With summer winding down, here’s everything you need to know, courtesy of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. With the Route 66 Centennial approaching, the Association will temporarily send out supplemental newsletters each and every month to keep all Mother Road travelers informed.
I’m Roger Naylor, an Arizona author and travel writer, who pens these bulletins and I’ll crank them out as fast as I can. Please note that you can find all Centennial information and events on the website.
Now here’s the latest on what’s happening.
It was difficult summer for many Grand Canyon visitors. Wildfires on the North Rim exploded in July with the Dragon Bravo Fire destroying the historic Grand Canyon Lodge and dozens of additional buildings. The stone lodge with the big ponderosa beams, tall windows, and one of the greatest patios on the planet perched at the edge of the canyon. Hearts broke all across the state, and around the world, mine included. I have lots of happy memories from days and nights spent there, meals eaten, beers tossed back, and views savored. Just like millions of other folks who loved this special place. Only a few miles separate the two rims of the Grand Canyon, but it is actually about a 215-mile drive from the South to the North Rim.
While much farther away for Route 66 travelers, it does impact all visitors to Grand Canyon National Park. The North Rim is officially closed for the season. Additionally, so is Phantom Ranch in the inner canyon, all of the South Kaibab Trail, and Bright Angel Trail below Havasupai Gardens. Trails will reopen as air conditions improve. Many tours scheduled for the North Rim are being rerouted to the South Rim. Please allow extra time and flexibility if the Grand is in your travel plans this season.
And finally, consider this tragedy a reminder not to postpone life. If there are places you want to go, things you want to see, don’t put it off. The world changes, things disappear. Route 66 travelers know that all too well. Don’t miss out on opportunities. No one gets a peek at the cosmic calendar. Seize your days when you can.
One of the things that makes an evening in Williams so special is the twinkling forest of neon signs that bathes everything in such a warm glow. Unfortunately, neon can be persnickety. When part of a sign goes dark, it’s not a matter of just changing a bulb. With some of the classic signs in need of repairs, the Williams Association for the Arts stepped in. The nonprofit organization applied for, and received, a grant from the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona allowing them to complete a condition assessment on three signs. Those three signs are Turquois Teepee, Canyon Club, and the World Famous Sultana Bar.
Margaret Hangan, of the Williams Association for the Arts, supplied this update. “The assessment is just to evaluate the signs’ current condition and will result in a report outlining the work that needs to be done to conserve and maintain the signs, and fix any safety issues. We are currently evaluating contract bids and hope to award a contract to complete the work soon.”
Good to hear that things are moving along. Once the Williams Association for the Arts receives the assessment results, they plan to work with the sign owners to raise the funds to complete the work recommended. With everyone pulling together, the Mother Road in Williams will shimmer like a newly-polished rainbow during the summer of the Centennial.
📷:@christineroseamoroso via IG
Humans have hogged all the fun on the Mother Road long enough. Time to let pooches in on the action. Kingman’s Route 66 Dog Park has its grand opening scheduled for September 5 at 9 a.m. Shaded by mature pine trees right next to the Powerhouse, the park fronts 170 feet of Route 66. It offers a full 7,000-square-feet of space for doggos to run, chase, fetch, and sniff butt like there’s no tomorrow. It also contains custom Route 66 benches, a dog drinking fountain, and a fire hydrant for other business.
Best of all, there’s a 5-foot-tall dog walk-thru Route 66 shield—a scaled down replica of the big drive-thru version. Of all the dog photos crowding your phone, I’ll bet you don’t have a single one with them poised for fun at a Route 66 marker. Now’s your chance. On the morning of the ribbon cutting, the Mohave County Animal Shelter will hold an adoption day. There will also be giveaways for everyone who brings their pup to the party. Kudos to the city for this very cool project. And once the vintage pole park lights are installed, the park can be used 24-hours a day. Don’t tell Fido or he’ll be demanding walkies in the middle of the night.
Soon, travelers can sing along with their tires as they roll into Winslow. It’s courtesy of a new singing road to be installed in September. The city of Winslow hired ROADTUNES to create a custom-designed stretch of Route 66. ROADTUNES leads the way with new and improved technology for singing roads. Their design is a 2-foot-wide strip of synthetic asphalt material in the path of passenger side tires. When a car drives across the musical rumble strips at a pre-determined speed, the tires vibrate and create the sound of musical notes.
In Winslow, the singing road will be located on the east side of town near the 9/11 Remembrance Park. Drivers maintaining a speed of 35 miles per hour will get to enjoy a line from “Take It Easy.” No surprise but the radial-induced line will be “Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see.” Scheduled to be built in September, there’s no set date for completion of the musical road. Weather plays a part because conditions have to be dry for construction. But it should be up and singing before the Standin’ on a Corner Festival. Signs will be posted when it’s complete.
Folks have been coming out to the Navajo County Fair and Rodeo since 1926, the same year as Route 66 opened. The fair started in the town of Taylor but moved to Holbrook in 1931 where it’s been ever since. The fairgrounds were built just to accommodate the big shindig that continues to grow and expand. Festivities take place this year September 10-13. Along with the county fair and its assorted rides, games, and deliciously decadent food, there’s also the rodeo with serious competition. There’s a full lineup of concerts, a demolition derby, motorcycle barrel racing, a little buckaroo rodeo, and plenty more.
Pickin’ in the Pines is an award-winning bluegrass and acoustic music festival in Flagstaff. It takes place this year at the Pepsi Amphitheater in Fort Tuthill County Park. The dates are September 12-14. The festival has deep roots in Americana, and while bluegrass is a primary focus, the lineup also includes a range of Celtic, gypsy jazz, and old-time music. This soiree brings talent and attendees from all over the Southwest. They come for the melodies, the dancing, and the camaraderie. Check out the website for a complete list of bands, workshops offered, and camping information.
There’s only one way to end the summer and that’s in Winslow, where the road won’t be the only thing singing. The wildly popular annual Standin’ on the Corner Festival takes place this year on September 26 and 27. This family-friendly event always makes for one great party. Along with all the vendors and food trucks, there’s a live auction, a beer garden, a horseshoe tournament, and they’ve added a cornhole tournament this year. Of course, there is an excellent lineup of bands rocking the stage at the Eagles Pavilion. And there may even be a few folks snapping photos at a certain corner that’s now part of rock history. Don’t miss out on this memorable bash!
Here’s another reminder about the big upcoming celebration. The Route 66 Centennial officially kicks off with this lavish party on November 15, 2025 in Kingman.
That’s when the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona becomes a time capsule for a 1920s-style Night at the Route 66 Museum. The fundraising event in the Powerhouse features live jazz music, casino-style games in a speakeasy atmosphere, food, magic, and guided tours of the Arizona Route 66 Museum’s new exhibits. Guests are encouraged to dress in appropriate attire to get in the swing of things.
Night at the Route 66 Museum will mark the official kickoff to the year-long celebration of Route 66’s 100th anniversary. It also coincides with the unveiling of the newly completed Route 66 Museum Centennial Renovation Project, with vibrant new exhibits and unbridled passion for the Mother Road. Tickets for the event cost $100 and proceeds benefit the Route 66 Museum so they can continue their work with preservation projects and educational outreach. Purchase your tickets today!
If you have items of interest you’d like to share in upcoming newsletters, you can email them to me, Roger Naylor, at [email protected], or to Nikki Terlesky, Director of Operations at Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona at [email protected].
Thanks for being part of the Route 66 family. Happy motoring!