History and Route 66: Things to Do in Flagstaff in One Day

An original section of Route 66 is preserved in Flagstaff Route 66 Park.

Flagstaff is a Route 66 town not like many other Route 66 towns.  While Route 66 bypassed a lot of towns, causing those towns to disappear, Flagstaff wasn’t affected in the same way.  Flagstaff was established in 1882 and has a lot of history that predates Route 66, so Flagstaff didn’t completely rely on Route 66 to survive.  Today it is a bustling college town with a historic downtown and some remaining remnants of Route 66.  While there are a lot of things to do in Flagstaff, many of Flagstaff’s historical and Route 66 sites are close together and can be visited in one day. 

Historic Downtown Walking Tour

Downtown Flagstaff courthouse and . . . a pay phone?

Flagstaff has a historic downtown that feels more like it belongs on the east coast rather than in the west with its tall brick and stone buildings.  We recommend starting the day early in the morning with a self-guided walking tour of Flagstaff’s historic downtown.  The light is beautiful in the morning, shining in between the buildings, and the streets are empty.  It feels like you have downtown all to yourself.  The Flagstaff Visitor Center city map highlights a number of historic buildings to be on the lookout for in Flagstaff’s historic downtown.

The Weatherford Hotel first opened its doors on January 1, 1900.  The hotel was built by John W. Weatherford, who arrived in Flagstaff in 1897.  The hotel has been visited by pioneers and presidents.  The Weatherford was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.  It’s fitting that a hotel that opened its doors on January 1 now hosts Flagstaff’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration with a pine cone drop.

Just down the street from the Weatherford Hotel is the Orpheum Theater, which used to be the Weatherford Opera House.  In 1915, a snow storm dropped five feet of snow on Flagstaff, which flattened a number of downtown buildings, including the opera house.  Weatherford rebuilt the theater and named it the Orpheum.  Be sure to walk into the alley next to theater to see the colorful mural painted on the side.

On the corner of Beaver Street and Cherry Avenue stands the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  The church is built with local volcanic rock.  It was a little surprising to see that the church is rather pink in color.  Walking along this part of downtown also features views of snowcapped mountains providing the backdrop to historic Flagstaff.

Central to historic downtown Flagstaff is Heritage Square.  Heritage Square is an open-air amphitheater and a new part of Flagstaff’s history.  This gathering place was created as part of the revitalization of downtown Flagstaff.

On the corner of San Francisco Street and Aspen Avenue are two historic buildings, the Hotel Monte Vista and the Babbitt Brothers Building.  The Hotel Monte Vista was built in 1926 using funds donated by the novelist Zane Grey.  The hotel filled a need for new, first-class accommodations and is another of Flagstaff’s historic and still operating hotels.  It is also on the National Registrar of Historic Places.  Across the street is the Babbitt Brothers Building, which started as a building-supply store in 1888 and eventually became Arizona’s largest department store.  The building is in the process of being restored.

In addition to historic buildings, historic downtown Flagstaff has shopping and dining.  The shops of historic downtown Flagstaff are unique, providing one-of-a-kind shopping opportunities in art galleries, antique stores, and gift shops.  Be sure to visit my new friend George Averbeck, who is one of the owners and artists of the Arizona HandMade Gallery.  He makes hand-blown glass art under the name Fire on the Mountain.  He is an illustration of how friendly the people of Flagstaff are.  We struck up a conversation on the street when he rounded the corner and was surprised by me crouching on the sidewalk taking a picture.  That chance meeting turned into me learning more about Flagstaff from the view of a local and bringing home a beautiful glass Pluto ornament, a perfect Flagstaff souvenir as the dwarf planet Pluto was discovered in Flagstaff at the Lowell Observatory.

While exploring historic downtown Flagstaff on foot, turn down some of the alleys and enjoy the murals and street art that can be found.

Historic Walking Tour

In case a walking tour of historic downtown Flagstaff isn’t enough, across Route 66 from historic downtown is another section of historic Flagstaff for your walking pleasure.  While the downtown tour weaves through tall stone and brick buildings from the late 1800s, this side of the street feels more like what you would expect from a Route 66 town with old hotels, neon signs, and, of course, a train station.

Flagstaff grew up around its train station.  Santa Fe Plaza and the 1897 depot are a good place to start a walking tour of this side of Flagstaff.  In front of the depot is a sculpture commemorating the Candy Dancers, railroad laborers who started building the railroads.  Candy Dancers got their name because they were able to move heavy sections of railroad by working in unison by using a song to keep a beat.

Further down the tracks on Phoenix Avenue are two hotels that hosted Route 66 road trippers.  The Downtowner Motel was first opened in 1919 and continued to provide lodging through the Route 66 era.  The neon sign still advertises $5 rooms.  The hotel is now a hostel and private apartments.  On the next block is the old Motel DuBeau Travelers Inn, which was built in 1929 and is also run as a hostel today.

Across the street from these old hotels is a long, colorful mural depicting scenes from Route 66.  The historic walking tour continues along Mike’s Pike, the original Route 66, and Milton, passing Route 66 relics like B&M Auto Camp and Granny’s Closet.  The Flagstaff Visitor Center has created a guide to this historic walking tour, which includes lots of history.

Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

An important part of Flagstaff’s history involves the Riordan family.  Travelers can learn more about this history by visiting and taking a guided tour of the Riordan Mansion, the home of brothers Timothy and Michael Riordan.  Timothy and Michael Riordan moved out to Flagstaff to run the family logging industry.  They met and married sisters Caroline and Elizabeth Metz, who were cousins to another famous Flagstaff family, the Babbitt brothers. 

The two couples decided to build a large duplex home in 1904.  They lived in identical homes which were connected in the middle with a common living room.  While they lived in the same building, they were able to have complete privacy.  Even their front doors faced opposite directions. 

The home was built in the Arts and Crafts style with lots of built-ins, like a built-in refrigerator, and designed to blend into nature.  There are beautiful decorative features like stained-glass windows, sepia photos transferred onto the windows of the common room, and a chandelier made of logs.

During the tour we learned the family did great things for Flagstaff, like selling land to Percival Lowell for $1 for Lowell Observatory to bring science into the area.  They also helped establish Northern Arizona University, built on land that used to be their tennis court, and the Fort Valley Experimental Forest Station.

Lumberjack Muffler Man

Muffler Men were huge fiberglass sculptures that were used as roadside advertisements.  There were men holding mufflers, men holding axes, and even men holding hot dogs.  Muffler Men became icons of Route 66.  The very first one created was a Paul Bunyan lumberjack holding an axe.  This first Muffler Man was outside of the Paul Bunyan Café, now Granny’s Closet.  The lumberjack has since been moved and can now be found in front of the Skydome at Northern Arizona University and is the mascot for the NAU Lumberjacks.

Preserved Section of Original Route 66

When Route 66 came through Flagstaff, it shaped the city.  The two-lane road went straight through town and became lined with motels, auto repair shops, gas stations, and diners.  Traffic became so bad on Route 66, the road had to be widened to four lanes.  An original stretch of Route 66 is preserved in Flagstaff Route 66 Park.  The park is located between East Industrial Drive, North Fanning Drive, and Route 66.  It’s a little difficult to get to as there is no parking dedicated to the park, but it’s pretty cool to stand on this original piece of history.

Route 66 Eats in Flagstaff

While not an original Route 66 diner, Galaxy Diner is located on Route 66 and brings back the 1950s with its menu and décor.  Galaxy Diner is the home of 100 shakes and malts, which threatened to explode my brain, so I went for an oldie but goody, the chocolate malt, along with a patty melt.  When’s the last time you had a malt?

Where to Stay in Flagstaff Arizona

While in Flagstaff, we stayed at the Best Western Pony Soldier Inn & Suites along Route 66.  Best Western Motels was founded in 1946, the same year Highway 66 got its nickname Route 66.  By 1963, Best Western was the largest motel chain with 699 properties, including some along Route 66.  Best Western offered “Call Ahead” service for road trippers.  Guests could check the Best Western mileage guide for route suggestions to their next destination, and the desk clerk could call ahead and make advance reservations at any other Best Western property on the guest’s route.

Today, the Best Western Pony Soldier Inn & Suites is a great place to stay on a Route 66 road trip.  Rooms are big with tile floors, which is great for guests taking advantage of the hotel’s pet-friendly policy.  A complimentary buffet breakfast is served every morning in the large detached breakfast room.  The lobby has a southwestern flair with woven baskets and tomahawks on the wall. 

Flagstaff got its name from a flagpole made from a stripped pine tree erected July 4, 1876, to celebrate the nation’s centennial.

Thank you to the Flagstaff CVB for hosting the Flagstaff portion of our Route 66 road trip and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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Stay Connected While Traveling Off the Grid with goTenna

Have you ever been in a situation where you need to get in touch with your significant other, but there’s no cell service.  Or traveling internationally and one or both of you don’t have an international plan?  Have you had that moment of panic where you need to get in touch with your traveling partner but just can’t?  If any of these have happened to you, or you can see how they could easily happen in the future, the goTenna is for you.  A pair of goTennas will allow you and your travel partner to stay in touch without the need for cell service or Wi-Fi.

When Romeo and I travel, I pay for international service on my phone.  I’m in charge of getting us from A to B with the use of maps.  I’m in charge of checking emails for reservations and confirmations.  There’s no reason for us to pay for two international plans.  However, there are times when I really wish he had service on his phone because I’ve somehow misplaced him, I turn around and all of a sudden he’s nowhere to be seen (you wives know what I’m talking about).

Once we were on vacation and we were getting onto the crowded metro.  Since I’m in charge of navigation, Rome didn’t know at which stop we were getting off.  Humanity streamed out of the metro and the next group of passengers pushed their way in against the flow, like salmon swimming upstream.  I squeezed myself into a spot . . . and turned around in time to see the doors closing and Rome looking in from the opposite side of the window.  Before the metro went whizzing off to the next station, I frantically gestured to Rome that he needed to get off in four stops, hoping against hope during the ride and while waiting at the destination station that he had understood.  Luckily he had, but it would have been much more reassuring if I could have texted him the name of the station and received a response from him that he knew where to go.

Just recently we were visiting the Christmas markets of Europe.  Some of them, like the one in Nuremberg, are really crowded and it is easy to get separated.  When we were wandering around one of Budapest’s Christmas markets, we were both taking pictures.  I thought I was keeping track of his whereabouts when all of a sudden I turned around and he was nowhere to be seen.  In those crowds, I was worried it would take forever to find him.  We reconnected in about five minutes, but it was a nerve-wracking five minutes.

Now that we have goTennas, we don’t have to worry about these kinds of things anymore.  In fact, we can now even feel secure going our own ways for even longer, knowing that we’ll be able to find each other again by connecting via our cell phones using our goTennas.  goTennas are digital radios that pair with smartphones via Bluetooth which allow you to communicate when there’s no cell coverage or WiFi.  Messages can be sent to someone up to a mile away in urban situations and up to four miles away in outdoor terrains. 

We’ve been testing our goTennas and they’ve come in handy before we’ve even taken them international.  When I was reading about goTenna, one of the example uses was while hiking.  I didn’t think that would apply to us as we always hike together.  However, on a short hike during our trip to Bishop, California, the goTenna came in handy.  Rome was taking photos with his new telephoto lens, so decided to stay put while I went hiking to see Mobius Arch in the Alabama Hills.  I assumed he was going to eventually join me, but I didn’t want to wait a long time, not knowing whether or not he was.  I took out my cell phone to text him and, sure enough, found I had no service.  Luckily we had our goTennas with us so I was able to message him to see if he was joining me or not.  He wasn’t, so I was glad I didn’t sit around waiting endlessly for no reason.

Another awesome feature of goTenna that isn’t about communicating is its map function.  goTenna offers maps for every state and every country (or a lot of countries, I didn’t really see if every single one is covered).  Make sure you download the map before you travel.  With the map downloaded, you won’t need to log on to Google maps to get around.  On our recent Route 66 road trip we used Google maps for navigation.  But there were a number of areas with no data reception, so our map wasn’t able to update to show us where we were and where we needed to go.  All you need to use this feature is the appropriate downloaded map and the GPS of your phone, which works with no cell or data service.  The goTenna doesn’t even have to be on. 

With the map feature, you can send your location to your travel partner.  You can also send a request through the goTenna for your partner to send you their location.  This function was able to send Romeo my exact location on the hiking trail!

goTenna comes with a one-year guarantee, so it comes with a return FedEx shipping label in case something goes wrong during the one-year window.  Sometimes, even when an item has a warranty, it can be a pain to figure out how to send the product back for service or replacement, so this was a pleasant surprise to see how easy goTenna is making it in case something does go wrong.

We’re really excited to take our goTennas with us internationally.  Even if we only use them a few times on each trip, it will provide one more bit of reassurance just in case we get separated.  It will also allow us to be able to go our separate ways for a short time, knowing that we’ll easily be able to reconnect without data or cell service.  I know one thing, we won’t be traveling without our goTennas from now on.

Thank you to goTenna for providing us with a pair of goTennas to use for our review and travels.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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A Romantic Getaway to Puerto Rico for Couples

There’s something romantic about Puerto Rico.  The cobblestone streets bordered by brightly colored buildings.  The architecture that makes you feel like you might be in Europe.  The prickly heat that can quickly turn into buckets of water falling from the sky, but only for long enough for the two of you to duck into a bar to dry off and share a sangria and a laugh.  The sandy beaches and warm water that beckon you in for a swim.  Puerto Rico is most definitely a romantic destination for couples.

The couple under the balcony know how to wait out a rainstorm.

I actually took a trip to Puerto Rico years ago, ten years ago to be exact, but it wasn’t with my other half.  I got to tag along on a trip with some friends, and there was only room for one.  We had a wonderful time, but I kept wishing Romeo was there with me to experience this beautiful and romantic Caribbean island.

Old San Juan is full of colorful streets and alleys.

The blue cobblestone streets of Old San Juan are meant to be strolled walking hand-in-hand.  This walled city, a relic of the Spanish Empire, is filled with colorful colonial architecture from hundreds of years ago, charming plazas, and delightful restaurants and bars.  Old San Juan is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Catedral de San Juan Bautista.

One of the oldest buildings in Old San Juan is the Catedral de San Juan Bautista.  It is also one of the oldest cathedrals in the Americas.  The current cathedral, which was built in 1540, replaced the original thatch-roofed church that was destroyed in a hurricane in 1529.  The Spanish explorer Ponce de León is interred in the cathedral.  The wax-covered mummy of St. Pius, one of the first martyrs of the Roman persecutions, can also be found in the cathedral.  I’ll warn you, if you look close, it’s kind of creepy, but a very important relic.

The central courtyard of Hotel El Convento.

If you plan on staying in Old San Juan, the most romantic hotel is Hotel El Convento, across Plaza de las Monjas (Nun’s Square) from the Catedral de San Juan Bautista.  The Hotel El Convento first opened in 1651 as a Carmelite convent.  The convent fell into disrepair in the early 1900s, serving as a store, a dance hall, and then a flophouse, but was restored and opened as a hotel in 1962.  This beautiful Puerto Rico hotel is decorated in the Spanish Colonial design with wooden beams, handcrafted tiles, carved furniture, and old-world style.

Views of the city walls and San Juan Bay along Paseo del Morro.

The intact city walls of Old San Juan can be viewed on a romantic stroll along Paseo del Morro.  A walk along Paseo del Morro can start at the romantic Raíces Fountain, which was erected to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the New World.  The Paseo del Morro offers views not only of the city walls but also of and across the Bahia de San Juan.

View of San Juan from Castillo de San Felipe del Morro.

The Paseo del Morro leads to the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro.  The fort overlooks the entrance to San Juan Bay.  The foundation of El Morro was laid in 1539, but the fort was completed in 1787.  During World War II, the US added an artillery fire control station.  The lawn also provides a panoramic view of San Juan.

Castillo de San Felipe del Morro overlooking the Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis.

Below the Castillo de San Felipe del Morro is the picturesque Cementerio Santa María Magdalena de Pazzis.  The marble tombs and monuments are the final resting places of some of Puerto Rico’s most famous and influential citizens.  The cemetery is close to La Perla, the infamously dangerous neighborhood of San Juan, but the cemetery is safe to visit during the day.

Puerto Rico’s attractions are not limited to Old San Juan.  If you have a rental car, drive to the Parque de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy, a cave system with the third largest underground river in the world.  The caves can only be explored on a guided tour, which starts with a ride on a trolley and then a walking tour.  Tours can be canceled when it rains, so check the weather before making the drive.

Another of Puerto Rico’s natural sites is El Yunque National Forest, the only rainforest in the United States under the protection of the National Forest Service.  El Yunque has flora, fauna, waterfalls, and scenic hiking trails.

One of the beaches of Vieques.

As Puerto Rico is an island with 270 miles of coastline, there are obviously numerous beaches from which to choose.  One of the best beaches for beauty and snorkeling is Playa Escondido on the east side of the island.  If you are really looking for a romantic place to enjoy the sea and sand, take a ferry to one of Puerto Rico’s secluded islands.  Much of the island of Vieques used to be under the control of the US military.  Now some of the island’s best beaches are open to the public and travelers can spend the day on a beach with white sand and clear blue waters, perfect for sunbathing and snorkeling.

One of the iconic turrets of the wall surrounding Old San Juan.

Puerto Rico is a romantic Caribbean island perfect for a couples’ getaway.  Whether you are visiting for a few days or a week, there are plenty of things to do in Puerto Rico.  Hopefully I’ll get the chance to return to Puerto Rico, but this time with Romeo by my side so we can make memories in Puerto Rico together.

This article was sponsored by See Puerto Rico.  Visit their website to learn more about how you can live your own 5-star vacation story in Puerto Rico.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links.  If you book through them, it costs you nothing extra, and we earn a small commission that goes towards running this website.

What would you like to do in Puerto Rico with your significant other? 

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Happy 90th Anniversary to Route 66!

California Route 66 between Victorville and Barstow.

I’ve become a little obsessed with how people in the past went on vacation.  Travel is such an important part of our lives; it’s how we get through the workday, knowing our hard work not only keeps food on the table and a roof over our heads but also provides us with the privilege of seeing how other people live on this great earth and touching and feeling and seeing history.  Travel is fairly easy and quick nowadays, but it didn’t use to be.  One particular type of vacation that fascinates me is the all-American road trip.  This is something we still enjoy today, but we can buzz from one destination to the next using our wide, multi-lane interstates.  It wasn’t always so quick, like when families hit the road and traveled along Route 66.  We kicked off 2016 with a short Route 66 road trip through California and Arizona to celebrate the 90th anniversary of Route 66 and get a glimpse of what it was like for families of the past to get their kicks on Route 66.

California Route 66 between Barstow and Needles.

Route 66 didn’t necessarily start off as a pleasure route.  The United States government was trying to figure out a better way to create a network of roads across the country and created a plan for a uniform highway system.  Plans for some interstate highways were approved and the numbering system that we still use today, odd numbers for north-south and even numbers for east-west, was adopted.

Hackberry General Store along Arizona Route 66.

Cyrus Avery, an American Association of Highway Officials (AASHO) committee member, wanted a highway that went through his state of Oklahoma, so he planned a highway that would travel from Chicago to Los Angeles.  The plan was approved and U.S. Highway 66 was born on November 11, 1926.

Highway 66 first became a household name when it was a big part of the Trans-American Footrace, also known as the not very glamorous sounding Bunion Derby.  This was a multiday race in 1928 which started in Los Angeles and finished in New York City. 

Dust Bowl Migration Exhibit at Kingman's Powerhouse Route 66 Museum.

Highway 66 became a popular road in the 1930s, but not just for leisure travel.  During the Great Depression, government dollars were spent on road building, including paving the unpaved portions of Route 66, which helped provide jobs.  The entirety of Route 66 was paved as of July 1937.  Route 66 was then used for the Dust Bowl migration immortalized in John Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath.  Highway 66 became a symbol of hope for people to head west for a better life.

Hotels with neon signs beckoned travelers to stop, like the Western Hills Motel in Flagstaff.

After World War II, new cars started being manufactured again, people had money, and pleasure travel boomed.  Highway 66 was an extremely popular route for vacationing families to take and the roadside towns, hotels, cafes, and gas stations flourished.  The song (Get Your Kicks on) Route 66, written by Bobby Troup in 1946, was first recorded by Nat King Cole as the King Cole Trio.  The song was a hit, and Highway 66 became known as Route 66 from then on.

Arizona Route 66 through Kingman.

Route 66 became hugely popular, which meant it saw a lot of traffic.  As a two-lane highway with no divider, it also became very dangerous and received monikers like Bloody 66, Bloody Highway, and Death Alley.  Portions of the road received nicknames like Dead Man’s Curve and Devil’s Elbow.

The Federal-Aid Highway Act was passed in 1956.  This bill would create a highway system through the United States that would bypass cities and towns and rather go around them.  As freeways were built in the late 1950s and the 1960s, the demise of Route 66 and the towns along it began.  The last town along Route 66 to be bypassed was Williams, Arizona on October 13, 1984.

Hackberry General Store along Arizona Route 66.

Route 66 was almost completely abolished when the AASHTO approved its decertification in 1985.  However, Angel Delgadillo, the owner of a barber shop in Seligman (still there today) fought for Route 66 and created the Historic Route 66 Association in Arizona.  Because of him, Arizona adopted Historic Route 66.  At first, this historic route only included the portion from Seligman to Kingman, but now most of the Mother Road is designated as Historic Route 66.

Seligman along Arizona Route 66.

Thanks to Angel Delgadillo, travelers today can get off the highway and still drive along parts of Route 66.  A Route 66 road trip passes through towns with Route 66 history and kitsch and ramshackle ruins left over from what Route 66 used to be.  Travel along Route 66 is a little slower, a little darker (it’s amazing how many more stars you can see when you’re off the highway), and occasionally a little harrier since there are a few spots that are not kept up.  But taking a road trip vacation along Route 66 is unforgettable and feels like traveling back in time.  It provides the opportunity to discover little treasures that would be missed if flying by on the highway.  So wish Route 66 a happy 90th anniversary and get your kicks on Route 66 in 2016!

You might also enjoy: Off the Beaten Path: The Plank Road of Southern California

Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles.

I learned a lot about the history of Route 66 shared in this article from the book Route 66 Across Arizona by Richard and Sherry Mangum. 

This article contains affiliate links.  If you purchase through them, they cost you nothing extra, but we earn a small commission which helps run this website. 

Thank you to Go Kingman and the Flagstaff CVB for hosting our trip along Route 66 and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are my own.

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