SELIGMAN IS NOT JUST ANOTHER STOP ON WHAT’S LEFT OF THE ‘MOTHER ROAD’, ROUTE 66, IN ARIZONA.  THE STRETCH OF OLD HIGHWAY THAT INCLUDES SELIGMAN WAS DESIGNATED AS ARIZONA’S HISTORIC ROUTE 66 IN 1987.  THIS CAME ABOUT BY THE EFFORTS OF SELIGMAN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.  LIKE SO MANY OTHER TOWNS LEFT TO DIE IN THE WAKE OF INTERSTATE HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT AND DECISIONS BY THE RAILROAD TO BYPASS MANY OLD RAILROAD TOWNS, THE BUSINESSES IN SELIGMAN HAD TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO STAY ALIVE.  FORTUNATELY FOR THEM SELIGMAN’S LOCATION WAS ON THE LONGEST REMAINING STRETCH OF ROUTE 66 THAT WANDERED FROM CALIFORNIA TO CHICAGO.  INITIALLY CALLED PRESCOTT JUNCTION, SELIGMAN WAS SANTE FE’S CONNECTING ROUTE SOUTH TO PRESCOTT.  INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THERE WAS NO WAY TO TURN THE TRAIN AROUND ONCE IT ARRIVED IN PRESCOTT SO THE TRAIN HAD TO RUN BACKWARDS ON ITS TRIP BACK TO SELIGMAN.  TODAY SELIGMAN OFFERS BIKERS RIDING THE MOTHER ROAD A PLACE TO ‘REST THE IRON’ AND STEP BACK INTO TIME.  THERE IS A CERTAIN CHARACTER OF SELIGMAN THAT YOU REALLY CAN’T EXPERIENCE ANYWHERE ELSE.  THIS IS WHY WE RIDE TO SELIGMAN TIME AND TIME AGAIN.  OUR FIRST STOP IS THE ‘RUSTY BOLT’.  YOU CAN FIND THIS UNIQUE STORE SIMPLY BY KEEPING AN EYE OUT ON YOUR RIDE THRU TOWN FOR THE ‘LADY MANNEQUINS’ ON THE ROOFTOP THAT ARE DRESSED TO KILL!   THE GANG AT THE RUSTY BOLT HAVE DONE A SUPER JOB IN STOCKING THE STORE WITH THAT  CERTAIN ITEM THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE BEFORE RIDING HOME.  IT IS NOT OFTEN THAT YOU WILL FIND A STORE LIKE THIS FOR BIKERS IN A SMALL TOWN LIKE SELIGMAN.  OUR NEXT STOP IS A RIDE UP MAIN STREET TO THE ROADKILL CAFE.  THEY HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF SELECTIONS ON THE MENU, REASONABLE PRICES, GOOD FOOD AND SERVICE TO BOOT.  READY TO RIDE AGAIN WE HEAD WEST OUT OF TOWN TOWARDS THE HACKBERRY GENERAL STORE.  AFTER RIDING FOR ABOUT 65 MILES THE HACKBERY STORE IS A PERFECT STOP FOR A COLD DRINK BEFORE HEADIN’ BACK TO SELIGMAN.  THE PROPRIETORS, JOHN AND KERRY PRITCHARD HAVE MADE THIS OLD GAS STATION A ‘MUST STOP’ FOR ANYONE WHO PASSES BY.  MAKE SURE YOU TAKE TIME TO LOOK AROUND INSIDE AND OUT SINCE THEY HAVE ALOT OF ‘ROUTE 66’ MEMORABILIA AND ANTIQUES.  SINCE WE ARE ALL ABOUT RIDIN’ WE HEAD BACK TOWARDS SELIGMAN PASSING ALONG THE WAY THE GRAND CANYON CAVERNS, THE KEEPERS OF THE WILD PARK, AND PEACH SPRINGS, THE HUALAPAI INDIAN RESERVATION.  ALTHOUGH IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO KEEP YOUR TANK FULL, THERE IS A GAS STOP NEAR PEACH SPRINGS.  ONCE BACK IN SELIGMAN IT IS TIME TO STOP AT ANOTHER ROUTE 66 FAVORITE, THE SNOW CAP DRIVE-IN, FOR BURGERS AND SHAKES.  THERE IS CERTAINLY ALOT TO SEE IN SELIGMAN SO TAKE SOME TIME TO LOOK AROUND.  CLICK ON THE WEBSITE LINKS BELOW AND THE LINKS IN THE ‘PLACES TO STOP’ BOX TO THE RIGHT ON THIS PAGE.  CLICK ON THE SELIGMAN RIDE PHOTOS TO THE LEFT.  I AM SURE  YOU WILL ‘GET YOUR KICKS ON ROUTE 66’!   ENJOY YOUR RIDE AND RIDE SAFE.    REGGAE RIDER