The secrets of Historic Route 66

This fall, Route 66 turns 90 years old.

Route 66 was established Nov. 11, 1926. It passed through eight states, including Arizona, and for several decades was the primary corridor for anyone who journeyed west. The completion of the interstate-highway system injected a new level of speed and efficiency in American travel, but something was lost along the way.

Historic Route 66 seems like a relic from a different era and that’s exactly why so many people seek it out today. They come looking for a way of life they thought had vanished. Now is the perfect time to exit the interstate and dip your wheels into the mythology of the Mother Road. You’ll discover that bygone days aren’t gone at all. They still live on Route 66 amid the bright neon signs, motor courts, diners and roadside attractions.

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There are many classic stops to be made along the more than 250 miles of Route 66 that still stretch across Northern Arizona. But don’t overlook some of the lesser-known sights. That joy of discovery comes from traveling a two-lane road, stopping when and where you choose. Here are a few hidden gems along Route 66 in Arizona.

Remembrance Garden, Winslow

The most famous corner on all of Route 66 can be found in Winslow. This quiet spot is less well known. Remembrance Garden was constructed using two beams from the wreckage of the World Trade Center. The two rusted steel girders — one 14 feet high and the other 15 feet high — are anchored in concrete, rising side by side as a homage to the Twin Towers.

These are said to be the largest pieces of debris from the World Trade Center shipped to any town. Flanked by an American flag and marked by a plaque, the roadside memorial is a reflective spot on the eastern edge of Winslow.

Details: 928-289-2434, www.winslowarizona.org.

Two Guns

This little town hides in plain sight. There’s a Two Guns exit off Interstate 40 west of Winslow. But as you’re hurtling past at 75 miles per hour, you might not think there's much to see. Prepare to be surprised. Two Guns is one of Route 66’s eeriest ghost towns.

A series of shambling ruins are spread across the high plains on the edge of Canyon Diablo. Still visible in the gorge are the collapsed remains of the Apache Death Cave, where 42 Apache raiders were burned to death in a violent confrontation with Navajos in 1878.

The original trading post and roadside zoo date to the 1920s. One of the legendary characters of Route 66, Henry “Two Guns” Miller shot and killed his unarmed landlord here. He was acquitted, but his deed did not go unpunished. Miller was critically mauled by one of his zoo’s captive mountain lions. He suffered another grievous attack by a lynx and almost lost an arm from a Gila monster bite before he finally got the message to move on.

Two Guns continued in several incarnations until it was ravaged by fire in the 1970s. A historic Luten arch bridge still spans the canyon. To explore, leave I-40 at Exit 230. Most of the ruins are west of the former KOA Campground. Two Guns sits on private land so respect all signs and gates. Leave artifacts undisturbed.

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Mike’s Pike, Flagstaff

Route 66 is the main drag through Flagstaff but that doesn’t give you the whole story. The original 1926 alignment of 66 made a short jog at the railroad depot downtown, now also the visitor center. Stop there to pick up a walking-tour map.

To follow the original alignment, go south on Beaver Street, then west on Phoenix Street and left onto Mike’s Pike. This lost segment of Route 66 cuts through Flagstaff’s revitalized Southside. Along this short stretch you’ll enjoy a colorful mural of the Mother Road on Lumberyard Brewing Co. and see the evidence of long-ago tourism. Many of the small structures were hotels and boarding houses, including the DuBeau Motel, Flag’s first motel, built in 1929.

A concrete guardrail remains from the original Route 66 bridge that crossed Rio de Flag. Mother Road Brewing Co. occupies the site of an old laundry. Mike’s Pike terminates at Five Points, where five roads once converged, and reconnects to Milton Avenue, the newer alignment of Route 66.

Details: Flagstaff Visitor Center, 1 E. Route 66. 928-213-2951, www.flagstaffarizona.org.

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Stone to Steel Dam Trail, Ash Fork

Here’s a weird engineering tidbit: The first large steel dam in the world was built in Ash Fork. In 1898, the Ashfork Bainbridge Steel Dam was constructed in remote Johnson Canyon by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway to supply water for their operations.

Less than a mile upstream stands another dam, this one constructed from precision-cut stone blocks. The Ash Fork Stone Dam was built in 1911, also by the railroad, which saw only the unquenchable thirst of steam locomotives.

The two dams still back up large lakes now managed as recreational reservoirs. This summer, the Ash Fork Historical Society unveiled a new hiking trail to connect the structures. The Stone to Steel Dam Trail offers an easy winding path (0.35 mile) from the Stone Dam to the Steel Dam.

Details: East of Ash Fork, leave Interstate 40 at Welch Road (Exit 151). Travel north 0.3 mile. Veer left onto an old segment of Route 66 and drive west 1.4 miles to Forest Road 6ED. Turn right and follow the good dirt road to parking area. Trailhead is on the left just before the lake.

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Shaffer Fish Bowl Spring, Cool Springs

This unlikely spot is hidden among the winding hairpin curves of the Black Mountains not far from Oatman and about 20 miles southwest of Kingman. This is part of the Goldroad, the steepest grade on all of Route 66. The spring is a natural seep that collects in a concrete bowl, ringed by a fringe of greenery. The oasis is so named because a few goldfish can usually be found swimming in the pool.

The spring can be tricky to find. Travel 3.4 miles west of Cool Springs Station. Keep an eye peeled for a small pullout at an elbow of a curve on the left. If you get to mile marker 30, you’ve gone 100 feet too far. A series of faint steps are carved from the rocky hillside leading up to the spring. This is a crucial water hole for burros and bighorn sheep and no doubt saved many a radiator from overheating back in the day.

The views stretch across this tilted, broken landscape. The stillness seems palpable. Traffic is thin, a whisper of engine noise that barely dents the expanse and then is gone as soon as the vehicle rounds the next bend. As unlikely as it seems in the Mojave Desert, you can sit here and watch goldfish swim.

You don’t have many of those kinds of experiences while driving the interstate.

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com. Or follow him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RogerNaylorinAZ or Twitter @AZRogerNaylor.

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Talks by Roger Naylor

Arizona's Best Undiscovered Hikes: Naylor will discuss Arizona’s Best Undiscovered Hikes at the KJZZ Travel & Discovery Expo. Learn about hidden-gem treks that will introduce you to quiet places from Grand Canyon and the White Mountains to the red rocks of Sedona and Arizona’s watery West Coast.

Details: 10:45 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 16. WestWorld of Scottsdale, 16601 N. Pima Road. Free. www.travel.kjzz.org.

Boots & Burgers: Naylor will discuss his book "Boots & Burgers: An Arizona Handbook for Hungry Hikers" at the Florence Community Library.

Details: 5:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 21. 778 N. Main St., Florence. Free. 520-868-8311.

Celebrate a Route 66 Milestone: On the eve of Route 66 turning 90, Roger Naylor will discuss the history and cultural significance of the Mother Road at North Mountain Visitor Center. Naylor is the author of "Arizona Kicks on Route 66."

Details: Noon-1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. 12950 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. Free; seating is limited to the first 100 people. 602-243-5125, www.northmountainvisitorcenter.org.