Happy July! America turns 250 years old just a few months before Route 66 hits 100. Plenty of reasons for celebration. Welcome to the newsletter of the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. I’m Roger Naylor, Arizona author and travel writer, and it’s my privilege to pen these newsletters that we hope will inform and entertain, and help you plan some wonderful summer getaways. Let’s get started.
On July 1, we honor an All-American classic and road trip icon. It is National Hot Dog Day! Perfect timing because this will help get you ready for all the July 4 celebrations when many hot dogs will be consumed. While I remain a steadfast burger man, I do love a good dog. And nothing goes better with a wiener, than Route 66. While they may not be a regular part of your diet, a great hot dog is a road trip delicacy. So, when you’re traveling the Mother Road this summer, here are where you’ll find some truly memorable dogs.
1. Colonel Mustard Hot Dogs, Holbrook
2. Studio 66 Café, Holbrook
3. Sipp Shoppe, Winslow
4. Route 66 Dog Haus, Flagstaff
5. Highway Hot Dog, Seligman
6. Delgadillo’s Snow Cap Drive-In, Seligman
7. Route 66 Roadrunner, Seligman
8. Kev-OG’z, Kingman
9. Oatman Hotel Restaurant & Bar, Oatman
10. Topock66 Restaurant, Topock
Speaking of July 4, grab your spatula and head for Oatman. This is where spectators can witness one of the most thrilling culinary/sporting events of our time—the July 4 Sidewalk Egg Fry. At 1:00 p.m., participants attempt to fry an egg on Oatman’s sizzling sidewalks. Since 1990, the event has been drawing crowds to this former mining town for the festivities. I will always believe in my heart, that those popular cooking competitions on the Food Network originated from the Oatman Sidewalk Egg Fry. Hard to say if any of the country’s top chefs will be here for this OG event but you can enter, even without culinary training. You don’t even have to bring your own egg. Streetwise chefs use skillets, pans, or aluminum foil. They’re also allowed to utilize mirrors, magnifying glasses, and anything else that might add a few extra degrees of heat, although no fire or electricity is permitted. Pack your gear and your sunscreen and start cooking.
After cooking up a sidewalk omelet in Oatman, you’ll have plenty of time to make the drive back to Kingman. Fireworks light up the sky over Kingman on the evening of July 4. It’s a thrilling, colorful show, the perfect way to cap off Independence Day. Sponsored by the City of Kingman, the fireworks go off at 9:15 p.m. from the Mohave County Fairgrounds. The festive display can be seen from plenty of other places in town, including Firefighter Memorial Park and Centennial Park.
If you don't want to cook an egg in Oatman, you have plenty of festive celebrations to choose from! Join the Mohave County Historical Society for an old-fashioned 4th at Centennial Park in Kingman. Races, games, water slides, history, and more.
Schedule of Events:
(8:00 am) Patriotic Kids Parade participants meet at Mother Road Harley Davidson parking lot, 2501 Beverly.
(8:30 am) Parade begins at Harley Davidson and ends in Centennial Park. Booths/Waterslides open at end of parade.
(9:30 am - 11:30 am) Games and contests.
(12:30 pm) The event ends.
If you prefer celebrating July 4 in cooler climes, Flagstaff commemorates Independence Day with a drone show. The environmentally friendly celebration replaces traditional fireworks, which Flagstaff hasn’t done for several years over wildfire concerns. The drones will launch in Foxglenn Park (4200 E. Butler Ave.) at 9:00 p.m. on July 4. Before drones take to the sky, there’s plenty of other activities to fill the day. Starting at 4 p.m.in Foxglenn there will be bounce houses and inflatables for the kids, yard games, facepainting, balloon animals, food trucks, and live music. The July 4 parade weaves through Flag’s historic downtown from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
July 4 weekend in Flagstaff also features the always popular Art in the Park shindig. The juried arts and crafts festival showcases more than 70 artists, and is spread across the big lawn of Wheeler Park (212 W. Aspen Ave.) in downtown. Bands perform from the stage each day, food vendors are on hand, and an expansive beer garden serves local and regional brews. Art in the Park runs July 3-5. Hours are 9 a.m.– 6 p.m. Fri. and Sat., and Sun. from 9-4.
On July 11 the Winslow Homolovi Observatory welcomes special guest Bryan Bates to highlight their monthly summer star party. Bates is a prominent Flagstaff-based educator, archeoastronomer, and wilderness guide. He’ll be leading the event at Homolovi State Park. But of course, the real stars will be the stars. The talk will start at 7 p.m. and be followed by a night sky viewing through the Winslow Homolovi Observatory’s Moore Telescope. The star parties take place on the second Saturday of each month through November. If you’d like to spend the night beneath that starry canopy, you can reserve your campsite now. Homolovi is the only Arizona state park that contains its own observatory. Each event is free with park admission.
Last month, Historic Hotels of America inducted our beloved La Posada Hotel. The news comes as absolutely no surprise to anyone who has ever stayed in this Winslow jewel. Or to anyone who has ever dined there in the fabulous Turquoise Room, or even just stepped inside the hotel to ask for directions. Soon as you walk into La Posada, you enter a different world. A slower, more gracious world.
It has been quite a journey to reach this point. Built in 1930, the last of the great Santa Fe Railway hotels was considered an architectural masterpiece of design and comfort by Mary Colter. After closing as a hotel, it had to endure the indignity of being converted to office space by the railway, and finally went dark altogether. Yet instead of being destroyed like so many others of its kind, La Posada was saved. And not just saved but restored, returned to splendor, and preserved. We have Allan Affeldt, Tina Mion, and Dan Lutzick to thank for their perseverance and stewardship. Travelers get to experience that wonderful world again, the one that exists on the shady grounds of the big building in Winslow nestled between Route 66 and the railroad tracks. Be sure to book a stay at La Posada to offer your congratulations and to revel in its old school charm.
Historic Hotels of America is an official program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It highlights 300 hotels that have faithfully maintained historic integrity, architecture, and ambiance.
Good news for everyone with a raging sweet tooth, like me. After 15 successful years, The Sweet Shoppe outgrew their downtown Flagstaff location. They packed up all their goodies and moved to a new location with a great address, 102 E. Route 66. The new expanded Sweet Shoppe features lavishly adorned caramel apples, fresh fudge, brittles, toffees, and a staggering array of tempting chocolate. Their creamy gelato will hit the spot on a summer day. And they’ve even added an old-fashioned soda fountain, complete with counter and stools. Now you know where to come when you’re craving hand-crafted milkshakes, classic malts, fizzy floats, and more. So, round up Archie, Jughead, Betty, and Veronica, and the rest of the gang and pop in to the Mother Road’s newest hangout.
With so many special car shows taking place to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial, it’s easy to overlook some of the regular, recurring events. Kingman’s Chillin’ on Beale is one of those we get to enjoy over and over. Part of its charm is that it’s just a fun, free, and intimate evening. The monthly cruise-in of classic and collector vehicles takes place on the third Saturday from April through November. No registration to worry about, no entry fee, no planning. Just fire up your ride and roll into Locomotive Park in downtown Kingman. Each month features a different theme but everybody is welcome. The theme for July 18 is Vans and Trucks, and the event takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Chillin’ on Beale gives folks a chance to gather together on a warm evening in the high desert. They walk around admiring some shiny metal, maybe grab a meal, or beer, or ice cream. They run into neighbors and friends, shoot the breeze with strangers, and watch the neon flicker to life along the Mother Road, just like it has for decades. That’s part of the magic, the way Route 66 can connect us all in such simple, unexpected ways.
The historic Orpheum Theater in Flagstaff has announced a lineup of concerts that will pay tribute to the music of Route 66 this August and September. The concerts all will feature Arizona-based bands, and will run from Aug. 1 to Sept. 5.
The lineup for the shows includes:
Aug. 1: Jazz/Big Band
Aug. 7: Nolan McKelvey & Friends (Americana)
Aug. 8: Honeygirl & The Sundusters (rockabilly)
Aug. 21: The Grant Brothers (country)
Sept. 5: Union32 (jazz fusion)
Grab a copy of my book, Arizona Route 66 Road Trip to squeeze the most out of your Mother Road journey across the Grand Canyon State. The book is packed with more than 110 restaurants, 90 activities and events, and 40 motels, hotels, and inns. Enjoy some delicious food and small-town hospitality while supporting the mom-and-pop businesses we all love. All my books, including Arizona Route 66 Road Trip and Arizona Boots and Burgers are available in stores, on Amazon, and signed copies can be purchased through my website.
Well, that’s it for now. Don’t you dare let this special summer slip past you. Embrace it! Hold on tight. Make the most of the season when you plan your adventures on the Mother Road during the 2026 Centennial.
If you have items of interest you’d like to share in an upcoming newsletter, 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! 🚗💨