calif. In bad times, migrants fleeing the Dust Bowl in the 1930s traveled on Route 66 to California, their cars weighed down by possessions and unrealized dreams. In good times, World War II veterans saw the road as a path to freedom, loading their families into cars to explore the Americana of small-town Route 66, California’s sunny beaches and Disneyland. While it was completely decommissioned in 1985 and replaced by five interstates, you can still drive on the remnants of one of the nation’s most iconic highways. In Chicago, you'll find a sign marking the start of historic Route 66 at Adams Street and Michigan Avenue. From there, you'll pass through the quirky small towns that lined the original route in Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New

Mexico, Arizona and California. As you stop in towns like Williams, Ariz., and Seligman, Ariz., you'll realize they have done the impossible. They have frozen time, offering the past as a present-day experience. You'll hear it at the vintage gas stations playing 1960s music. You'll taste it in your homemade root beer and hamburger in 1950s-style diners like Mr. D'z in Kingman, Ariz. You'll feel it as you drive the open two-lane road that cuts through some of the country's vast stretches of prairie and desert. Beatnik writer Jack Kerouac may have captured the experience best in On the Road when he wrote, “ . . all the golden lands ahead of you and all kinds of unforseen events wait lurking to surprise you and make you glad you’re alive to see.” What follows is the story of Angel Delgadillo, one of the road’s greatest champions. You'll also discover some of the road's highlights, particularly when your wheels traverse New Mexico and Arizona, home to the longest uninterrupted stretch of Route 66. MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM


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ON THE ROAD

Historic Route 66 STATE LINE [GLENRIO] TO ALBUQUERQUE 218 miles, 3 hours and 25minutes

SLOW DOWN Albuquerque’s connection with Route 66 keeps getting better with age.

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KIMO THEATRE IN ALBUQUERQUE

Old Town where you’ll find the Albuquerque BioPark, home to the zoo, fishing lakes, an aquarium and botanic gardens. Learn more at visitalbuquerque.org.

PHOTO BY MIKE TUNGATE

hen you cross into New Mexico, the arid Southwestern landscape stretches across your windshield, lighting up with vintage neon signs and fabled Route 66 attractions. When you hit Albuquerque, follow the old Route 66, now called Central Avenue, which runs east to west. But when Route 66 first came through town in 1926, it snaked through Albuquerque from south to north, eventually reaching Santa Fe. After residents lobbied the government to straighten the road, the route changed in 1931, falling in line with the rest of the route that stretched from Chicago to Santa Monica. Today, there are still a number of neon signs lining Historic Route 66, which takes you through three distinct city districts. Start in Nob Hill, a hip, up-and-coming neighborhood with a youthful, collegial vibe. Grab a bite to eat at local favorite, Zacatecas Tacos & Tequila. From there, head downtown and look for the city’s best-known landmark, KiMoTheatre and Art Gallery, which opened in 1927 in Pueblo- Deco style. Every architectural detail has significance from the rain clouds to the birds. Continue driving to

Standin’ on the Corner Park

In Winslow’s historic downtown district, you’ll see a life-sized bronze statue of a musician, a flatbed Ford and a mural depicting the lyrics of the song. See the iconic Route 66 destination recently voted #1 on www.route66news.com. 60

PHOTOS BY COURTESY

Remember the line from The Eagles’ first hit single, Take It Easy? Stand on the corner in Winslow, Ariz., when you visit the park commemorating the most famous corner of historic Route 66.

Winslow Chamber of Commerce / Visitor Center 523 W Second Street, Winslow, AZ 928-289-2434 / www.winslowarizona.org



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ON THE ROAD

Historic Route 66 ALBUQUERQUE TO GRANTS, N.M. 78 miles, 1 hour and 23 minutes

TRADING PLACES Surrounded by tribal land, Gallup is home to Native American artists and traders.

Check out one of the route's newest arches in Grants, N.M.

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top in Grants, N.M., for a colorful and nostalgic Route 66 photo opportunity, just off of exits 81 and 85 along I-40. Completed in 2016, the drive-under neon arch is shaped like the iconic Route 66 emblem. “You park your vehicle underneath it, and you can take photos with it,” says Tessa Rae Jimenez, executive director of Grants Chamber of Commerce. “It’s colorful during the day. At night the neon lights go on.” Once a high-traffic stop along Route 66, with service stations and motels on every block, Grants offers visitors a wealth of historical and recreational activities, despite being only two exits long. For visitors interested in more of the intertwined history of Route 66 and Grants, Double Six Galleries (1001 W. Santa Fe Ave.) features a permanent exhibit called “The Route 66 Vintage Museum.” Vintage postcards from trading posts and other stops are on display as well as automobiles, including a 1923 Model T Ford. “If visitors come here they’re going to feel welcome,” says Jimenez. “We are the jumping-off point to two national parks [Grand Canyon National Park and Petrified Forest National Park] and tons of other outdoor activities— hiking, biking, fishing. We have a championship golf course. It’d be an unexpected surprise.” —Jade Lang

KICKS ON 66

Read the full article on mygrandcanyonpark. com and tell us about your Route 66 trip at facebook.com/mygrandcanyon.com

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KIDS IN A GALLUP TRADING POST



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PHOTOS BY COURTESY

SELFIE ON 66

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PHOTOS BY TESSA RAE JIMENEZ, RAH PHOTOGRAPHY

ROUTE 66 ARCH IN GRANTS, N.M.

o immerse yourself in some classic Route 66 culture as well as a strong Native American arts scene, stop in Gallup, N.M., home to 1,000 artists and a long history of being a vibrant trading post for Native American arts. Start your adventure off at the rambling El Rancho Hotel, a true route classic built in 1936. In the 1930s and 40s, it catered to Hollywood movie stars filming westerns in the area. Today, hotel rooms are named after stars like Ronald Reagan whose autographs paper the walls on the second floor. Stop at the 49er Lounge, arguably the best-stocked bar in town, that’s popular with locals and travelers alike. Before leaving the hotel, visit Ortega’s Jewelry Store, which sells Native American crafts and jewelry handmade by local artists. It’s a good place to get your feet wet in a small store before heading out to the city’s larger stores. On Route 66 lies Richardson Trading Co., which has been in business for nearly 100 years. With its creaking oak floors, vintage and contemporary Native pieces and nearly 3,000 handwoven Navajo rugs, Richardson’s is a museum in itself. Stroll a little farther to Bill Malone Trading Co., where longtime trader Bill is on hand to answer your questions. “We really encourage people to go in and talk to the traders,” says Jennifer Lazarz, Gallup’s acting tourism and marketing manager. “We are all so excited to talk about what makes this place so special.” If you are in town sometime between Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend, watch a free Native American dance performance at the Gallup Nightly Indian Dances, which take place every evening, two blocks off Route 66 in Courthouse Square.

#galluprealtrue @galluprealtrue.com Red Rock Balloon Rally @ Red Rock Park

The best destination for real outdoor adventures, art lovers, & true cultural experiences. Plan your next life changing moment at:

www.GallupRealTrue.com

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RIDING THE RAILS Grand Canyon Railway uses vegetable oil to give you an Old-West adventure.

CLIMB ABOARD THE GRAND CANYON RAILWAY IN WILLIAMS, ARIZ.

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hat do French fries and the Grand Canyon Railway have in common? Vegetable oil used to fry the popular side dish literally fuels the railway’s Locomotive No. 29 and No. 4960, also known as the French Fry Express. Collected from restaurants in the Grand Canyon, Phoenix and Williams, Ariz., where the 65-mile train ride to the

Grand Canyon starts, the recycled oil emits 50 percent less carbon emissions than diesel fuel. In addition, passengers who take the train to and from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim help reduce vehicle pollution and traffic by an estimated 70,000 cars per year. But riding the train is also just plain fun. Back in the day, President Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir paid $3.95 to ride on the rails. Today, the Old West lives on daily with authentic characters staging a train robbery and musicians leading cowboy sing-alongs. Some of the masked cowboys play really accomplished people in real life like Dennis Shirley who was Ray Charles’ head photographer back in the day. Tickets start at $29 for children and $65 for adults, plus $15 and tax. 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd.;800-843-8724; www.thetrain.com

Where the Wild Things Are See bears, bison, hawks and bobcats up close at Bearizona, which received a Readers’ Choice award for USA Today’s 10 Best Drive-Through Wildlife Parks. You can drive by animals in their natural habitat, stroll a separate zoo-type setting and watch a raptor program. A highlight is the Bearizona Barnyard Petting Zoo. Interesting fact: Vet-approved food waste from Grand Canyon’s South Rim visitors is delivered to feed the bears. 1500 E. Rte 66, bearizona.com.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAND CANYON BREWERY

ON THE ROAD

Historic Route 66 GRANTS, N.M. TO WILLIAMS, ARIZ. 281 miles, 4 hour and 22 minutes

FOOD AND DRINK IN WILLIAMS, ARIZ.

CLASSIC COMFORT FOOD

COFFEE BREAK

FINE DINING

Cruiser's Route 66 Cafe Enjoy Route 66 memorabilia and classic American food at this Williams landmark. There are TVs broadcasting sporting events, so you can catch your favorite team while eating; 233 W. Route 66; 928-6352445; cruisers66.com.

Café 326 Head to the coffee house Café 326 for Route 66 ambience, incredible fresh pastries baked in-house and gourmet coffees. A world map with pins placed by foreign tourists reveals Williams' international reach; 326 W. Route 66, 928-635-0777; cafe326.com.

Red Raven Restaurant Dine in an historic building downtown for big-city service in this small-town restaurant. Be wowed by dishes like charbroiled breast of duck topped with a cabernetcranberry sauce. Make reservations. 135 West Route 66; 928-635-4980; redravenrestaurant.com.

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PHOTOS BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE, COURTESY RED RAVEN

Stroll the historic Williams downtown, and you’ll find a host of restaurants, tasting rooms and coffee shops. Here are three not to miss.



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VISIT GRAND CANYON BREWERY

A Film to Remember

Cool down with a Sunset Amber Ale at the Grand Canyon Brewing Company's new location. Owner of Cruiser's Route 66 Cafe, local brewer John Peasley opened this new spot in 2016 because he wanted to create a gathering place for locals and visitors to chill out and eat good food. You can get everything from pretzel-bun burgers to Rocky Mountain oysters and fish and chips. Plus, there are dart boards, pool tables and a shuffle board, to fuel your competitive streak.

Soar past towering cliffs and raft through huge rapids when you watch the IMAX movie "Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets" at the National Geographic Visitor Center in Tusayan, Ariz., just minutes from the park's South Rim entrance. The 34-minute film is a fantastic start to your Grand Canyon adventure as it carries you on a journey that spans 4,000 years of Grand Canyon history. It begins with the native people who lived there and includes a recreation of John Wesley Powell's 1869 boating expedition through the Grand Canyon. The film, which is shown on a six-story-high screen, is shown every hour on the half hour during business hours, which change seasonally. Insider’s tips: buy your IMAX tickets online to save 20 percent. While at the visitor center, buy your park pass, good for seven days. At no extra cost, it will enable you to use a special entry lane and avoid payment lines at the park entrance station.

Find out more about the National Geographic Visitor Center by calling 928-638-2468 or going to explorethecanyon.com.

PLAN YOUR TRIP

Head to mygrandcanyonpark.com to learn park news as it happens, find amazing photos, get insider travel tips, browse our top 10 lists and order a FREE trip planner.

PHOTOS BY GRANT ORDELHEIDE, COURTESY RED RAVEN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRAND CANYON BREWERY

Visit it at 301 N. 7th St.; grandcanyonbrewery.com

MYGRANDCANYONPARK.COM


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ON THE ROAD

Route 66 GRAND CANYON TO SELIGMAN, ARIZ. 102 miles, 1 hour and 46 minutes

ROUTE 66 ANGEL

How a barber brought back the neon lights of Arizona’s Historic Route 66

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PHOTOS BY TORI PEGLAR

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omething strange happened the ANGEL DELGADILLO day Angel Delgadillo came into GAZES OUT HIS WINDOW this world in the tiny railroad TOWARD ROUTE 66 IN HIS BARBER SHOP IN town of Seligman, Ariz. SELIGMAN, ARIZ. Born in a house of eight kids on April 19, 1927, he took his first breaths just a few feet from Route 66, a nascent national highway established five months earlier. Maybe it was the fact they were nearly the same age or both new to the world, but Delgadillo’s fate would became inextricably linked to the road for the next 89 years. Stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica, Calif., the 2,448-mile road was a patchwork of existing roads, sewn together by the federal government to help move people and goods across the country. Before long, eccentric signs, quirky sights and a mom-and-pop service industry sprouted in THE ORIGINAL ROUTE 66 GIFT SHOP IN SELIGMAN, the small towns lining the route. It became ARIZ. one of the nation’s most iconic roads, popularized in books, songs and a TV show. As the road grew up, so did Delgadillo, who fresh out of high school, opened up a barber shop to reel in the steady stream of customers driving Route 66. For years life was good for the road and Delgadillo. And then things went terribly wrong. At precisely 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 22, 1978, traffic stopped coming through Seligman. Bypassed by a faster I-40, towns like Seligman began to die as did Delgadillo’s livelihood. Even the signs for Seligman were removed from the new interstate, erasing it from existence. “It was like an old shoe,” the 89-yearold says, referring to Route 66. “Once it is not needed, you throw it away. People don’t understand what it is to be forgotten and ignored.” son-in-law and staff greet every single person who walks in. It was Delgadillo who saved his old friend. Amid skepti“If you’re a barber and you are gone, you’re not making cism from many, he met with business owners along the route in 1987 to rally support for state designation of the any income, so he never got to travel,” says Mauricio Perez, historic route. They created the Historic Route 66 Associa- Delgadillo’s son-in-law who helps run the family business. tion of Arizona, an organization that would spark an eight- “But Angel will tell you he’s so blessed. The world comes state movement to literally get the road and the towns along to him.” With tourists flooding his shop, Delgadillo takes a break it back on the map. and sits on his black leather barber shop chair in the next By the end of the year, the state of Arizona preserved a room. He leans in close, his broad shoulders narrowing, his 159-mile stretch of original Route 66 by designating it a hishands clasped in his lap. toric highway. And Delgadillo and his wife Vilma, opened up “You know what?” he asks. Then, he turns his head and The Original Route 66 Gift Shop, donating all proceeds that looks out the window just several feet from him. On the first year to the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. other side of the window is a sidewalk, the only thing sepaThese days, Delgadillo’s gift shop is packed by 9 a.m. with people speaking a dozen languages, including English, rating Delgadillo from the “Mother Road,” named by John French, Japanese and German. Delgadillo and his daughters, Steinbeck in his 1939 book Grapes of Wrath. GRAND CANYON JOURNAL 2017


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He stares at it as if the road is a confidant sitting beside him, helping him collect his thoughts or recall a certain memory. When he turns back, his eyes are gleaming, the bright-colored trappings of Route 66 caught in the lenses of his glasses. “I’ve been interviewed roughly 1,000 times since 1987 and everyone asks me, ‘Why do people get off I-40 and come here?’ ” Delgadillo says and pauses. “They miss America of yesterday. We are moving so fast we don’t have time to smell the roses. But Route 66 gives them that moment of reliving yesterday. It’s alive.” He’s still moved over what happened, how the signs went back up on the highway, how the kitchy businesses re-opened, how the ‘50s music started playing again on street corners, how a trickle of travelers’ headlights became a stream and today, sometimes, a torrent. Outside his barber shop window, tourists are strolling up and down Seligman where the Deluxe Inn Motel has a sign telling customers to “Ring the bell for service.” Down the street, a more esoteric outdoor store sign reads, “When the horse dies, get off.” It’s Americana at its best, as are the legendary historic Burma-Shave messages that line Route 66. They popped up in the 1920s to promote Burma-Shave shaving cream to drivers, and you can still read their playful, Zen-like messages today. Outside Seligman, one such message reads: “If you don’t know whose signs these are, you haven’t driven far enough.” Beyond the signs rolls a sagebrush-speckled landscape, green with August rain, the blue sky towering above. What

lays before you is equally as mesmerizing as what is absent. No shopping centers, traffic, parking lots. So much room to breathe. And the whole scene begs a disquieting question. What if Burma-Shave is right? What if we haven’t driven far enough, metaphorically? What if, in search of a faster, better, newer America, we took a wrong turn? In place of whimsical mom-and-pop stores and spirited humor, we have sanitized suburbs, shiny national chain stores and giant movieplexes where no one, except the Walmart greeters, welcomes you at the door. Sure many of us are making more money than Delgadillo did in his best year, which was $11,000. But Delgadillo’s vision of the American Dream isn’t about living in a huge house with a pool. It’s the dream that one person can change the lives of many through simple conversations, dedication to his or her passion and perseverance. New light bulbs are finding their way into old neon signs along Route 66 from Illinois to California. And at least some of them are because of one man, whom some call an angel, who believed in the road as much as he believed in himself. “It wasn’t the government or companies or a brilliant history professor from over at the university that did it,” he recalls incredulously, with his large teeth forming a wide smile across his face. Then he pauses, turns his head to Route 66 just beyond his window and smiles even more broadly. “It was just we the people. The American Dream is alive and well.” —By Tori Peglar

SHOP DINE STAY PLAY PHOTOS BY TORI PEGLAR

66 66 Williams, AZ

1926–2016

ExperienceWilliams.com


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ON THE ROAD

Historic Route 66 SELIGMAN, ARIZ., TO KINGMAN, ARIZ. 87 miles, 1 hour and 35 minutes

THE KING For Route 66 lovers, Kingman is a living tribute to the Mother Road.

MIGRANTS IN THE DUST BOWL DAYS

Visit the museum at Kingman's historic Powerhouse at 120 W. Andy Devine Ave. 928-753-9889; gokingman. com/attraction-PowerhouseRoute-66-Museum.

SIGHTS FIT FOR A KING Fuel up with a Route 66 classic, get a taste for Kingman’s trendiest restaurants in the town’s quaint old town area and spend the night in one of the last remaining pre-World War II tourist motor courts in Kingman.

EL TROVATORE MOTEL

HOUSE OF HOPS

MR. D'Z ROUTE 66 DINER

Built in 1938 by a Las Vegas developer, this classic 66 landmark was Arizona’s first air-conditioned hotel. See the restored 100-foot-high neon sign or stay the night. The renovated Hollywood-themed rooms still retain their original charm; 1440 E. Andy Devine St. 928-753-6520; eltrovatoremotel.com.

Look for the vintage neon Kingman Club sign, which had been dark for 21 years until owners Terry and Stacy Thomson opened up Kingman’s first and only craft beer, nitros and fine wine tap house in 2015. A 50-year mainstay, the former Kingman Club has only gotten better with age; 312 E. Beale St.; 928-753-2337; thehouseofhops.com.

It started off as a gas station in 1918, this classic diner, complete with black and white floor tile, jukebox and pink-andturquoise booths, started serving hungry locals and travelers in 1929. Don’t miss out on the incredible homemade root beer; 105 E. Andy Devine Ave.; 928-718-0066; mrdzrt66diner.com.

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PHOTOS BY COURTESY

“Until people go through the museum, they don’t really see the big picture,” says Joshua Noble of Kingman's tourism department. “We really fill in the blanks.” You'll see heartbreaking photos and life-sized depictions of the Dust Bowl refugees and whimsical stories of postWorld War II America. There’s even an exhibit on the legendary Burma-Shave signs that lined the route, promoting Al Odell’s father’s ailing shaving cream business with silly sayings. “Initially, it was about nostalgia,” Noble says, about the many people who travel on Historic Route 66. “But now it’s part of a cheap and easy family road trip. It’s not just about going to Disneyland or going to Phoenix for spring training. People want to experience the drive as well as each destination.”

PHOTOS BY FARM SECURITY ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF WAR, SAM FRISHER, KINGMAN TOURISM DEPARTMENT, TORI PEGLAR

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eventy-five years before Route 66 was built, 25 camels from Egypt joined an expedition across the Southwest to create a “winterproof” route west to California. Their route would become part of Route 66, one of America’s most iconic roads, a fascinating story told at the Arizona Route 66 Museum in Kingman, Ariz.

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THINGS TO SEE & DO ON

Passport Arizona 66

Route 66 Museum

Hackberry Store

Rock Hounding

Meet Angel

Breath Taking Views

Cool Springs

Oatman Burros

Wine Tasting

Giganticus Headicus

Electric Vehicle Museum

Distillery Tours

WIld Life viewing

Burma Shave Signs

Miniature Golf

Hiking Trails

Shields in the Road

Murals

Keepers of the Wild

Deadly Switchbacks

Cerbat Cliffs Golf

Locomotive 3759

Grand Canyon Caverns

Oatman Gun Fights

Geocaching

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