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The 106 miles (170km) from Kingman to the end of Crookton Road near Ashfork is iconic 1950's-60's Route 66. This stretch is similar to what most American's remember from 1950's and 1960's family road trips out west to the Grand Canyon or California.
The speed limit is 65 miles/hour (105km/h) on the open road between Kingman and Seligman. In towns, it slows down to 25 to 40 mph (40-64 km/h). Along Old Crookton Road (Seligman to Ashfork) the speed limit drops to 55 mph (89 km/h). You should plan for 1.5-2 hours of drive time, plus time to see the sights. This road is RV friendly.
32. Desert Diamond Distillery is one of a handful in Arizona open to the public for tours and tastings. The tasting bar - where you can take a flight of four rums and a vodka - was rescued from a famous French restaurant on the old Las Vegas strip known to be a favorite place of the Rat Pack, and many other Vegas characters of that era.
33. Kingman Army Air Field was a training site for some 36,000 military personel during World War II. The war ended in 1945 and a year later the training base became Storage Depot 41. Between 1946 and 1948, seven thousand aircraft were melted down to 70,000,000 pounds of aluminum and shipped out of Kingman. All WWII aircraft stored at Storage Depot 41 were destroyed, but a great little cafe remains (Kingman Airport Cafe) and the original watch tower remains (one of very few WWII watch towers still in existence).
34. Valle Vista Championship Golf Course is an 18 hole championship course set in the quiet Mohave desert.
35. Wine Tasting (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only) can be had at two wineries located off of Route 66 near Valle Vista; Stetson Winery and Cella Wines.
36. Giganticus Headicus is a 14 foot tall Tiki style head at the Antares Point Visitor Center on Route 66. Gregg Arnold created the sculpture in 2003 and 2004. Some of Arnold’s other art projects are displayed around the location, formerly Kozy Corner Trail Park (“Cozy Cone” ring a bell, Sally?). Antares Point is along the longest continuous curve on a U.S. Hwy (approx. 2 miles) and offers fantastic views into the Arizona desert. In November, 2016, a gift shop and visitor center opened here. So now you can shop here too!
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37. Hackberry General Store was originally operated by the Route 66 artist Bob Waldmire who traveled the road in his orange 1972 Volkswagen Microbus. Bob was unofficially the inspiration for Fillmore in the Disney/Pixar movie Cars. Photo ops abound around Hackberry; a rustic store front, the tin-can billboard, nostalgic gas pumps, craggily mountain faces, old blacktop and scenic vistas. Hackberry is a microcosm of Route 66.
38. Keepers of the Wild Nature Park’s founder Jonathan Kraft was a performer with wild animals in Las Vegas, movies, TV shows, commercials and a variety of shoots and exhibits. However Jonathan realized that animals in entertainment do not have a quality of life, so he established Keepers of the Wild in Las Vegas in 1995. Today, Keepers is along Route 66, with almost 200 exotic animals on 175 acres of beautiful rock formations and natural vegetation.
39. Diamond Creek Road in Peach Springs is the only road to the bottom of the Grand Canyon. You can purchase a permit at the Hualapai Lodge to make the trek down, but it is a dirt road and can wash out so always check on current road conditions. About a mile before hitting the bottom, a stream crosses the road, so most drivers park and hoof it the last mile. Remember - most rental contracts prohibit taking vehicles, SUV or not, on unpaved non-maintained roads.
40. The Grand Canyon Caverns are 21 stories below ground in the third largest dry lime stone caverns in the world and one of a handful of original Route 66 attractions still going strong today. From the beginning, this place was full of twists and turns. Walter Peck, who discovered the caverns, believed it was full of gold and cavemen bones. He purchased the land in a frenzy only to discover he was a fool with pockets of rocks and recent remains that turned out to be from a couple local tribal members who passed away from the flu. When Hwy 66 was aligned near the Cavern’s entrance in 1928, Walter sold a “dope on a rope” experience to passers-by for 25 cents. Later the bones of a giant sloth were also found and the Caverns were named 'Dinosaur Caverns', which were a hot item at the time. In the 1960's, air passages were found to connect the caverns to the Grand Canyon, and it was rechristened 'Grand Canyon Caverns'. Dinosaurs still have a strong presence there today, but the only twists and turns are the ones you take on the 45 minute tour. Of course, if you're really looking for a twisted time, take the Ghost Walk (next item on this list).
41. The Grand Canyon Caverns Ghost Walk Tour deserves its own mention. Several paranormal investigators have peered into the Caverns, after The Route 66 Paranormal Society conducted an investigation in 2013 and came up with some interesting results, Caverns began offering the Ghost Walk evening tour. Shortly after, the Travel Channel’s Ghost Adventurers became interested. In October 2015, Ghost Adventurers aired their 130th episode featuring the Grand Canyon Caverns ghostly presence.
42. The Grand Canyon Caverns Mini Golf Course is a quarky little place to get your game on. Located near the motel rooms, it adds something to do if you’re staying at the Inn. It also makes a good stop for getting out and stretching your legs in the quiet Arizona Desert.
43. Grand Canyon Caverns Horse Back & Wagon Rides are good for both day rides (from 30 minutes to all day) and overnight horse pack trips year-round!
44. Read Burma Shave Signs. The famous Burma Shave signs (billboards of yester-year) have been recreated in specific sections with original phrases along stretches of Route 66 in Yavapai County.
45. Meet Angel Delgadillo, the small town barber who started it all. Angel Delgadillo is a world renowned Route 66 enthusiast who pulled together the first organization across the country to preserve Route 66 - the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. He has been interviewed hundreds, if not thousands of times from journalists all over the world and is featured on dozens of documentaries about the Mother Road – including the bonus documentary on the DVD for Pixar’s Cars. Angel can usually be found in his barber shop at the Angel and Velma’s Route 66 Gift Shop.
46. Ashfork Route 66 Museum, located in a former ADOT substation, is all volunteer run and incldues some very interesting displays of Route 66 and their former Harvey House - Escalante.
