Hackberry General Store

Hackberry, Arizona

Generously described as "ramshackle," Hackberry General Store has enthralled Route 66 pilgrims since Bob Waldmire reopened it in 1992 (Bob was a legendary Route 66er whose father invented the hot-dog-on-a-stick). The store, built in 1934, had been abandoned for 14 years, and Bob kept it looking that way. When Bob sold it to John Pritchard in 1998 it was with the understanding that John would maintain the store's dilapidated charm, and when John sold it to Amy Franklin in 2016, she agreed to do likewise.

Hackberry General Store, apparently held together by the rusting signs nailed to its exterior, is the only outpost of civilization for miles. Its gas pumps have been dry for decades, but it still has a real, working outdoor pay phone because there's no mobile service in Hackberry. Visitors, many from countries other than the U.S., crowd into the store to soak in the crumbly Mother Road vibe, tack their paper money and patches to the walls, and buy Hackberry General Store snacks, t-shirts, and refrigerator magnets.

A little of this "real" Route 66 goes a long way, and it's reasonable to assume that if the Mother Road were still lined with Hackberry-like places, this one wouldn't seem so charming.