Meet the 99-year-old Guardian Angel of Route 66, and hear what he loves about America’s most famous road.

Episode 5: The Wonder of the Road

Arizona has the longest preserved stretch of the original Route 66, and in 2026, the Mother Road turns 100. Get pranked at a legendary drive-in, discover the surprising origins of America's most famous highway, and meet the 99-year-old barber who saved it, and find out what the road still has to teach us.

About the Wonders of Arizona podcast

Seven episodes, seven wonders, one unbelievable road trip.

Most itineraries are put together in an office. This one was dreamt up on the road by award-winning travel writer Aaron Millar (The Times, National Geographic Traveller) and his team at Armchair Productions. After two decades of exploring the world, Aaron believes Arizona is the most wonder-filled state in America, and this is his dream road trip: the places he loves most, and the people who make them unforgettable.

Gather around a cowboy campfire under a sky full of stars. Rope up on a granite pinnacle in the most biodiverse region in North America. Walk through an ancient forest turned to stone, and stand on the rim of the best-preserved meteor impact crater on Earth. Look up at stars brighter than you've ever seen them. Meet the Guardian Angel of Route 66 and drive the longest preserved stretch of the Mother Road. Discover Indigenous stories woven into art and music, and uncover the secrets layered deep inside the Grand Canyon.

Each episode immerses you in one bucket-list experience, one incredible place, one stop along the road. And because the whole series was recorded on location, in the field, over ten extraordinary days, you'll feel every gasp, gawp and laugh out loud.