A "Don't Miss" Route 66 Road Trip to Historic Seligman

Thanks to Lake Havasu City's premier car events, active local car clubs and an abundance of vintage car owners, vehicles that once adorned Route 66 are always on display around town.

Two large public murals in the city, home of the world-famous London Bridge, stand tribute to Route 66 and the city's vibrant classic car culture.

Visitors to Lake Havasu City can enjoy it in a single day and the birthplace of old Route 66 in nearby Seligman, Arizona, much as it looked in its heyday in the 1950s.

Whether you're a solo traveler, a history buff, or traveling with a group, there's something for everyone in Seligman, a short two-hour drive from Lake Havasu City.

A popular draw for tour groups, Seligman hosts vintage car events year-round. The Historic Route 66 Fun Run Car Rally and Show is an annual event held in Seligman on the first weekend of May. Over 800 cars travel to Seligman for a weekend of nostalgia and fun.

A friendly visit with the Highway's Guardian Angel in Seligman: the Route 66 town that inspired the movie Cars

Using the movie Cars as a theme for discussion is a creative way to engage the historical imagination of children, both young and old. Did you know the characters and places in the movie are all based on real people and places along Route 66?

For example, the fictional town of Radiator Springs is based not only on Peach Springs, Arizona, but it's also a composite of Route 66 towns and characters woven together, including Seligman and its famous resident, Angel Delgadillo, Jr.

Meet the man behind the revival of Route 66, the Guardian Angel of Route 66: 92-year-old Angel Delgadillo, Jr.

Businesses along Route 66 withered soon after the opening of Interstate 40 on September 22, 1978. Route 66 thrives today because this town barber refused to watch it die.

Born in Seligman in 1927, Delgadillo has been a barber since 1947; now, he trims hair by appointment only. He'll set you straight with his winsome smile if you ask if he still gives haircuts: "I don't give them; I sell them."

His father built the original barbershop in 1923, now at 22265 W Historic Rte. 66 adjacent to the famed Snow Cap Drive-In (one block to the south and east of the current route through town).

An excellent example of creative reuse, this structure was once a duplex and later converted into a barbershop/museum, visitor center and gift shop.

Worth a day trip alone is seeing his barber chair dating back to 1926. His father purchased it for $194 ($2,700 today). This antique also serves as a speaker's platform from which Delgadillo talks with visitors worldwide.

If you yearn for authentic nostalgia at its finest, get your fix here on Route 66.

He makes everyone feel welcome with homespun eloquence, an animated storytelling style, and vigor defying his years.

Take a self-guided walking tour of historic downtown Seligman

You can take a 20-minute self-guided tour of old Seligman Commercial Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.

On the walk you'll see structures built as early as 1900, and the locations where other buildings once stood.

Glimpse the colorful history of a thriving railroad town and feel the friendly, comfortable ambiance that made Seligman a welcome and notable stopping point for train and highway travelers.

How about an architectural walk along Route 66? Seligman is a treat for photographers

With multiple vintage buildings still standing, photographers can delight in Seligman’s numerous photo opportunities. Many buildings still have active businesses, with historic photos of their heyday along Route 66 displayed within.

Get your eats on Route 66

You can literally eat, drink and shop your way through Seligman.

Here is a sampling of some eclectic offerings to satisfy your hunger while in Seligman:

Westside Lilo’s Café, 22855 AZ-66, is an established, tchotchke-filled restaurant, serving up sizable plates of classic American and German fare.

The Roadkill Café/O.K. Saloon, 22830 W Rte 66. If the name alone is not intriguing, visit this rustic business featuring taxidermy, vintage décor, charbroiled burgers and tongue-in-cheek menu items such as “fender benders,” “highway hash,” and “splatter platter.”

Delgadillo’s Snow Cap, 301 E. Chino, is the ultimate in kitsch. Opened in 1953 by Angel’s brother, the late Juan Delgadillo, the Snow Cap has become a world-famous stop along Route 66, both for the wacky antics of the servers and for the delightful fare. A special feature is “dead chicken.”

Getting to Seligman from Lake Havasu City:
Take Highway 95/AZ-95 North. Merge onto I-40 East toward Flagstaff.

Take I-40 East to EXIT 121, toward Seligman/AZ-66 (approximately 110 miles), and then turn left onto Historic Route 66.

NOTE: The highway in gray from Seligman to Kingman is a section of historic Route 66.

Don't miss the many fun stops and sights to see along the way. . .

America's most famous highway never fails to fascinate new travelers and veterans alike. A road trip from Lake Havasu City to Seligman offers many opportunities to explore a variety of quirky, odd and inspirational roadside attractions.

Just off Interstate 40, at about halfway along the route from Lake Havasu City to Seligman, make a stop in Kingman to explore "The Heart of Historic Route 66." The city is home to the longest remaining uninterrupted segment of Route 66. As with Seligman and Lake Havasu City, it’s a vintage car lover’s dream come true. More information is on the Kingman Visitor Center website.

Speaking of Lake Havasu City and car culture. . .

Held every October, Relics and Rods Run to the Sun is Lake Havasu City’s largest annual car show. It has remained one of the city’s top events for over 40 years. See hundreds of classic cars and motorcycles on display at the Annual Lake Havasu City Rockabilly Reunion in February.

Check the event calendar at golakehavasu.com for more information about these and other events.