Already the digital passport is proving popular, with nearly 800 people signing up to use it.
Flagstaff’s marketing initiatives, which will include a celebration on June 6, 2026, aim to drive awareness and ensure visitors from around the world know there is plenty to see and do along our stretch of the highway, while also reminding them to visit responsibly.
A new digital passport is available providing “66 Things to do on Route 66” with recommendations on where to eat, stay and play along the Mother Road in Flagstaff. The offerings cover everything from where to find a classic burger and a shake or other great meals in town, classic Route 66 hotels, and attractions like Walnut Canyon National Monument where visitors and locals can find ancient cliff dwellings.
With Route 66 covering approximately 2,440 miles across eight states, the passport’s intent is to give people inspiration to spend more time in our city.
The digital passport works similarly to an app that people download to their mobile device. It is free and available online from Discoverflagstaff.com. Once users download the passport to their device, they can browse the 66 stops in and around the city. When they visit the locations, they can use the passport to virtually “check in” and earn points. They can then redeem the points at the Flagstaff Visitor Center at 1 E. Route 66 for small prizes.
The stops are worth various points. Easy, walkable stops directly along Route 66 such as restaurants and breweries are worth one point. Those worth two points are minor diversions from Route 66, including museums and other venues that reveal the history of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona.
A few of the check-ins are worth three points, and they include stops farther from the city, including Grand Canyon National Park and Meteor Crater.
Already the digital passport is proving popular, with nearly 800 people signing up to use it. Those users already have checked in more than 1,300 times at the various stops. Get the app at www.flagstaffarizona.org/things-to-do/route-66.
The passport comes in addition to the free Walk this Talk self-guided walking tour created by the city, which uses a free phone line and an introduction voiced by actor Ted Danson to guide people to various stops. That tour, which begins at the Visitor Center, focuses on historically significant buildings mostly along the original Route 66 alignment that is now Phoenix Avenue.
The new digital passport is just one of many tools Discover Flagstaff is using to promote the city for the Route 66 Centennial. Additional projects include planning for a special event and celebration on June 6, 2026, with programming across the city.
Discover Flagstaff also produced an 85-page commemorative magazine that was distributed locally this spring, and which will be distributed along with major lifestyle magazines in Los Angeles and Dallas next year. Those two regions are important markets from which Flagstaff receives visitors.
These strategies and tactics all align to ensure Flagstaff is well represented on the global stage for the once-in-a-lifetime centennial celebration. FBN
By Ryan Randazzo
Ryan Randazzo is the media relations and marketing project manager for Discover Flagstaff.
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