Another season means another bulletin. Welcome to the autumn 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 quarterly newsletters that we hope will inform and entertain. There is always lots of stuff happening on the Mother Road, so lets crack this thing open.
Everybody wants to travel Route 66
It should come as no surprise at all that Route 66 is the most popular road trip in the country. And it’s not even close. According to search data compiled by International Drivers Association, topping the list for the most sought-after American road trips over the past 12 months is the legendary Route 66 with 18 million searches. The searches span from Asia to Europe, highlighting 66’s universal appeal. Claiming the second spot on the list is the Pacific Coast Highway, lagging four million votes behind the Mother Road.
Accolades for Angel
Angel Delgadillo continues to rack up awards and acclaim. This time the 96-year-old retired Seligman barber and Route 66 icon was chosen as an Arizona Historymaker for 2023.
In 1987, Angel founded the Historic Route 66 Association, the very first organization of its kind. Through tireless efforts, the Association successfully lobbied the state of Arizona to designate a segment of Mother Road as Historic Route 66. For his work, the small town barber became known as the “Guardian Angel of Route 66.” And with his gracious manner and beaming smile—bright as neon and wide enough to reach from Chicago to LA—he also became its most prominent ambassador.
Angel’s been interviewed more than 1,000 times, featured in magazine and newspaper articles all over the world. You can’t shoot a Route 66 documentary without including the “Mayor of the Mother Road.” Just last year Angel was inducted into the Arizona Tourism Hall of Fame. This latest acknowledgement is one more in a long line of accolades. Angel has received the Steinbeck Award, is on the Route 66 Wall of Fame, was named an Arizona Culture Keeper, and is a member of the National Barber Hall of Fame, just to cite a few.
The Historymaker Committee will hold a recognition event on October 14 at the Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tempe for family, friends, and state and city officials to honor Angel and the other Historymakers of 2023. Our hearty congratulations to our friend and mentor, Angel!
And even more Angel news
Angel is also at the heart of one of the coolest new exhibits on the Mother Road that opened this summer. Located on the second floor of the Kingman Visitor Center is the Storyfile of Angel. Storyfile is an interactive multimedia display that feels incredible lifelike. This is a chance for visitors to ask a virtual Angel questions about Route 66 and the remarkable life he has led, as he responds in real time.
The exhibit is the next best thing to visiting Angel’s Barbershop and Gift Shop in Seligman and meeting Angel in person. It’s one of those surreal futuristic experiences and it’s absolutely amazing to hear Angel tell his story. Visitors will enjoy historic photos, read about Angels’ family, and sit for a selfie in a vintage barber chair. The exhibit was designed by Wade Bray, a graphic designer who created an impressive exhibition at the Route 66 Fest in Tulsa, OK. The Kingman Visitor Center is at 120 W. Andy Devine Avenue in Kingman. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
Kingman gets a makeover
The new Storyfile of Angel exhibit is not the only significant upgrade for Kingman. The city kicked off a $7 million revitalization project this summer. It’s taking place along Beale Street between First Street and Sixth Street, with connections between Historic Route 66 just a block away.
Proposed improvements will include updating the area for pedestrian use and making all sidewalks, ramps, and driveways compatible with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The project will feature new landscaping, wayfinding elements, street furniture, and other amenities. It’s going to transform Kingman’s historic downtown district. The construction will take place in three phases and should be complete by May 2024. The work will make things a little inconvenient for local businesses, so be sure to make the extra effort to support them when you’re in the area.
A new national monument
The most popular side trip on all of Route 66 exists in Arizona, where it’s just an hour’s drive to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. And now the Grand Canyon has acquired an additional layer of protection. In early August, President Joe Biden designated a new national monument covering nearly a million acres of federal lands near Grand Canyon National Park
The Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Grand Canyon National Monument is designed to preserve thousands of Native American cultural sites and also protect the watershed by prevent new uranium mining. “Baaj Nwaavjo” means “where tribes roam” in the Havasupai language, and “I’tah Kukveni” means “our ancestral footprints” in the Hopi language. The new monument will be one more crown jewel of northern Arizona, protecting sacred sites and epic scenic beauty.
Spend the night in a haunted hotel
We all enjoy a good fright in October as Halloween approaches. So why not treat yourself to a little Route 66 history, and a bit of a scare by spending the night at Flagstaff’s Hotel Monte Vista. This is one of my favorite haunted hotels in the state. The place absolutely bristles with ghost stories. Even no-nonsense John Wayne spotted a spook at Monte V, which opened on New Year’s Day, 1927.
A crying baby often chases workers from the basement. A woman rocks by the window in room 305, murdered prostitutes waken guests with chilling glares in 306, and the phantom bellboy (seen by Wayne) knocks on doors and declares “room service” in muffled tones. Then there’s my personal favorite ghost, the bank robber.
In 1970, three men robbed a bank and stopped by the Monte Vista lounge despite one being shot during the getaway. While toasting newfound wealth, the wounded man died. Now numerous bar patrons report being greeted by a cheery disembodied voice proclaiming, “Good morning.”
I love that optimism. Here’s a guy who made mistakes, sure. Yet his spirit seems content. He doesn’t menace, doesn’t make bottles fly around the room. He just delivers a jolly salutation and lingers, as if hoping somebody will buy one last round. I’ve spent many an evening haunting a barstool in the lounge hoping for an otherworldly encounter. No luck so far but I haven’t given up. 100 N. San Francisco St., 928-779-6971, www.hotelmontevista.com.
Business Spotlight: Oatman Hotel
Originally known as the Durlin Hotel, this two-story adobe is the centerpiece of the little Arizona town run by burros. Originally built in 1902, then rebuilt in 1924 after a fire had destroyed most of the town. It was a once prosperous hotel in this rollicking gold camp, even hosting Clark Gable and Carole Lombard on their honeymoon. But no guests spend the night anymore, except for a few friendly ghosts. The room where Gable and Lombard celebrated their nuptials is now preserved as a small museum.
Downstairs the place jumps! It’s a popular restaurant and saloon serving up good food and cold drinks to grateful travelers from around the world. There’s often someone on playing music as well. The walls of the place are papered with dollar bills, a practice dating back to the old days. Miners would often post a dollar or two with their names scribbled on them when they were flush. Then they could pull them down when they were running short. I’ve got a couple of bucks posted myself there myself. And I take comfort in that. Even if I fall on hard times, I’ve got a drink waiting for me in Oatman. At least as long as I can remember where my damn dollars are. 181 Main St., 928-768-4408.
North Pole Experience delivers holiday magic
You would think someone as busy as Santa wouldn’t want visitors during the holidays but he seems jolly as ever when welcoming guests to the North Pole Experience in Flagstaff. It starts with a trolley ride at Little America Hotel, whisking you through a magic portal to the North Pole. From there take a tour of the big man’s workshop, help elves build some toys, visit the mailroom, and the top secret Sleigh Hangar. Enjoy a snack at Mrs. Claus’ bakery—you just know that woman has a way with cookies. The entire adventure lasts about 95 minutes, including trolley rides and makes for some cherished memories. North Pole Experience begins in November and operates day and evening tours. Check the website for dates and times. 2515 E. Butler Ave. 480-779-9679, www.northpoleexperience.com.
Even if you aren’t taking little ones to visit Santa, be sure to pay a visit to Little America Hotel. They string more than two million colored lights through the forest on their expansive grounds. It’s a twinkling wonderland that is a must-stop holiday visit. Lights stay up into early January. 2515 Butler Ave., 928-779-7900, www.flagstaff.littleamerica.com.
Don’t stay away too long
Well, that’s it for now. With weather turning cooler and leaves changing, it’s the perfect time to explore more and more of Arizona’s remarkable portion of the Mother Road. Look for the next newsletter to arrive in your inbox just as you’re recovering from holiday stress in January.
If you have items of interest you’d like to share in an upcoming newsletter, we’d love to hear from you. You can email them to me, Roger Naylor, at [email protected], or to Nikki Seegers, Director of Operations at Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona at [email protected].
Thanks for being part of the Route 66 family. Happy motoring!