Rock the Route: Rte 66 Check-In Challenge
Expiration: Dec 31st 2024
At nearly 100 years old Route 66—the Main Street of America—evokes memories of roadside attractions, rock on the radio, and road trips with the family where the journey was as much fun as the destination.
In Arizona remains the longest stretch of the original Route 66 in the U.S., where you’ll find a wigwam-shaped motel, a petrified forest, kitschy shops, a street corner dedicated to an Eagles song, and so much more. Now, it’s your turn to visit these and other unique landmarks with the Route 66 Check-in Challenge Passport and interactive map.
As you visit each location, be sure to check in and be automatically entered to win cool prizes from the Arizona Office of Tourism and the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. Every check-in counts as an entry, so the more places you explore the better your opportunity to win:
4 Check-ins = A Route 66 Sticker Pack
7 Check-ins = A Retro Route 66 Magnet
While you’re exploring Route 66, be sure to share or upload your photos using #RockTheRouteAZ and we may float a Random Act of Sunshine into your DMs.
Winners of prizes will be notified via the passport app.
Included Venues
See locations on an interactive map.
"Here It Is" Billboard at Jack Rabbit Trading Post
The notable "Here It Is" sign features an outsized silhouette of a jackrabbit, a kitschy attempt once used to encourage Route 66 motorists to stop. In this case, it also inspired the Ford Model T silhouette signage in the Disney movie "Cars."
The jackrabbit is one of several Mother Road mascots beloved by Route 66 fans. An early owner of the trading post painted 30 jackrabbits on the building's roof to catch the attention of passersby. This evolved into a billboard campaign stretching more than 1,000 miles—from here to Springfield, Missouri—featuring rabbits. Today, you can take your picture by a huge fiberglass bunny in front of the trading post, then "hop" inside to shop.
Show more
The jackrabbit is one of several Mother Road mascots beloved by Route 66 fans. An early owner of the trading post painted 30 jackrabbits on the building's roof to catch the attention of passersby. This evolved into a billboard campaign stretching more than 1,000 miles—from here to Springfield, Missouri—featuring rabbits. Today, you can take your picture by a huge fiberglass bunny in front of the trading post, then "hop" inside to shop.
Arizona Route 66 & Electric Vehicle Museums
This museum on all things Route 66 nestles inside the Powerhouse Visitor Center, located in the 1907 Desert Power & Light Company building. The light company is best known for supplying power to area mines.
A visit to the Arizona Route 66 & Electric Vehicle Museums is a must for Mother Road fanatics. It's not just a collection of memorabilia but a comprehensive look at the historical evolution of Route 66. Not to miss: life-size dioramas depicting America's westward migration, from early pioneers to Dust Bowl refugees; over 30 vintage and significant electric vehicles; photo displays; and a 60-minute Route 66 film.
Show more
A visit to the Arizona Route 66 & Electric Vehicle Museums is a must for Mother Road fanatics. It's not just a collection of memorabilia but a comprehensive look at the historical evolution of Route 66. Not to miss: life-size dioramas depicting America's westward migration, from early pioneers to Dust Bowl refugees; over 30 vintage and significant electric vehicles; photo displays; and a 60-minute Route 66 film.
Ash Fork Route 66 Museum
Home to some 50 stone quarries, Ash Fork is known as "The Flagstone Capital of the World." Learn about this unique claim to fame and more at the Ash Fork Route 66 Museum.
Once a booming railroad town, Ash Fork lost about half its population when the Santa Fe Railway moved the line north in 1960. The Route 66 Museum shares details of the town's railroad history, stone mining industry and Route 66 culture with interactive displays, dioramas, artifacts, even a scale model of Ash Fork's Harvey House, Escalante.
Show more
Once a booming railroad town, Ash Fork lost about half its population when the Santa Fe Railway moved the line north in 1960. The Route 66 Museum shares details of the town's railroad history, stone mining industry and Route 66 culture with interactive displays, dioramas, artifacts, even a scale model of Ash Fork's Harvey House, Escalante.
Cool Springs Station
Visit this 1920s service station, once a stop for motorists on the treacherous stretch of Route 66 through the Black Mountains. Since restored to its former glory by Chicagoan Ned Leuchtner, Cool Springs Station invites drivers to indulge in a classic part of Route 66 history.
Cool Springs Station once offered Route 66'ers a much-needed place in the middle of nowhere to gas up, check the oil and grab a bite to eat. Then I-40 bypassed this stretch of the Mother Road in 1953, and the station was abandoned. Reopened in 2005, Cool Springs Station now offers modern travelers a Route 66 gift shop, snacks, drinks, vintage Mobil gas pumps (for display only) and a small museum. Plus, great photo ops of the surrounding mountains.
Show more
Cool Springs Station once offered Route 66'ers a much-needed place in the middle of nowhere to gas up, check the oil and grab a bite to eat. Then I-40 bypassed this stretch of the Mother Road in 1953, and the station was abandoned. Reopened in 2005, Cool Springs Station now offers modern travelers a Route 66 gift shop, snacks, drinks, vintage Mobil gas pumps (for display only) and a small museum. Plus, great photo ops of the surrounding mountains.
Drive Through Route 66 Sign
When built in 2021, this landmark enjoyed a dedication ceremony featuring 66 classic vehicles, all of which drove under the sign's neon lights right at sunset.
Inspired by a temporary drive-through shield erected each year for the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run, this newly built, permanent structure gives travelers the perfect photo opportunity to commemorate their Mother Road adventure.
Show more
Inspired by a temporary drive-through shield erected each year for the Arizona Route 66 Fun Run, this newly built, permanent structure gives travelers the perfect photo opportunity to commemorate their Mother Road adventure.
Giganticus Headicus
This unique, 14-foot work of art sits at Antares Point, the longest continuous curve—about two miles—on any U.S. highway.
Meet Giganticus Headicus. In 2004, local artist Gregg Arnold built this towering pseudo-tiki sculpture out of metal, wood, chicken wire, styrofoam and cement. At the location, formerly Kozy Corner Trail Park, you can also see more of Arnold’s imaginative artworks.
Show more
Meet Giganticus Headicus. In 2004, local artist Gregg Arnold built this towering pseudo-tiki sculpture out of metal, wood, chicken wire, styrofoam and cement. At the location, formerly Kozy Corner Trail Park, you can also see more of Arnold’s imaginative artworks.
Grand Canyon Caverns
The Cavern tour and Cavern Suite are temporarily unavailable.
Welcome to the largest dry caverns in the United States—and the site of the only motel room located 22 stories underground.
The Grand Canyon Caverns plunge nearly 300 feet below the earth. Check them out on one of four cave tours, from a short 25-minute trip to a longer 2.5-hour tour. Stick around for lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant, then overnight at one of the Cavern's lodging offerings, including The Cavern Suite—a guest room 22 stories underground and accessible via elevator.
Show more
Welcome to the largest dry caverns in the United States—and the site of the only motel room located 22 stories underground.
The Grand Canyon Caverns plunge nearly 300 feet below the earth. Check them out on one of four cave tours, from a short 25-minute trip to a longer 2.5-hour tour. Stick around for lunch or dinner at the on-site restaurant, then overnight at one of the Cavern's lodging offerings, including The Cavern Suite—a guest room 22 stories underground and accessible via elevator.
Hackberry General Store
When Route 66 came through Hackberry in 1926, this store was a popular desert stop. In later years, it was owned by famed Mother Road artist Bob Waldmire—he was also the sole resident in Hackberry from 1992-1997. The community of Hackberry is located about a mile from the store, you have to travel a dirt road, under a Railroad bridge, through a wash, and into the twilight zone... but you can see the town that was featured in the 1969 film Easy Rider.
Even though the Hackberry General Store no longer serves as a fuel stop, you can still see an impressive collection of vintage gas pumps, as well as original Burma Shave signs, hundreds of old license plates, classic cars parked around the property and other Route 66 odds and ends. The store also sells sodas and snacks.
Show more
Even though the Hackberry General Store no longer serves as a fuel stop, you can still see an impressive collection of vintage gas pumps, as well as original Burma Shave signs, hundreds of old license plates, classic cars parked around the property and other Route 66 odds and ends. The store also sells sodas and snacks.
Keepers of the Wild Nature Park
There's nowhere else on Route 66 where visitors get a chance to see 130 wild animals—lions, tigers, wolves, bears, primates and wildlife indigenous to the Southwest—up close and personal.
Keepers of the Wild is a nonprofit sanctuary for abandoned, neglected or retired wildlife. The organization opens its doors to the public, welcoming visitors to embark on a guide-led safari where they can meet the animals and hear fascinating and heartfelt stories about how each came to find a new home at Keepers of the Wild.
Photo Credit: IG @idriskthefall
Show more
Keepers of the Wild is a nonprofit sanctuary for abandoned, neglected or retired wildlife. The organization opens its doors to the public, welcoming visitors to embark on a guide-led safari where they can meet the animals and hear fascinating and heartfelt stories about how each came to find a new home at Keepers of the Wild.
Photo Credit: IG @idriskthefall
Kingman Airport Cafe
Dine at a restaurant that overlooks the last of three World War II watchtowers in the U.S.
The Kingman Army Airfield was founded at the beginning of World War II as an Aerial Gunnery Training Base. It was one of the Army Air Corps largest—training some 35,000 airmen. The 54-foot tall tower monitored planes in flight, along with takeoffs and landings from 1943 to 1945 at the Kingman Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery School. The tower still stands today.
Show more
The Kingman Army Airfield was founded at the beginning of World War II as an Aerial Gunnery Training Base. It was one of the Army Air Corps largest—training some 35,000 airmen. The 54-foot tall tower monitored planes in flight, along with takeoffs and landings from 1943 to 1945 at the Kingman Army Air Force Flexible Gunnery School. The tower still stands today.
La Posada Hotel
Designed by Mary Colter in the 1920s, La Posada was considered to be the finest resort hotel in the Southwest—and served as the Arizona headquarters of the Santa Fe Railway.
When you enter the cool interior of La Posada, you're stepping inside a stunning example of Southwest architecture and design rivaled only by the hotel's rich history. The structure served as a Harvey House, a high-end stop for railroad passengers to dine, and was also a coveted destination for 1930s Hollywood glitterati like Howard Hughes, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell and Clark Gable. Today, join a tour led by an original Harvey Girl—women who worked at Harvey Houses on the railroad—wander the gardens, eat at the restaurant or spend a night in the well-appointed guest rooms.
New exhibit: World’s largest Navajo Rug (the Hubble-Joe Rug which is 21’4” x 32’7”). For more information, click HERE.
Show more
When you enter the cool interior of La Posada, you're stepping inside a stunning example of Southwest architecture and design rivaled only by the hotel's rich history. The structure served as a Harvey House, a high-end stop for railroad passengers to dine, and was also a coveted destination for 1930s Hollywood glitterati like Howard Hughes, Mary Pickford, Jane Russell and Clark Gable. Today, join a tour led by an original Harvey Girl—women who worked at Harvey Houses on the railroad—wander the gardens, eat at the restaurant or spend a night in the well-appointed guest rooms.
New exhibit: World’s largest Navajo Rug (the Hubble-Joe Rug which is 21’4” x 32’7”). For more information, click HERE.
Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
See the best preserved meteor impact site on the planet.
A 550-foot-deep bowl is all that remains of a meteor weighing several hundred thousand tons that crashed into Earth 50,000 years ago. Meteor Crater not only preserves the site but lets you walk the rim on an informative guided tour. Other attractions at the center include a 4D immersive experience, a space museum and discovery center, an Apollo 11 space capsule, a short film and a gem and mineral store.
Show more
A 550-foot-deep bowl is all that remains of a meteor weighing several hundred thousand tons that crashed into Earth 50,000 years ago. Meteor Crater not only preserves the site but lets you walk the rim on an informative guided tour. Other attractions at the center include a 4D immersive experience, a space museum and discovery center, an Apollo 11 space capsule, a short film and a gem and mineral store.
Oatman Hotel
More than 100,000 dollar bills paper the walls of this historic hotel; the oldest note—framed behind the bar—dates to 1923. The tradition started with miners who needed a safe way to store their money, and continues today as tourists from all over the world leave a bill or two.
The former mining town of Oatman sports all the hallmarks of its Gold Rush past: plank sidewalks, burros descended from those brought by miners in the 1800s and Old West buildings, including the Oatman Hotel. Though celebrities from Hollywood's Golden Age used to lodge here during Route 66's heydey, the hotel is no longer open for overnight accommodations, but visitors can dine in the restaurant and saloon, or tour the on-site museum.
Photo Credit: IG -@laurent.montrade
Show more
The former mining town of Oatman sports all the hallmarks of its Gold Rush past: plank sidewalks, burros descended from those brought by miners in the 1800s and Old West buildings, including the Oatman Hotel. Though celebrities from Hollywood's Golden Age used to lodge here during Route 66's heydey, the hotel is no longer open for overnight accommodations, but visitors can dine in the restaurant and saloon, or tour the on-site museum.
Photo Credit: IG -@laurent.montrade
Painted Desert Trading Post
In an effort to restore this historic Route 66 landmark, volunteers relied on an old postcard, a colorized photo, a few scenes from a home movie and an old matchbook cover.
Dotch Windsor and his wife, Alberta, opened the Painted Desert Trading Post in the early 1940s as a gas station, but it closed by the late 1950s after a new alignment bypassed it. The building fell into disrepair until 2018. Thanks to the grassroots efforts of volunteers, plus hundreds of hours of labor and a $20,000 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, restoration of the trading post was completed in 2021.
Photo Credit: Route 66 News
Show more
Dotch Windsor and his wife, Alberta, opened the Painted Desert Trading Post in the early 1940s as a gas station, but it closed by the late 1950s after a new alignment bypassed it. The building fell into disrepair until 2018. Thanks to the grassroots efforts of volunteers, plus hundreds of hours of labor and a $20,000 cost-share grant from the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program, restoration of the trading post was completed in 2021.
Photo Credit: Route 66 News
Petrified Forest National Park
Stretching for miles on both sides of Interstate 40 in northern Arizona, Petrified Forest National Park is a high-desert geologic treasure chest, where visitors can experience one of the world’s largest and most vibrantly colored assemblies of petrified wood, historic structures, tools and archaeological sites. Visitors can experience the park by car on the 28-mile-long Main Park Road, visiting the museum exhibits, walking one of the short maintained trails, or even hiking into the backcountry.
Show more
Route 66 Motel
No longer a motel for overnight travelers.
The Route 66 Motel has been a welcoming stop for travelers along Kingman’s stretch of Route 66 for more than 50 years. Today its towering red-and-yellow neon sign is still a beacon in the night, and one of the few remaining original Route 66 signs of its kind.
The motel and sign have been featured on and in books, magazines (from travel publications to National Geographic), videos, and is still photographed daily by tourists from all over the world.
Photo Credit: IG -@laurent.montrade
Show more
The Route 66 Motel has been a welcoming stop for travelers along Kingman’s stretch of Route 66 for more than 50 years. Today its towering red-and-yellow neon sign is still a beacon in the night, and one of the few remaining original Route 66 signs of its kind.
The motel and sign have been featured on and in books, magazines (from travel publications to National Geographic), videos, and is still photographed daily by tourists from all over the world.
Photo Credit: IG -@laurent.montrade
Seligman Grocery Market
The exterior wall of Seligman Grocery Market offers one of the best selfie spots in town.
Cast against a deep green wall on the side of this market, a mural spells out the town's name: "Seligman." Within each letter you'll see Arizona-specific, Route 66 landmarks. Park here, pop inside the market to browse its wares of food and souvenirs, then take a photo in front of the mural before walking around town.
Show more
Cast against a deep green wall on the side of this market, a mural spells out the town's name: "Seligman." Within each letter you'll see Arizona-specific, Route 66 landmarks. Park here, pop inside the market to browse its wares of food and souvenirs, then take a photo in front of the mural before walking around town.
Shaffer Bowl Spring
Among the many natural wonders along the Mother Road, Shaffer Bowl Spring is perhaps one of the most picturesque. This secret spring flows year-round into a pool where Route 66 drivers used to stop for water to cool off their vehicle's radiator.
Shaffer Bowl Spring is home to one of the prettiest views in the area. A remote enclave sitting right off one of the most popular roads in America, the hidden spring houses a watering hole stocked with goldfish. From the 1940s through the 60s, Route 66 travelers would stop to cool themselves—and their cars' radiators—at the cool pool. Find it at mile marker 30, at the top of about 30 stone steps.
Show more
Shaffer Bowl Spring is home to one of the prettiest views in the area. A remote enclave sitting right off one of the most popular roads in America, the hidden spring houses a watering hole stocked with goldfish. From the 1940s through the 60s, Route 66 travelers would stop to cool themselves—and their cars' radiators—at the cool pool. Find it at mile marker 30, at the top of about 30 stone steps.
Sitgreaves Pass
The Oatman Highway weaves through the Black Mountains to Sitgreaves Pass. Though scenic, the steep grades and hairpin curves were often daunting to early Route 66 travelers—so much so that they would pay locals to drive their vehicles up the hill or tow them over the summit.
The mountain gap of Sitgreaves Pass crests at more than 3,500 feet above the valley floor and offers sight-lines all the way to California and Nevada. The winding drive ribbons through the Black Mountains, inspiring drivers to slow down—not just to take in the scenery but also for safety on the steep, sharp road. From Kingman, plan for about 40 minutes though the route is only about 26 miles.
Show more
The mountain gap of Sitgreaves Pass crests at more than 3,500 feet above the valley floor and offers sight-lines all the way to California and Nevada. The winding drive ribbons through the Black Mountains, inspiring drivers to slow down—not just to take in the scenery but also for safety on the steep, sharp road. From Kingman, plan for about 40 minutes though the route is only about 26 miles.
Standin' on the Corner Park
When songwriter Jackson Browne wrote The Eagles' famous hit "Take it Easy," with its infamous line about standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, he was actually driving through Flagstaff. But he thought Winslow had a better ring to it.
Route 66 trundles through the heart of Winslow, and at the center of town you'll find this corner park. A life-size statue of a man with a guitar perches in front of a two-story mural that pays tribute to the popular 1970s song. In September, Winslow hosts a Standin' on the Corner Festival featuring Eagles cover bands. The town estimates that 100,000 people stop by every year simply to stand on its corner.
Show more
Route 66 trundles through the heart of Winslow, and at the center of town you'll find this corner park. A life-size statue of a man with a guitar perches in front of a two-story mural that pays tribute to the popular 1970s song. In September, Winslow hosts a Standin' on the Corner Festival featuring Eagles cover bands. The town estimates that 100,000 people stop by every year simply to stand on its corner.
Topock 66
An oasis in the Mojave Desert, Topock 66 is the first Route 66 stop in Arizona—or last, depending on your travel direction. It's also across from the now-defunct Old Trails Arch Bridge, which carried Route 66 drivers across the Colorado River from 1916 to 1948.
Topock 66 offers travelers a waterside respite. Situated on the banks of the Colorado River, the destination features a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner—a perfect refueling stop for the tummy no matter the time of day. If you have a few hours, relax on Topock 66's patio, complete with an outdoor pool, swim-up bar and river views galore. This is also an ideal location for seeing the Old Trails Arch Bridge. It's no longer open, but you can enjoy the sight from afar of this architectural marvel located on an original alignment of the Mother Road.
Show more
Topock 66 offers travelers a waterside respite. Situated on the banks of the Colorado River, the destination features a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner—a perfect refueling stop for the tummy no matter the time of day. If you have a few hours, relax on Topock 66's patio, complete with an outdoor pool, swim-up bar and river views galore. This is also an ideal location for seeing the Old Trails Arch Bridge. It's no longer open, but you can enjoy the sight from afar of this architectural marvel located on an original alignment of the Mother Road.
Twin Arrows
Two 20-foot "arrows" angled into the ground—relics from an old trading post—may be recognized by visitors as the arrows from "Forrest Gump;" scenes from the movie were filmed here.
Canyon Padre Trading Post opened in 1937 on Route 66 sans the iconic arrows. But when the store was purchased in the 1950s, the new owners added the gigantic yellow-and-red arrows (aka, telephone poles) to attract Mother Road motorists. It worked to great success, but when I-40 bypassed Route 66, the trading post saw fewer customers and eventually closed. Today, just one arrow remains.
Photo Credit: IG @idriskthefall
Show more
Canyon Padre Trading Post opened in 1937 on Route 66 sans the iconic arrows. But when the store was purchased in the 1950s, the new owners added the gigantic yellow-and-red arrows (aka, telephone poles) to attract Mother Road motorists. It worked to great success, but when I-40 bypassed Route 66, the trading post saw fewer customers and eventually closed. Today, just one arrow remains.
Photo Credit: IG @idriskthefall
Walk This Talk Route 66 Audio Tour
The voice of Ted Danson welcomes you to Flagstaff at the start of this audio tour. The actor grew up here while his father served as director of the Museum of Northern Arizona.
Audio instructions are delivered to your phone on this self-guided tour of destinations on the original alignment of Route 66. Starting at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, you’ll hear oral histories, discover hidden messages in local street art and learn about unsolved mysteries and urban legends.
Show more
Audio instructions are delivered to your phone on this self-guided tour of destinations on the original alignment of Route 66. Starting at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, you’ll hear oral histories, discover hidden messages in local street art and learn about unsolved mysteries and urban legends.
Wigwam Motel
Sleep in a concrete teepee at one of only three remaining Wigwam Motels in the country.
The first Wigwam Motel—part of a chain called Wigwam Villages—was built in 1937. More soon followed in Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, California and Arizona. Only three remain open today, including two on Route 66. Each guest-room is a standalone, surprisingly large "teepee." In a nod to the motel's Route 66 location, parked among the 15 teepees are colorful vintage cars in pristine condition.
Show more
The first Wigwam Motel—part of a chain called Wigwam Villages—was built in 1937. More soon followed in Florida, Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, California and Arizona. Only three remain open today, including two on Route 66. Each guest-room is a standalone, surprisingly large "teepee." In a nod to the motel's Route 66 location, parked among the 15 teepees are colorful vintage cars in pristine condition.
Williams Boxcar Bridge
Step inside a 50-foot BNSF railroad car turned pedestrian bridge.
In Williams, a cherry-red ATSF boxcar spans a drainage channel in Glassburn Park, finding a second life as a covered pedestrian bridge. The train car was donated by BNSF Railway and sits right on Route 66.
In Williams, a cherry-red ATSF boxcar spans a drainage channel in Glassburn Park, finding a second life as a covered pedestrian bridge. The train car was donated by BNSF Railway and sits right on Route 66.