The Drive Home VII: Route 66 Centennial – Up And Over Flagstaff

By Bryan McTaggart...Resident Delinquent. Fan of the unloved machines, backroad tire-fryers and the patron saint of automotive lost causes.


& William Hall

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Updated
January 6, 2026
The car enthusiasts of Kingman, Arizona, never clock out. Whether up late at the local pizza joint or rising early to greet a bunch of cross-country travelers such as our Drive Home crew, their enthusiasm and hospitality know no bounds.


The Pharoahs Car Club of Kingman, Arizona turned out Monday morning to cheer on the Drive Home crew.

lead photo, by David Safian.
All photos courtesy of the author are not shown. Only the captions.
If you want a link to the pictures, email to Bobfixesitup@yahoo.com I will email them to you.-Bob

Despite our groggy start for our Cars & Coffee event, it was all smiles from the staff and volunteers at the Kingman Visitors Center, aka the Route 66 Museum, located in the town’s historic brick Powerhouse. The Pharoahs Car Club showed up in full force, ensuring we left with great memories of this mecca for car enthusiasts.

Any gearhead approaching retirement should consider Kingman for its mild weather, easy living, and vibrant classic car scene. A car guy or gal could never get bored here.

The 1952 Chevy 3100 in a classic Western setting on the Hualapai Reservation.

From one proud community to another, we set out east towards Peach Springs, Arizona, on the southern tip of the Hualapai Reservation. Here is one of Route 66’s architectural diamonds in the rough, the Osterman Service Station. Built in 1929 by Swedish immigrant John Osterman, it was an early Shell service station that served travelers for decades before falling into neglect.

Now owned by the Hualapai Tribe, it’s been placed on the list of “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, in hopes of increasing awareness and potential future uses.

The Osterman Service Station has been declared by the Governor of Arizona as “…an important piece of Americana.” Restoring the station will continue the redevelopment of Peach Springs.

Our last few days on the road have been a bit rushed, which made our first sit-down lunch of the tour that much more special. Goldie’s Route 66 Diner in Williams, Arizona, did not disappoint; delivering friendly service, tasty food and a quintessential American diner experience. I can wholeheartedly recommend the breaded pork chops, though all my fellow travelers seemed satisfied as well.


One of the many murals in the town of Seligman, Arizona.Lest I tempt fate, we haven’t had any mechanical maladies to report yet, save for a squeaky alternator belt on the 1965 Ford Country Squire. There may be more to update in the morning, after our ride-along mechanics Curt and Andy have looked at it.


A late addition to our route took us to the Lowell Observatory high above Flagstaff, for an all-too-brief tour of the facility and a chance to look at a rare 1911 Stevens-Duryea Model Y, a car once owned by observatory founder Percival Lowell. The observatory is credited with discovering the planet Pluto, and an amusing anecdote is that while nearly everyone else has downgraded that distant celestial body to dwarf planet status, the State of Arizona still recognizes Pluto as a planet.



Nobody celebrates Route 66 kitch like Seligman, AZ.Leaving Lowell, we were treated to a police escort through rush hour traffic back to I-40 by the friendly and professional Flagstaff Police Department. The smooth exodus avoided the stoplight stall possibilities that some of our old, carbureted cars were threatening at Flagstaff’s 7,000-foot elevation.


Lunch stop at Goldie’s in Williams, Arizona.Our observatory visit was coordinated by Alan Winninger of Route66Centennial, another organization poised to promote communities along the Route 66 corridor. This part of Arizona really embraces the historic highway, with nearly every business proudly identifying with the Mother Road in one form or another. It’s an exciting time for these towns on the Route as they enter this centennial anniversary year with a calendar full of special events and economic opportunities.

If you’ve ever thought of driving Route 66, this is the year to do it.

The 1911 Stevens-Duryea Model Y owned by the Lowell Observatory was one of Flagstaff’s first cars. Once the radiator is re-soldered, the car will run again.

Entering Winslow for the night, we kept true to The Eagles advice to stand on the corner and take it easy, with a wonderful stay at the historic La Posada hotel. We hope the sound of our own wheels won’t drive us crazy in the remaining week of traveling Route 66, and onwards to the Detroit Auto Show.

The Drive Home crew, standing on that corner in Winslow, Arizona.