Headed for Seligman and The Route 66 Centennial Celebration

 April 30, 2026

   Driving up to Seligman this morning—it's a two-and-a-half hour run—and will land on Railroad Avenue for the Route 66 Centennial and to celebrate Angel Delgadillo's 99th B-Day. I am ithe MC of the event and this is what I plan to tell the gathered attendees:

Thank you all for coming together here today to help us celebrate a truly remarkable milestone: the centennial of Route 66. Wow.

   I grew up on this narrow two-lane road just over that rise (pointing west) in Peach Springs, where my dad had a Mobiloil gas station.

Al Bell yucking it up in Peach Springs, circa 1947

   And, later, he had a classic beauty of a filling station on Hilltop, outside of Kingman, Arizona.

Al Bell's Flying A, circa 1957

    And, for the record, it was I who iced those jugs for free. Full disclosure: I did accept tips and made a haul of $11 the first summer I worked there. And, I bought this book advertised in True West magazine.

   Also, just off 66, my great grandmother is buried at Hackberry.

BBB at the grave of Dolce Guess

   All those town were small in those days, but Marshall Trimble told me his school in Ashfork was so small they had Driver's Ed and Sex Ed in the same car. That's pretty small.

   I'm proud to say Angel Delgadillo cut my hair. He's 99 years old, so that was a couple haircuts ago. A big part of this celebration is about him and the legacy he has left for all of us. He saw that people missed the old-fashioned ways, so in order to help his small town, his mom and pop business, and his two-lane highway he organized a group to make old Route 66 a “historic” highway.  The Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona was formed with Angel as President. This was the first Route 66 preservation association ever formed. Not only did the Association reach its goal of making the old route “historic” but by doing so it did indeed create a new interest in the old road.  People started driving Route 66 again.  The success of the Arizona’s Route 66 Association led to other states starting their own campaigns to rejuvenate the road and tourism to the small towns along it. Arizona’s dedication of Historic Route 66 in 1988 led to a yearly Historic Route 66 Fun Run. This weekend is the 37th annual Fun Run. I am proud to say, my father and I ran our family '49 Ford in almost half of those and we loved every minute of it. 

And don't forget these guys. Love 'em all

   Today, Seligman Celebrates 100 Years of Route 66, a road that continues to inspire adventures, dreams, and memories. In 1926, when U.S. Highway 66 was first pieced together with the local roads running through eight states of America, it was simply a way to get from point A to point B. Over the years, the road took on a life of its own as it promised millions of Americans hope, freedom and discovery. Over the years, it witnessed migration during the Dust Bowl, carried servicemen during World War II, and became a backdrop for postwar prosperity. It became the heartbeat of the American road trip. Its neon signs, quirky motels, and roadside diners have become icons of American culture. But eventually, Route 66 was a victim of modernization. When two-lane interstate highways like Route 66 had outlived their usefulness, the government decommissioned them. The modernizing world needed multi-lane freeways to keep up. The two-lane highway, the small town, and the mom and pop business were things of the past.  

 Now the small unique towns along Route 66 have new life and a piece of American history has been saved. And it all started right here in Seligman, Arizona because the town barber refused to watch his town die. And now that barber, at age 99, gets to celebrate the centennial of Route 66, the road he helped bring back from the dead. Because of Seligman, Route 66 lives on. Along this road, there are so many stories and there are so many more stories to be made. That’s the magic of Route 66: it brings people together, creating friendships and memories that last a lifetime. As we mark this centennial, let’s celebrate not just the milestone, but the legacy. Route 66 and Seligman remind us that history isn’t just about the past—it’s alive in every journey, every handshake, every story shared over a beer at the Black Cat or a piece of carrot cake at Westside Lilo’s. So, here’s to another hundred years of adventure, community, and the open road. Let's ride!

"The road is the only thing."

—A famous writer when I asked him whether it was the road getting there, or arriving at the destination that was the most satisfying, and this was his answer