Our intent was to find as much of the original road as we could in Arizona. We thought we had rejoined it in Williams but alas, the only available portion ran for just a few miles east of town and not west where we were headed. Ash Fork had “Historic 66” signs but after a detour that landed us in a dead end near the flagstone quarry, we had to get back on the SuperSlab. Finally, not too far from Seligman we found what we had been looking for and drove happily on a well-maintained stretch of the Mother Road.

Seligman is another town that has done well for itself by capitalizing on the popularity of Route 66, and with good reason. The chief boosters of the Arizona Route 66 Association, brothers Angel and Juan Delgadillo, lived there. Sadly, Juan passed on in 2004 but Angel still runs the barbershop and souvenir store next to Juan’s ice cream palace, and between them they have done much to revitalize Seligman and the whole Arizona 66 experience.

This day, there were mostly English-speaking travelers browsing the shops and stopping for a treat at the Snow Cap. NOS and I stepped into the enclosure at the order window, and found it to be papered from ceiling to floor in business cards from all over the world. Most of the cards were from European countries with a smattering of U.S. and Asian cards. We stepped up to the cashier and asked “What’s the best here?” His answer: “None of it - but we have this -” at which point, he picked up a mustard bottle and squeezed it. A yellow spurt landed on my shirt but I was wise to the old trick, a colored string in the nozzle that bounced off me harmlessly. “Seen it before,” I said. Still it was a hoot and we got ice cream cones, just the thing in the warmer air down the hill from Flagstaff.

The souvenir shop attached to Angel’s barbershop had an entire wall covered with arm patches from police agencies all over the U.S. and Europe. It was a fascinating sight even though we hoped we would not see another patch from any local constables in Oklahoma County - we didn’t - and we have never seen the like of it before or since. Angel was giving a customer a straight-razor shave next door. That is too thrilling for the likes of me - not a good way to donate blood, in my book - so we pointed the nose of the Vette west and settled in for the longest and best stretch of 66 in original condition.