Strength and Beauty, Met Together (Part Four)

We’re finally at the end of our journey through California and Arizona’s Route 66 corridor. If you missed the first three parts, start here.

Route 66 is a much richer and worthwhile journey because of the people that live and work along it. I have made many friends over the years – one of the earliest connections came in Arizona when I met Jim Hinckley and his wife, Judy. Jim is a historian and author and a selfless promoter of those bringing value and awareness to the highway. It amazes me to look back at our first meeting in 2015 when I was so young in my own 66 journey, and then to look at where we both are today. His podcast is a great addition to the media landscape of the Mother Road. Samantha and I enjoyed dinner with the Hinckleys our first night in Kingman.

I’d booked ahead for Friday, November 14th, at the Aztec Motel in Seligman, so the end of our trip would be a Kingman/Seligman/Kingman bounce-back before heading back to Oklahoma. That ended up being for the best, as I had a few conference calls pop up that Friday morning and we were able to make Tin Can Alley our home base for the entire morning, which also meant quality coffee from Mudd on 66 next door. Samantha also discovered that the spaghetti at Mr. D’z Diner was worth writing home about.

Thanks to the time I spent in the area earlier this year on the Osterman Station project, the drive from Kingman to Seligman has become very familiar. Although Samantha had been down the road here before, it wasn’t at a pace that would allow for true saturation like this time around. We stopped at Antares Point and visited with a kind shopkeeper there; I showed her all of the progress at the Osterman Station with restoration still underway; we enjoyed a terrific meal at Westside Lilo’s (another recent recipient of the Preserve Route 66 Legacy Business Grant.) I was also happy to see that the former Seligman Sundries building renovation was completed and a new restaurant, Highway Hot Dog, is now open.

Then, I had the absolute pleasure of introducing Sam to Sebastiaan at the Aztec.

I’ve written about the Aztec and Sebastiaan’s journey from the Netherlands to Seligman before, so I won’t retread that ground. But Sam helped me confirm that, yes, it wasn’t just me: the Aztec is someplace special. Sebastiaan also has a delightful sense of humor and it was hard for us to let him get back to work!

Saturday provided another relaxing morning. We walked across the street and met up with Mo, a member of Angel Delgadillo’s family. The last time I was in Seligman, Angel celebrated his 98th birthday and I got to spend time with the whole gang. Mo excitedly told me about all of the projects they had going on, including the restoration of Angel’s original barber shop on the old alignment of 66, just a block away from the modern gift shop. Sam and I went over to check it out and were very impressed! It still has more work to come, but it’s looking great.

As we returned to Kingman, rain came to northwestern Arizona. It was a welcome sight to the region and we didn’t let that dampen our spirits for the night’s festivities. The final event of our trip west was A Night at the Museum, a Centennial fundraiser for the Powerhouse Museum in partnership with the Historic Route 66 Association of Arizona. It was 1920s-themed, complete with casino games and festive decor. Samantha bought a beautiful dress and I rented the same suit with tails that I’d worn when we got married. Since Sam and I just celebrated ten years united, I thought it would be a lovely idea to renew our vows.

So, in the middle of the party, our friend Katie joined us in a quiet part of the museum as I read my wedding vows back to Samantha, and she read hers back to me. Even after all these years, I could barely get through mine and keep my composure; I am so lucky to have such a kind, giving, and thoughtful partner. (Sam also pointed out that when we restated our vows at the one year mark, it was also in Arizona. Must be the climate!) It was the perfect way to cap off our trip.

Now: the drive home. Thankfully, it wasn’t QUITE as long as the drive west. I had time to meet up briefly with Ray Harvey and see his completed mural behind Mr. D’z Diner before leaving town. He was just given a great honor back in his home state of Missouri of being selected as the 2026 Individual Artist of the Year! His work is incredible and I am eager to see what’s next. We stopped for a late breakfast in Flagstaff at Miz Zip’s and visited with my friend David, who works for the local State Historic Preservation Office, about the pending sale of the Museum Club. The historic venue there is endangered and we’re all concerned it could be completely lost. I hope that doesn’t happen! We have a lot of folks engaged, but at the end of the day it just depends on who buys it and what their intentions are.

Our final overnight stop was at the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, New Mexico. I had a good chat with the new owner, Rich Havlik, and ended up rooming next to a friend: Marian Pavel! He had returned to Route 66 to make arrangements for the new Centennial Passport that will be released in 2026 and we were so sad to miss him in Tulsa, but the road still allowed us to spend some time together. We spent hours chatting and reminiscing about our time together in Slovakia last year. It still feels like it was a dream!

After 3,300 miles, our journey ended. Rex was so excited to see us that he went bonkers…and then fell into a deep sleep. It was a full and wonderful trip on the Mother Road, seeing old friends and making new ones. I know I’ll be spending a significant amount of time traveling in 2026 and I think the rest of 2025 will allow me to rest at home. We’ll see!