It was a story about a small town that was a bit of an attraction in the good ol' days. (translation: before Obama. Just kidding, couldn't resist.) Back in Route 66's heyday, little towns sprouted up here and there, with diners, malt shops, souvenir shops, repair shops, attractions, and themed motels. It was well traveled even after the huge migration of the Great Depression, in part because the Nelson Rockefeller family explored little-known museums and granted money for the Southwestern and Indian artifacts to be put on display for families everywhere to view. There was a whole cultural awakening and Americans were encouraged to travel into the Wild West to see the oddities and curiosities it had to offer.
Route 66 was called the Mother Road, because it was the only highway that went continuously across the U.S. for many states. Route 66 communities also had the Union Pacific Railway passing through or at least nearby. Those trains brought vacationers and travelers. I believe it was in the 1960's the railroad rerouted its tracks in several places, and then after the Interstate Highway was built, all of those tiny communities were bypassed. Not by a few hundred yards, but by many miles. Eventually, Route 66 was obliterated. It originally ran from Chicago to Southern California, but only small stretches of it exist now. By small stretches I mean one mile or so. Except in one place, and that's in Arizona. It starts in Kingman (one hour from here) and goes for many miles to a place called Seligman.
We have made that drive several times, and this past Friday we made the trek in Steve's semi truck.
So....back to the "Cars" movie. I remember watching it and seeing a map of where this supposed fictitious town was located. It was right along Route 66 where Seligman is. And just like the town in the movie, you can stand at a high point of the town and see Interstate 40 off in the distance. And you can see all the potential visitors and tourists just speeding on by.
What's Seligman look like?
Well....this:
There's a burger joint that's got some rather unique decor, inside and out. They have some vehicles parked out back that have eyeballs painted on them so they look like, uh, "Cars."
They have a strange policy of customer service where they kind of pick on the customers, giving everyone a sarcastic nick name. It's an attraction, though, and the owner of the place was given an award by our governor a few years ago for keeping the Route 66 beat alive. But the sad truth is, Seligman is a ghost town for about 360 days a year. Some car clubs organize cruises to this little town, but other than that it is always deserted when we pass through. Dang you, progress!!!
