Route 66, or the Mom Highway, is indelibly stitched into the material of the American psyche. The enduring highway as soon as traced its method for two,448 miles from Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica, California. But it surely was greater than only a lengthy stretch of tarmac. Route 66 turned a cultural phenomenon that impressed and piqued the American obsession with journey and journey. Songs have been written about it, quirky and kitschy roadside sights sprouted beside it, and People longed to traverse it. The Mom Highway was a essential artery crossing the torso of the U.S. by way of which goals and prospects pulsed heat and purple.

Associated: Get Your Kickstart on Route 66 –
Riding a kickstart-only 1978 Yamaha SR500 from Chicago to Amarillo on the Mother Road

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Craving to rediscover the highway, the cities, and the magic of Route 66’s path by way of Arizona, I packed up my BMW R 1200 GS and set out. Fittingly, my trek started Nov. 11, the date on which the Mom Highway was designated a federal freeway in 1926. Arizona claims the longest rideable portion of the unique Route 66, and it has a major variety of sights and bustling historic cities.

Using from west to east, I started my Mom Highway journey on the Fort Mojave Indian Reservation the place the Colorado River separates Arizona from Nevada. After a brief climb towards the mountains on Boundary Cone Highway, I got here to an intersection indicating that I used to be transitioning onto the historic U.S. Route 66. The highway turned curvier and extra fascinating, and the jagged rock formations of Arizona’s Black Mountains turned extra quick because the highway coiled by way of the rugged terrain.  

Inside minutes, I entered the historic mining city of Oatman. In 1915, two miners struck a $10 million gold discover. Inside a 12 months, the small mining camp grew to a inhabitants of three,500. Latest census figures point out there at the moment are simply over 100 human residents. For those who embrace the handfuls of semi-wild burros within the space, that inhabitants is way bigger.

Oatman is a hotbed of exercise throughout any motorbike rally on the Colorado River or in Kingman.  Nevertheless, my BMW was one in every of solely two bikes on the town on this crisp November morning. I walked the road beneath the weathered wooden facades of the assorted outlets and watering holes.

Route 66 north and west of Oatman is a pure delight. The pavement is usually clean and intact, and it’s full of sweeping turns and hairpins, lots of that are properly banked. There are a number of indicators warning motorcyclists to remain conscious, and these are finest heeded. With the highway steadily uncoiling, I made my method towards Kingman, passing a number of deserted open-pit mines that dotted the rocky slopes and at the very least one small working mine. 

I used to be prepared for a cup of espresso and a few fuel after I rolled into Kingman, the place my father was an artwork trainer within the native college district earlier than I used to be born. It’s a clear and bustling small metropolis absolutely embracing its Route 66 roots. I finished on the colorfully adorned Mr. D’z Route 66 Diner and parked amidst historic automobiles, vans, and bikes. As I chatted with my server over a sizzling cup of joe, she talked concerning the twin nature of the town. We have been within the historic downtown district, however just a bit journey up Interstate 40 is the trendy district with chain motels, eating places, and thriving business. 

After rolling by way of the economic zone within the Kingman outskirts, I headed northeast on the longest present stretch of the Mom Highway. Small roadside companies dotted the trail towards Peach Springs, every clearly embracing its Route 66 heritage with acceptable signage and classic memorabilia. Historic fuel stations have been significantly fascinating. Whereas they now not pumped gas, they nonetheless oozed with the nostalgia of the highway’s heyday. 

After Peach Springs, I rode previous three units of Burma Shave indicators with rhyming slogans, reminding me of childhood. As I rolled and swayed by way of the excessive grasslands, it was simple to think about basic automobiles and bikes plying this portion of the route.

Coming into Seligman was probably the most visually nostalgic a part of my journey. This small city is a well-preserved tribute to its Route 66 heritage, with each store, storage, and diner adorned with colourful signage and logos. Out of the nook of my eye, I noticed a small signal for the Route 66 Motoporium. Not anticipating a lot, I threw down my kickstand and walked into the Copper Cart to see what was inside. A bearded man mentioned, “You seem like a rider,” and pointed to a room within the again. It was full of the bikes of my youth – each people who I rode and people who I ogled within the pages of motorbike magazines of the Sixties and ’70s. Classic Indians, Hondas, Hodakas, and Kawasakis, particularly the 2-strokes, introduced me again to the enchanting scent of premix laced with single-track mud that was a giant a part of my teenage life. 

After a prolonged journey down moto-memory lane, it was time for lunch, and the legendary Delgadillo’s Snow Cap diner was only a block away. Juan Delgadillo and his spouse, Mary, opened the Snow Cap in 1953, and Juan and his brother Angel fashioned the Historic Route 66 Affiliation of Arizona. The Delgadillo household nonetheless owns and runs the historic diner, and I had a improbable inexperienced chili burger and onion rings. 

East of Seligman is a brief stretch of the unique Route 66 that runs into I-40 simply earlier than Ash Fork, and I seen a couple of remnants of the Mom Highway that at the moment are spurs off the roadway. Past Ash Fork, a lot of Route 66 has been absolutely changed with I-40, however there are nonetheless a number of cities which have embraced and preserved their historic Mom Highway character.

Williams, simply off I-40, was the final city to be bypassed by the interstate, and it nonetheless teems with Route 66 attraction. The primary road is lined with historic stone buildings full of vintage shops, diners, and bars. I motored by one of many extra well-known watering holes, the Sultana Bar, which was opened in 1912, predating Route 66 by greater than a decade.

See all of Rider‘s Arizona motorcycle rides here.

After Williams, I-40 is as enticing as an interstate could be. Views of the San Francisco Peaks tower impressively to the north, and vibrant evergreens line the highway. Flagstaff is the most important metropolis on the Arizona portion of Route 66 and is house to my alma mater, Northern Arizona College. The unique Route 66 skirted the gorgeous campus simply to the west and north. 

Flagstaff boasts a number of authentic Mom Highway sights, together with the historic downtown prepare station that homes the Flagstaff Customer Heart. On the best way out of the town, I rolled previous a number of diners that boast the Route 66 title, however my favourite is Miz Zip’s Route 66 Cafe. Then I felt the magnetic pull towards the Museum Membership, an iconic Route 66 watering gap and one in every of my favourite school hangouts.

See all of Rider‘s Western U.S. motorcycle rides here.

The vast majority of Route 66 east of Flagstaff has been changed by I-40. Whereas that could be a disgrace, there’s solace in the truth that lots of the authentic sights of the Mom Highway period are nonetheless partially or absolutely intact on the best way to the Arizona/New Mexico border. I took the brief entry highway to the ruins of the Twin Arrows Buying and selling Publish. Up till very lately, each twin arrows nonetheless stood, however the ravages of climate and time toppled one. The buying and selling put up was a fixture on Route 66 since its opening within the late Forties. Simply throughout the freeway looms the brand new Twin Arrows Navajo On line casino Resort. 

Using one other half-hour east on the interstate, I exited at Winslow, which sits on one other present stretch of Route 66. The loop into Winslow is festooned with varied Route 66 ads. My first cease on the town was to take a look at the spectacular purple sandstone St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. After snapping a photograph at Standin’ on the Nook Park, I saddled up and headed to my lodging for the night time, the superbly restored La Pasada Lodge (see sidebar under). 

After settling into my room, I walked the grounds of the gorgeous rail-side resort earlier than sitting with a post-ride cocktail and watching the trains roll by. Later that night time, I strolled again into downtown Winslow for some buying and a chili relleno dinner on the tiny Brown Mug Cafe. An unassuming photograph on the wall beside my sales space confirmed a youthful Harrison Ford sitting in the identical spot many many years again (he’s an avid motorcyclist, by the best way, and in addition owns a GS!).  

After an ideal night time’s sleep, I had one final stretch to finish my Arizona Route 66 tour. I rode the few miles to Holbrook, which is the final of the unique historic cities on my eastward stretch of Route 66 and residential to the Wigwam Motel. From Holbrook, it’s one other 74 miles on I-40 to the New Mexico border.

I extremely suggest using what you possibly can of any portion of the Mom Highway. This Arizona stretch of Route 66 is finest ridden from late spring to early fall, because the winters in northern Arizona are chilly and snowy. Pack for variable situations, and revel in your journey down reminiscence lane.

Arizona Route 66 Bike Trip Assets

SIDEBAR: La Posada Lodge

La Posada in Winslow is a crown jewel of the historic Fred Harvey railroad lodge empire. Designed within the Nineteen Twenties by famend architect Mary Elizabeth Jane Colter, it’s presently a first-class lodge, artwork gallery, and museum in an expansive backyard setting. There’s a connoisseur restaurant on-site, and downtown Winslow is a brief stroll away. The rooms are snug and well-appointed in a heat Southwestern motif, and images of the a whole lot of legendary actors and public figures who stayed at La Posada line the hallways. There’s even protected designated motorbike parking in entrance of the property. For more information, go to the La Posada website.

See all of Rider‘s motorcycle tours here.