If roads had personalities, Route 66 would be that eccentric uncle who shows up to family gatherings in a sequined jacket, driving a convertible no one knew still worked. Born in 1926, decommissioned in the 1980s, eulogised more times than Elvis, yet here it is again. Brighter, quirkier, and gearing up for its 100th birthday in 2026.
This is no ordinary strip of tar. It’s a stage. It’s an icon. It’s America at its most flamboyant and, dare one say, most fun. And Arizona, home to some of the highway’s most eccentric pit stops, is busy dusting off the neon, repainting the signs, and adding a few flourishes that could only happen here.
Meteor City: Dinosaurs Take the Wheel
Let’s start with the most obvious proof that Route 66 refuses to act its age: Meteor City, 20 miles west of Winslow. Once a trading post, then a Texaco, now reborn under the dome of a massive geodesic bubble that looks like NASA left it behind.
The headline act? Dinosaurs. More than thirty of them loom over cars in the brand-new Dino Drive-Thru. Families roll past, pointing and laughing, while kids in the back seat half-believe they’ve wandered onto the set of Jurassic Park: The Highway Edition.
And because kitsch is the lifeblood of Route 66, Meteor City also offers gemstone mining, vintage arcade games, and perhaps most delightfully anarchic of all, a chance to spray-paint your name across an old Volkswagen. Route 66 has never been about polished perfection; it’s about the joyful chaos of the road.
Kingman: A Bark on the Mother Road
Further along, Kingman has decided to ensure travellers with dogs no longer have to apologise for bringing them along. Enter the Route 66 Dog Park, beside the Route 66 Museum, where fur babies can run free while their owners line up for selfies under a five-foot walk-through Route 66 shield.
This is, after all, a road that always had a soft spot for outsiders, motorcyclists, dreamers, musicians, drifters, why not Labradors too? Kingman has even added a drive-thru Route 66 shield for those who’d rather immortalise their road trip without unbuckling. Pure Americana, now paw-approved.
Winslow’s Singing Asphalt
Then there’s Winslow. Already immortalised in an Eagles lyric, the town has now managed the improbable: it has made asphalt sing. A stretch of custom-built road just outside town will play Take It Easy when driven over at precisely 35 miles per hour.
Imagine the scene: windows down, tyres humming that famous verse “Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, such a fine sight to see…” while bemused passengers laugh at the absurdity of it all. The singing road sits near the 9/11 Memorial Park, a perfect prelude before exploring the town’s Standing on the Corner Park, the Old Trails Museum, or La Posada Hotel.
Would Glenn Frey have believed it? Who knows. But only on Route 66 would a classic rock lyric encode into bitumen.
Flamingos, Fire Pits and the Painted Desert
Not all reinventions are neon-bright. Near Petrified Forest National Park sits the wonderfully eccentric Tickled Pink Flamingos Vintage Campground. Five lovingly restored vintage caravans stand ready, offering front-row seats to sunsets over Arizona’s badlands.
Guests spend their evenings by the fire pit under galaxies so clear you could sketch them, and their mornings sipping coffee with the desert stretching to the horizon. The flamingos? They’re part of the branding, a wink to roadside Americana. But the solitude and beauty? That’s pure Arizona.
The Dog Suite: Luxury Goes Furry
Over in Cottonwood, the Tavern Hotel has finally accepted what dog owners have known for decades: the family holiday isn’t complete if the dog’s not welcome. After its Dog Cottage charmed pet owners, the hotel unveiled a Dog Suite: 450 square feet of plush indulgence for two humans and up to two pooches.
Think king bed, lavish bathroom, and enough space for toys, beds, and puppuccinos (supplied across the street at Crema Craft Kitchen + Bar). A stroll through Dead Horse Ranch State Park seals the deal. It’s luxury travel, paw-printed.
The Grand Canyon, Reimagined
Of course, Route 66 always flirted with the Grand Canyon, and now comes a new stay to match its grandeur. The Highland Grand Canyon, opened in May 2025, is just four miles from the South Rim yet manages to feel remote.
Five safari tents sit under ponderosa pines, offering memory foam beds, Wi-Fi, hot showers, and views of elk wandering past. Nights bring stargazing that humbles even the most seasoned traveller. Highland is glamping with gravitas, proof that even the Canyon’s backdoor can host a world-class retreat.
Cosmic Arizona: Phoenix’s Planetarium
Down in Phoenix, the Dorrance Planetarium reopens on 18 October 2025 after a spectacular renovation. With 8K+ projection and brightness levels 100 times stronger than most domes, it promises to be the most advanced planetarium in North America.
Thanks to immersive tech company Cosm, visitors can plunge into black holes, drift among stars, and explore the cosmos without leaving downtown. This is a bold new chapter for a city that has long sold itself as a gateway to desert skies.
Whiskey, Wildlife and Wild Rides
Other new arrivals along the road only add to the carnival. In Prescott, the Whiskey Trail Pass lets visitors explore 24 saloons digitally — trivia, scavenger hunts, and a dram or two. It’s the Wild West, rebranded for the smartphone generation.
Meanwhile, Rockin’ River Ranch State Park in Camp Verde has expanded five days a week, with trails that meander past riverside groves and pastures. Kayaking, fishing, birdwatching — not every Route 66 detour is about neon lights. Some are about bald eagles and rippling water.
Aviation Meets Palaeontology
Beyond roadside attractions, Route 66 has bigger stories. Taiwan’s STARLUX Airlines has linked Phoenix with Taipei, partnering with American Airlines to funnel travellers seamlessly across the Pacific. For Arizona, it’s a strategic coup, with more flights, visitors, and money flowing into the state’s tourism coffers.
On terra firma, palaeontologists at Petrified Forest National Park have identified a new Triassic reptile: Akidostropheus oligos. Barely the size of your pinky, with a comically long neck, it’s been hailed as one of the park’s great microfossil finds. If any were needed, proof that the real dinosaurs here are older than the fibreglass ones back at Meteor City.
Curtain Call for the Mother Road
All this is simply a prelude. The real show arrives in 2026, when Route 66 celebrates its centennial. Expect classic car rallies, parades, music festivals, Elvis lookalikes, and more sequins than Vegas on a Saturday night.
But the truth is this: Route 66 has never really needed saving. It’s part theatre, part highway, and wholly American. Every generation rediscovers it, repaints it, and reinvents it. Dinosaurs, dog parks, singing asphalt, whiskey trails, stargazing camps, they’re all part of the same long-running performance.
So pack your bags, tune the Eagles on your playlist, and roll down the windows. Route 66 is revving up for its next act and promises to be unforgettable.
By Sandra Jones
BIO:
Of Malaysian descent, Soo James built her academic foundations at UNSW, where she majored in Arts. Her career path has been anything but linear, beginning with a stint in IT before branching out into writing. Over the years, Soo has contributed to various blogs, blending her technical background with a creative flair that brings a fresh perspective to her work.
