Welcome to the last 2025 newsletter. After this, it’s all 2026—all Route 66 Centennial! For that reason, the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona has been sending out these supplemental newsletters each and every month to keep Mother Road travelers informed.
I’m Roger Naylor, an Arizona author and travel writer, happily spreading the word. Please note that you can find all Centennial information and events on the website.
Let’s start off with some welcome news. Most of the time it’s the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona providing financial assistance to various projects and small businesses around these parts. But finally, the feds ponied up some dough. The National Park Service awarded $585,000 in grant funding to the Arizona State Parks and Trails’ State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). The money is designed to drive economic development in rural areas along the Mother Road within Arizona.
Through its Arizona Route 66 Revitalization Subgrant Program, SHPO will provide grants up to $100,000 to rehab commercial and civic buildings such as historic motels, gas stations, and trading posts. Such restorations can anchor economic development in small communities.
The SHPO subgrant program also includes outreach, technical, and planning support through its partner organizations—Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona, Local First Arizona, and the Arizona Preservation Foundation.
Eligibility information and how to apply for the Arizona Route 66 Revitalization Subgrant Program will be available in early December. Be sure to visit their website.
In January, Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library will unveil an exciting new exhibit in honor of our favorite ribbon of pavement. The exhibit, titled Echoes of the Open Road: 100 Years on Arizona’s Route 66, will focus on four periods of history: the establishment of the highway, the rise of the Mother Road, its subsequent decline after being bypassed, and the revitalization of Route 66. Sounds like a love story to me.
Echoes of the Open Road will be installed on the first floor of the Cline Library, and will run throughout the centennial year, from January through December 2026. It will be accompanied by a virtual StoryMap version, also available in January. A talented and motivated second year NAU graduate student, Kaylen Wilson, developed and curated the exhibit using the extensive collections housed in Cline’s Special Collections and Archives. Kaylen is an Arizona native and was raised just south of Route 66. The exhibit and Kaylen’s internship are supported by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. This sounds like a can’t-miss event so I’ll be reminding you of it again. Be sure to put it on your travel calendar.
The acclaim continues for our beloved Mother Road. Route 66 has been designated as National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. The designation recognizes that Route 66 embodied the most modern and innovative road construction planning and building techniques of its day.
This honor was bestowed by the American Society of Civil Engineers. The project will help increase public appreciation of Route 66’s role in the development of the nation’s transportation system and also encourage more preservation. Next up, a series of dedicatory plaques will be installed in each Route 66 state.
Fifteen specific features along the route have also been named as select civil engineering features of historical significance. Of those, three are in Arizona. The Querino Canyon Bridge near Houck, the Old Trails Bridge in Topock, and the 48-mile segment of Route 66 across Mohave County.
We all know that you’ll find plenty of great food along Route 66 in Arizona, and now the rest of the world knows it, too. This probably won’t come as any surprise, but we make some renowned tacos. A few weeks ago, Yelp released its “Top 100 Taco Spots 2025” list. There were eight Arizona restaurants that snagged honors. Three of those are on the Mother Road—and one isn’t even a Mexican eatery!
Nanys Tacos in Williams is a small woman-owned place that specializes in Chihuahuan flavors in a casual setting. When I wrote an article about Williams for the Arizona Republic this summer, Nanys is one of the restaurants I singled out. I love their succulent street tacos with plump chunks of meat, onions, and cilantro. They were No. 21 on the list.
In Flagstaff, Tres Amigos a family-owned food truck landed at No. 36 on the list. I haven’t visited them yet but they are definitely on my radar now. They’ve got a couple of locations in Flag and specialize in tacos, burritos, mole enchiladas, and plenty more.
Also in Flag, the Tiki Grill snagged the No. 62 spot on the Top Tacos list, even though they’re not a Mexican restaurant. They’re just that good. This is one of my favorite eateries and I’ve written about them often. The restaurant exhibits a nice little island vibe and they serve fish, shrimp, and ahi poke tacos. They also make a fantastic burger. That’s why they’re featured in my upcoming book, Arizona Boots and Burgers: A Guide for Hungry Hikers, out in February.
How about planning a taco tour on your next Route 66 journey? I just gave you some excellent ideas to start.
Just be sure to save room on your taco tour for a gourmet hot dog. You’ll find one in Seligman at the newly opened Highway Hot Dog. They moved into the wonderful old building that once housed Historic Seligman Sundries owned by Frank and Lynn Kocevar. Highway Hot Dog dishes up all-beef wieners, sandwiches, espresso, cappuccino, and gelato. They also sell Route 66 merch, including some cool T-shirts.
We’re thrilled to see this stylish building in the heart of Seligman brought back to life again. And it’s always nice to know where you can grab a great dog. Come to think of it, Highway Hot Dog joins a lineup of fantastic Route 66 tube steak dispensaries. Keep an eye peeled for my list of Top Hot Dog Spots in an upcoming newsletter. Make sure to pay a visit to Highway Hot Dog! 22395 W Old Highway 66, 928-899-9552.
One of Flagstaff’s gems, the Museum of Northern Arizona, hosts their Winter Market & Open House, Dec. 6-7. More than two-dozen Native artists will display and sell paintings, jewelry, pottery, ornaments, and more. It’s a great opportunity to find one-of-a-kind gifts while directly supporting indigenous artists. As an added bonus, entry to the museum is free all weekend. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Best of all, this will give you a chance to check out their newest exhibit titled Wagon Road to Mother Road, a fascinating look at the historic arc of this transportation corridor. The exhibit opened on Nov. 15, supported by the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona.
The town of Williams welcomes 2026 in style with their inaugural car drop on New Year’s Eve. It’s all part of a big bash to welcome the Route 66 Centennial. There’s plenty of live music, and a DJ to keep folks dancing in the street. They’ll have a beer and wine garden, and will light up the sky with a spectacular fireworks display. Then it all culminates with a much-anticipated car drop. What a spectacle! When the tires of the 1927 Chevrolet Capitol kiss the Mother Road it will officially be 2026. Now that’s a party you don’t want to miss!
Of course, Flagstaff has its own longstanding and beloved New Year’s Eve tradition, with a new twist this year. Thousands of chilly revelers gather to watch a gold-and-silver aluminum pine cone being lowered from the balcony of the Weatherford Hotel in downtown Flag. It began in 1999, and the first pine cone was a tricked-out trash can. Naturally, the laid-back residents of Flag wholeheartedly embraced the event that is now surrounded by a teeming block party with live entertainment. To accommodate kids and families, drops are scheduled at noon, 10:00 p.m., and midnight.
As an added treat this year, the historic Orpheum Theater will host a Hollywood-themed night with DJ and dance party. That will give revelers a chance to come in out of the cold and get the blood pumping. Flag will also launch some midnight fireworks.
Let me introduce you to my latest book, Arizona Route 66 Road Trip. Just in time for the holiday season, here’s the perfect gift. Just in time for the Route 66 Centennial, here’s the perfect guide. The book will benefit travelers as well as the mom-and-pop businesses along the Arizona stretch of Mother Road. This is the ultimate travel and dining guide—entertaining and practical. The book features more than 110 restaurants, 90 activities and events, and 40 motels, hotels, and inns. Support local businesses while savoring spectacular scenery in a journey back to simpler times.
While I included plenty of history in Arizona Route 66 Road Trip, I made a point to highlight all there was to enjoy right now. That’s how this highway we love stays vibrant, by travelers engaging in all it has to offer. Eat some great meals, explore the roadside attractions, have adventures, sleep in a comfortable bed, and buy souvenirs by the armload. The perfect road trip helps us relive great memories while conjuring up a whole batch of brand-new ones.
Arizona Route 66 Road Trip retails for $18.95. It is available through my website, on Amazon, and I’ve started to distribute it to shops and businesses. If your business would like to carry the book, you can purchase wholesale copies directly from me. Contact me at [email protected].
Well, that’s it for now. From here on out, we’ll be honoring 100 years of the Mother Road! I know 2026 will be an unforgettable year for all of us!
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 and happy holidays!