There is not much that remains of the original Route 66, proclaimed the "Mother Road" by John Steinbeck in his 1939 classic novel "The Grapes of Wrath."
The historic route has largely been swallowed up, or bypassed, by the development of the Interstate highway system.
But there are still vestiges of the original Route 66, though they are sometimes difficult to find, as they're generally not listed on maps or roadsides. And even if you do discover a section of historic Route 66, you may find the road _ with potholes and vegetation growing through cracks in the pavement _ difficult to travel.
But there is still one section of Route 66, with vast open landscapes and the iconic storefronts, motels and gas stations, that remains well paved and easy to find.
This is the approximately 75-mile, two-lane highway that stretches from Kingman to Seligman in northeast Arizona.
In 1984, this was the last section of Route 66 to succumb to modernization when it was bypassed by Interstate 40. To travel the road here, where you may not pass more than a dozen other vehicles during your journey, is to understand the nostalgia accompanied by Route 66.
Beginning in Seligman, you'll find the iconic storefronts of the historic route from its heyday in the 1950s. The structures _ Roadkill Café, Historic Route 66 Motel, and the Rusty Bolt _ remain well preserved and eager to serve tourists.
From here, you could simply get back on Interstate 40 and make good time to wherever you're going. But to drive west from Seligman on Route 66 is to discover the sense of freedom the road provided to those early travelers.
That's because there are very few towns along the road and they're separated by wide, open high plain deserts.
Look north and you'll see Aubrey Cliffs, which appear to pour out onto the desert plain like sand from an hourglass. The cliffs form the southern exposure of the Coconino Plateau, which abuts the Grand Canyon to the north. The land here is vast and unspoiled, except for fencing that stretches as far as the eye can see; the fencing provides dozens of square miles for cattle to roam freely.
Paralleling the road to the south is a train track. When the sun is low in the sky, and you're driving along the road, it appears a white sliver of light is riding the rail _ a gleaming reflection from the desert sun that tracks your speed. Don't be surprised to see a train come along; the tracks remain vital for shipping goods east and west. The train of boxcars can stretch out into the horizon.
About halfway to Kingman, you'll enter the Hualapai Indian Reservation and the town of Peach Springs. The town is the home to Hualapai Indians and includes a new school and fire department set among some older and more dilapidated buildings of the past. The reservation extends hundreds of square miles to the north where it borders Grand Canyon National Park.
Continue traveling west and you'll come to the towns of Truxton, Valentine and Hackberry, and eventually the end of this section of Route 66 in Kingman. With the exception of Kingman, these towns are largely bedroom communities with tract housing developments and no real economic base _ though you'll still find a handful of gift shops and general stores looking to attract your tourist dollars; it appears each is trying to outdo the other in its sales pitch, with "the quirkier the better" seeming to win out.
To travel Route 66 is to step back in time. The route was developed with the intention of linking Chicago to Los Angeles via a road that connected rural communities along the way. Termed the "super-highway," construction began in 1926, though it stopped soon after as a result of the Great Depression. However, work began again in 1933, and by 1938 the 2,300-mile highway was continuously paved from Chicago to Los Angeles.
During its life, Route 66 served as a major thoroughfare to 200,000 people migrating to California to escape the Dust Bowl of the Midwest. In World War II, the route proved invaluable in the transportation of troops and equipment. Following the war, the route became populated by countless motels, service stations and diners catering to the booming tourism industry.
Unfortunately, the heavy truck traffic from the war years combined with the increased tourism travel left the highway in appalling condition. By the mid-1950s, lobbyists demanded federal sponsorship for a system of divided highways, and in 1956, the Federal Aid Highway Act was passed. Route 66 was doomed.
Today, the Route 66 Historical Association, along with private groups, has done much to preserve the heritage of the route. Despite, their best efforts, though, it seems inevitable the remainder of Route 66 will eventually succumb to modernization at some point in the future. Maybe that's why, if you find yourself traveling the Interstate 40 corridor in northeast Arizona, you might want to take a small detour, back in time, on historic Route 66.
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