Arizona Route 66, mostly a litany of diner woes.

The Arizona section of Route 66 is better preserved, in some ways, than the pieces of the old road which I found in California.

That said, though there is a lot of rust, piles of old vehicles and much quirky creativity to be found, the small towns on the historic road in AZ have a tendency to overwhelm with a similarity of memorabilia tourist traps and thus sacrifice individuality. They blur into one another.

The roadside diner is a quintessential part of any Route 66 roadtrip. There are whole books written about them.

Mr D’z Route 66 Diner in Kingman, Arizona, is one of these.

Though the only thing on the menu which didn’t involve dead animals or eggs, was a grilled cheese sandwich, I did visit Mr D’z on my February trip.

This time around, I thought to pick up a grilled cheese for the road at Mr D’z, but when I drove into historic downtown Kingman the hostile, profanity laden flags and yard signs on businesses put me off. I decided to rather spend my money on a couple of delicious vegetarian samosas from an Indian dhaba at a gas station on the route out of town.

I know freedom of speech is a constitutional right in the USA. I also have choice as to where to spend my money. If a business owner chooses to express opinions in vulgar profanity and hate filled ways, I choose not to support that business. It’s all about language for me some days. If you said the same thing with grace and eloquence, I might not agree with your views but might still patronize your business. There’s way too much uncivility on display across the USA right now. Sigh. Backroads Arizona seems to lead the way.

Two samosas did not fill me up for the long hot drive across the middle of Arizona so I decided on a meal in Seligman’s Roadkill Cafe.

In February, and in spite of the (mangy) dead animal decor, and because of my old friend the Egyptian goddess Nekhbet, I had enjoyed a decent black bean burger and chips here. That day the foursome at the table next to me ordered two of the same and pronounced them excellent too.

Unfortunately Roadkill Cafe has changed their menu. There is now NOTHING vegetarian or vegan on the menu. For lack of inclusivity, and hostile waitrons, I thus do not recommend anyone stop at this temple of blasphemy toward sacred carrion eaters.

Nekhbet take note.

The famous Burma-Shave humorous rhyming roadside advertising signs have been restored to this section of Route 66.

They are reason enough alone to recommend driving this road.

Just don’t rely on the “famous” roadside diners featured in the books and travel guides, to deliver good meals.

Sometimes a gas station dhaba might just be the better, albeit unsung, option.