Seligman is the town that saved Route 66. When the interstate bypassed it in 1978, the traffic that had kept the town alive simply disappeared, and the businesses along the main street faced ruin. A local barber, Angel Delgadillo, and his brother Juan began a campaign to preserve the old road, and in 1987 the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona was founded here, launching a revival that spread along the whole route. The town is now full of neon, vintage cars and roadside kitsch, and the Delgadillo family's barbershop and the Snow Cap Drive-In, famous for its jokes and fake mustard bottles, are still going.
Seligman also inspired the town of Radiator Springs in the Pixar film Cars, whose creators visited the town and met Angel. The stretch of Route 66 west from here, from Seligman to Topock on the Colorado River, is the longest unbroken piece of the original road that survives, about 150 miles of two-lane highway across the high desert, through Peach Springs and Hackberry. The Grand Canyon Caverns, a huge cave system about forty kilometres west, are reached by an elevator that descends twenty-one storeys, and the Hualapai reservation at Peach Springs is the gateway to the western Grand Canyon.
The ride is wonderful. The old road runs through wide, open ranchland, with long straights and gentle curves, a view of a big sky and a line of telephone poles, and the traffic is light. The surface is generally good, with a few rough sections, and the wind can be strong. The town stands at over 5,000 feet, so summer is warm rather than hot, and winter nights are cold, and snow can fall. Watch for cattle and wildlife on the road, especially at dusk.
Fuel and food are limited but sufficient. Seligman has a few petrol stations, diners and motels, but beyond it the services are spaced far apart, so fill the tank and carry water before heading west. Look for a burger or a milkshake at one of the old drive-ins, and check the opening times.
Walk down the main street, read the signs and talk to the owners, who like to chat. It is a living piece of American history, kept alive by stubborn people who loved their road.