The ideal town for selfies on Route 66 is Seligman Arizona USA

Updated: Oct 23, 2023

For lovers of photography and selfies, there is no other town on Route 66 that is perfect to satisfy their desire for the perfect picture or background than Seligman in Arizona USA.

A large route 66 shield on the side of a building has the words Seligman Arizona painted beside it, and two cartoon pictures of vehicles from the move Cars. The road barrier in front of it has been painted black. It has white writing, and in the middle is a shield with Seligman 66 inside it. On either side of this are the words Welcome to Seligman, birthplace of historic Route 66

The town has a population of around 500 in 2023, so not big by any means, yet it is huge on opportunities for things to see and do. Of course, being on Route 66, the prevailing theme is modes of transport and their bits and bobs. I was impressed by the creativity of the person who made this "person" from old discarded car parts.

old discarded tyre rims have been made into a sculpture resembling a person. Two each for the arms and legs, one for the face, and 5 for the body. It looks like it is waving to you when you look at it, as one arm is raised in greeting. old springs have been added for hands.

Located east of Kingman and west of Ash Fork, just off the I-40, this town has the honour of being the birthplace of the Historic Route 66 Association in 1987. Founded by local resident Angel Delgadillo (1927- ), all eight US Route 66 states followed his lead and established their own associations with the same goal - to preserve and promote this bypassed road that was once the main lifeline when driving across the USA. Angel is a barber and business owner, born and raised in Seligman.

His brother Juan opened Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In in 1953. This is a famous eatery with Route 66 fans making it a must stop on their journey. After Juan passed away, it was run by his son. This eatery is full of kitschy and whimsical route 66 memorabilia. It is a fun, treasure trove of a restaurant where having a good time is the main aim. The food is a variety of burgers, hotdogs, shakes and malts.

The outside of the elgadillos Snow Cap shop. Advertising malts, cramy root beer and shakes. there are cartoon pictures painted on the walls of icecreams, sundays, hotdogs. The outdoor eating area attached to the left side has plastic curtains enclosing it. a Drink Coca-Cola sign is on the room. Various Route 66 signs decorate the venue.

What makes people stop in Seligman today? There is so much to see and do here. It definitely deserves at least an overnight stay to enjoy everything. Firstly, there is the all important photo opportunities.

The Roadkill Cafe has an interesting name, but the food inside is not roadkill. The slogan on the mural painted watertank boasts "You kill it, we grill it".

A red painted watertank has a caricture of a buzzard with a red napkin around his neck, holding a knife and fork. The words Roadkill Cafe are painted in yellow on the tank. Under the buzzard, painted in yellow are the words you kill it we grill it.

Next to the Roadkill Cafe is the Territorial Jail is a group of five storefront facades that have been created to look like an old wild west town.

a wooden storefront facade, unpainted, two storey. A sign, white with blue writing states, Tonsorial Doc Holliday. Over the door a sign says Docs painless tooth extractions 6 bits.

There is also a recreated jail, jail wagon and outhouse to photograph. The sign on the "jail" states "1860 Arizona Territorial Jail". This is purely fictional advertising for the restaurant and saloon. It is simply to attract tourists. In fact, it was not until 1863 that the Arizona Territory was first established. Also, Seligman was established in 1886. long after 1860. They do say however, never let the truth get in the way of a good story.

The sign says Jail in white block capital letters on a red background. This is attached over the door of a replica wooden log stacked building. Its shingle roof shows signs of being beaten by the weather over the years. A plaque over the jail sign is a smiling faced sun. The door is ajar, either inviting you in, or showing no current residents.

A fictional sign hand printed in red paint on a white background. 1860 Arizonal Territorial Jail, tells a story of who was supposed to be held in there and how they escaped.

Seligman is also known as having the most Route 66 souveniers along the whole route, available at every store and restaurant in town. I think if it can have the words Route 66 etched or labelled on it, it is for sale here.

Route 66 memorabilia for sale on a stand includes fridge magnets, badges and signs. In all different shapes and sizes

Route 66 memorabilia for sale includes little statues of gas tanks, bells, stickers, badges, bottle openers, pins and pillows

The retro signage on hotels in town have been well maintained. It is nice to see these mom and pop establishments. There are no chain hotels in this town.

A neon motel sign with the Route 66 shield says Historic on a red background and Route 66 on a blue background. It says Queen beds, wifi, direct tv and hbo, refrigerator and coffee pots

The Aztec Motel has an old Neon sign outside and a blue painted VW bug. Yellow flowers grow in a flower box outside. A sign on the wall says Mother Road 66. The motel is single story and painted a light blue colour. The 3 sides surround a central car park

The Pixar movie Cars has a town called Radiator Springs that is loosely based on Seligman. There are several murals in town featuring some characters from the story.

On the side of a bar is painted a mural that covers the entire side. Two cartoon style cars from the Pixar movie Cars are on it, next to a signpost with route US 66 on the shield .The background is of the rugged Arizona landscape in purple shades, with a blue sky and yellow clouds. A silhoutte of a cowboy and horse riding across the desert can just be seen in the distance. The Cars are a red sedan with 96 on the side and a brown tow truck

Various venues along the main street (there is only one main street, you can't miss it), have vintage cars and vehicles in the yard. An old 1931 classic Studebaker that looked in amazing condition was for sale, only $28,900.

A red 1927 Studebaker stands in a paved area. It is very shiny and the spokes of the wheels are red, with a white trim around the side of the tyre. Black running bars start at the front tyre and cover the back as well. The headlights are silver as is all the trim. A for sale sign is in the window

Other vehicles have not fared so well but are still great opportunities for photos.

a quirky two storey building has what looks like the tail of a small aircraft sticking out of it. The shop advertised Kaffe, Java, Espresso and Coffee. A tow truck and old car with Route 66 decorations are in the front yard, as well as an old black and white police car. Other car fronts are under the verandah. A USA flag is painted on the side of the building.

The Copper Cart Motoporium is worth stepping inside. It is an Aladdin's cave of treasures to discover. Motorbikes, cars, a lifesized Elvis Statue, alien statues, old 50s diner booths, clothes, souveniers etc all complete for space. The owners are very friendly people and love to chat with everyone that comes in, so don't just take photos outside, venture in and explore.

the external view of the Copper Cart has several old vehicles, including a van that people have written all over, a yellow VW with cartoon eyes on its windscreen, an old jaloppy and a purple station wagon from the 1950s with a bright orange roof. An American flag stands proudly over the entrance, and of course Route 66 signage is on the building in several places.

The World Famous Black Cat Bar is also worth going inside and checking things out. This bar was built in 1963 and lives up to its welcoming reputation. Many a traveler has stopped in here for a cold drink, a warm chat and make new friends. This is a perfect example of a small-town American bar that makes you want to stay the night and do it all again tomorrow.