If you’re keen to savour a bite-sized sampler of America’s Mother Road, Arizona’s Route 66 is a bumper section, tightly packed with time-honoured attractions and kitschy Americana curios. A century on from its launch as the nation’s first cross-continental route, the pioneering highway endures as a metaphor for the pursuit of new possibilities. Route 66 was officially decommissioned forty years ago by the multi-laned march of the I-40, but the evocative, retro-wreathed, roadside towns remain. 

Many 66ers head out east from California, but the boredom of those dusty, soulless deserts is a tedious downer to kick-off your road-trip. Expedite things by setting off from Las Vegas and enjoy an absorbing stopover at the Hoover Dam before hooking up with Route 66. The Hoover Dam marks the state line between Nevada and Arizona, and there’s a swag of classic Route 66 towns that ribbon their way for 330km, across the high grasslands of Northern Arizona, alongside Interstate 40.  

A short hop from the Hoover Dam brings you to Kingman, ablaze in photogenic wall murals, along with its historic main street and eye-catching storefront displays, awash with Route 66 motoring memorabilia. Refuel at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner, a roadside classic, swooned over for its root beer and pizza. Oprah is a fan. The diner was previously a 1950s café and gas station and is clad in retro throwbacks to Route 66’s heyday. 

Mr D'z Diner in Kingman. Photo / Mike Yardley 

My next stop was Seligman, beckoning you with a sign declaring the town as the "Birthplace of Historic Route 66." Angel Delgadillo, the small-town barber is credited with leading the preservation movement that brought Route 66 back from the dead, after it was decommissioned as a highway in 1985. Arizona was the state that saved Route 66 as an historic landmark, providing a blueprint that other states replicated. “Historic Route 66” signage now designates the old route. 99-year-old Delgadillo still regularly holds court signing autographs and posing for selfies in his old barbershop, which is now also Seligman’s Official Route 66 Gift Shop. Grab a bite next door at the radiantly colourful and kitschy Snow Cap Drive-In, built by Angel’s brother Juan seventy year ago.  

He was also actively involved in the preservation movement. Snow Cap Drive-in recently scored a Guinness Record for “Most Milkshake Flavours on Display.” 266 flavours! It’s fair to say there are some hillbilly, redneck vibes to some of these towns. Seligman is home to the Roadkill Café, which supposedly would happily cook up any wildlife you happened to collide with, when driving Route 66, back in the day. As their saying goes, “You kill it, we grill it.”  

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Inn. Photo / Mike Yardley 

Heading further east, as ponderosa pine and sagebrush dominates the scenery, the retro dazzle of Williams soon beckons. It’s a perennial favourite with the Route 66 crowd and also very familiar to travellers as the gateway to the Grand Canyon. Williams was also the last Route 66 town to be bypassed by the Interstate and the characterful main street with its mid-century road signs still marinate in glorious neon. Storied saloons and time-honoured diners like Cruiser’s Café are all bathed in the spilling velvet neon glow. Try their Green Chilli Burger with Swiss cheese, avocados, and smoked green chillies. Williams has got the best souvenir shops, to boot, bursting at the seams with nostalgic Americana temptations and trinkets.  

Loading up my car rental and accommodation needs with Booking.com, I stayed the night at the delightfully distinctive Red Garter Inn in Williams, which began life in the 1890s as a saloon and brothel. As mountain men moved into the west, trappers, ranchers and loggers, and as the Santa Fe Railroad opened up, a wild old time was had by all! Fast-forward to today and the Red Garter’s small clutch of guestrooms are all period-themed and loaded with creature comforts.  

I stayed in the former Madam’s room, at the top of the very steep and creaky stairs. Prior to booking, I didn’t actually realise that it’s ranked as one of the Top 10 Haunted Hotels in the USA. But shortly arriving, I soon noticed the numerous wall plaques certifying the establishment as haunted from various paranormal investigation organisations.  

Madam's Room at the Red Garter Inn. Photo / Mike Yardley 

I can’t say I saw any apparitions, but there were some very strange sounds at night – notably rushing footsteps on that stairway. But just before I checked out, I read through the guestbook which was littered with dozens of recent reports from guests of apparitions, which were typically of young women or children on the stairs. If you like your historic and boutique accommodations to be particularly atmospheric, you’ve come to the right place! 

Further up the road, another great overnight pit-stop is Flagstaff, a sturdy town with classical stone buildings, intermixed with retro Route 66 diners and motels. Backed by the snow-capped heft of Humphreys Peak, it’s an infectious railroad town to explore on foot, with some fantastic retail offerings, particularly for outdoorsy gear. Check out the historic Babbit Brothers building, which has been trading post mainstay for cattle ranchers and merchants since the 1880s. 

Downtown Flagstaff. Photo / Mike Yardley 

90km further east, you’ll also get your kicks in Winslow, immortalised in that classic Eagles anthem, Take It Easy. In the early 1970s, Jackson Browne wrote most of the song. When he got writer’s block, he gave it to his neighbour, Glenn Frey, who finished it in fine style and his band made it a timeless hit that continues to resonate. “I’m standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. It’s a girl my lord in a flat-bed Ford, slowing down to take a look at me.” The town has milked it mercilessly, with millions converging every year to stand on a corner in Winslow, with all of the obligatory Route 66 livery emblazoned on the road.   

Close to Winslow, don’t miss the Meteor Crater site. Crashing to earth 50,000 years ago, at a speed of 26,000 miles an hour, the resulting carter is as deep as a 60-storey building and as wide as 20 rugby fields. Remnants of the iron-nickel meteorite, which probably broke off an asteroid, are on display at the site. But it’s the sheer size of the crater which takes your breath away. This perfectly formed amphitheatre could play host to a wraparound crowd of 2 million spectators. It’s considered the best-preserved meteor crater in the world, unravaged by the passage of time or nature’s corrosive forces.  

Meteor Crater in Winslow, Arizona. Photo / Supplied 

Initially it was believed to be an ancient volcanic crater, but geologists discovered it was caused by the impact of a meteorite, paving the way for more discoveries worldwide. Because of its lunar-like surface, NASA actually used it when training Apollo astronauts for missions to the moon.  Even though it’s considered a pipsqueak compared to the meteor crater that would have been formed in Mexico sixty million years, wiping out the dinosaurs, it’s another gob-stopping sight on America’s Mother Road. 

Follow the signposts to the Petrified Forest. This is the only national park that Route 66 actually runs through, and if you like things fossilised, this is a forest for you. The forest hadn’t been to a horror show, its name very much reflects the fact that massive ancient forests were buried under volcanic ash millions of years ago, before uplift and erosion exposed this strange mash-up of sparkly quartz logs. Like precious gems shining in the sun ranging to girthy trunks, remnants of a prehistoric forest lie at your feet.  

Over time, the logs soaked up groundwater and silica from the volcanic ash, crystallising into quartz. The mix of minerals has created the wondrous rainbow of colours threaded throughout the park. Also within the national park is the aptly named Painted Desert, spectacular Badlands of multi-coloured rock, with bands of red, violet, green, and white sediments, all part of the desert palette. 

Ethereal terrain of Arizona's Petrified Forest. Photo / Supplied 

Rediscover the spirit of the open road. As the official partner for the centennial of Route 66, Booking.com features thousands of accommodation options along Route 66, from nostalgic motels to retro-inspired stays. Enjoy access to thousands of car rental options, flexible booking features, free cancellation on many properties, and the ability to plan an entire trip in one place, Booking.com makes it easy to build a customised trip, on the website or user-friendly app. 

I flew to the USA with Fiji Airways who have spread their wings with an extensive international network, including multiple American destinations. From New Zealand, fly to Nadi from Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch and enjoy seamless connections to the well-timed USA services. Fly your way with Fiji Airways with a flexible range of fares and add-ons, in Economy and Business class. If you fancy some extra comfort in Economy, opt for a Bula Space seat. 

Mike Yardley is Newstalk ZB’s resident traveller and can be heard every week on Jack Tame Saturday Mornings.