Take the road trip of your dreams when you cross Arizona’s stretch of Route 66. No state can match the epic scenery of this distinctly Western landscape. Travel through mountains, deserts, tall pine forests, and rolling grasslands where pronghorns graze alongside Burma Shave signs. Explore small towns filled with mom-and-pop diners, vintage motor courts, blazing neon signs, and classic roadside attractions. Bygone days aren’t gone at all. They live along Route 66 in Arizona.
Route 66, stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, was established November 11, 1926. So, 2026 will mark the Route 66 centennial. It will be a yearlong party you don’t want to miss. And it will be especially significant in Arizona because this is the state that saved Route 66. The preservation movement began here. This is where the tide of history turned.
A Guardian Angel
With the expansion of the interstate system, Route 66 became a relic. It was officially decertified in 1985. All signs were taken down and it was removed from maps. The highway immortalized in novel, song, film, and television ceased to exist.
Like so many towns bypassed by the new interstate, Seligman, Arizona struggled to survive. Where thousands of cars once streamed through daily, they now hurtled past on I-40. Businesses shuttered, residents moved on. In 1987, a barber in town, Angel Delgadillo, organized a meeting that would change everything. They formed the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, the first of its kind. They began aggressively lobbying the state to grant the old road a historic designation, and lo and behold, they succeeded.
There it was.
That provided a blueprint for all the other states to follow. Today, visitors can once again get their kicks on Historic Route 66. You can even get a taste of this nostalgic motorway on a day trip from Scottsdale. And it all started with one man—the small-town barber known as the “Guardian Angel of Route 66.”
Open Road Cuisine
While there’s plenty to see and do along Arizona’s stretch of Route 66, it wouldn’t be a road trip without some great food to fuel your journey. Here are some of the best eats to be found as you cruise on the Mother Road across Arizona.
- Turquoise Room, Winslow: Housed in the elegant La Posada Hotel, the Turquoise Room specializes in Southwestern cuisine using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Sample the flavors of the Four Corners area. Locally harvested squash blossoms stuffed with sweet corn, Oaxaca cheese, and fried crispy in a beer batter are always a favorite in season.
- Tiki Grill, Flagstaff (pictured): Turn your meal into a mini-vacation at this tropical hideaway. Tiki Grill is a happy place with a laid-back island feel and flavors so authentic you’ll swear you can smell an ocean breeze. Diners enjoy a delicious blend of scratch-made mainland and seafood dishes. Fish and shrimp tacos can be grilled, blackened, or fried.
- Diablo Burger, Flagstaff: Located on Heritage Square in downtown Flag, Diablo Burger serves exquisite burgers made using open range, antibiotic-free beef from local ranches. Their efforts at using sustainable beef help preserve open spaces and restores healthy watersheds. The lean patty is cradled on a light crisp English muffin.
- Gateway Sandwich Co., Williams: This family-run business operates out of a quaint cabin-like structure where the homey atmosphere is matched by friendly customer service. Sandwiches are big, fresh, and made-to-order. Quality ingredients are piled so high; each sandwich should require a building permit.
- Westside Lilo’s, Seligman: This little restaurant has a reputation for scratch-made food in plate-draping portions. Along with several German specialties, Lilo’s features huge cinnamon rolls, sinfully-rich carrot cake, and cream pies made with mascarpone cheese. You can always diet tomorrow.
- Rickety Cricket Brewing, Kingman: Besides the full slate of in-house beers, Rickety Cricket serves up an assortment of gourmet pizzas. That’s a tough combo to beat. They also serve up a signature “dirty duh” using grains from the brewing process to create a flavorful crust for a rustic pan-style pizza.
Get Your Kicks. . . on Route 66
Today, millions of people from around the globe travel across Northern Arizona so they can stand on a corner in Winslow, sleep in a teepee-shaped motel room in Holbrook, feed the burros in Oatman (pictured), and shake the hand of a legendary barber in Seligman. Now more than ever we need the sense of freedom and spirit of adventure that comes with a road trip. Arizona Route 66 is turning 100. What are you waiting for?
