Introducing Discover the Real Route 66: A Murderous Zookeeper, a Secret Stairwell, and Feral Donkeys Galore from Via Podcast. Follow the show: Via Podcast Pack the car! Route 66 turns 100 this year, and the Mother Road is still one weird and wild ride. We’re hitting the highway from the California border to the New Mexico high desert, where we’ll encounter the feral donkeys who rule the streets of a gold rush boomtown, visit an abandoned zoo with a body count, and climb a 2,000-year-old pueblo with a hidden staircase that outsmarted the Spanish conquistadors. Along the way, journalist and adventurer Will Grant introduces us to the people who populate this legendary road: a Hualapai elder who remembers the highway’s golden age, the determined shopkeeper who fought to preserve her town’s iconic neon glow, and a young Diné man who grew up at his family’s trading post. Together, they share what the centenarian route means to the communities that depend on it—and tap into the powerful hold it still has on the nation’s imagination. Whether you long for an epic Western roadtrip or you’re just here for the vintage kitsch, this episode will have you reaching for the keys. Where Route 66 takes us: Oatman, Arizona: Stop to cuddle the adorable baby burrows in this old mining town. Kingman, Arizona: Home to the Arizona Route 66 Museum, where Model T’s roll in from Chicago and tourists arrive from around the globe. Peach Springs, Arizona: The heart of the Hualapai Nation, where the tribal market is the unofficial town square. Williams, Arizona: Vintage neon signs dot one of the most authentic main streets on the route. Two Guns, Arizona: An abandoned zoo where the murderous owner was mauled by his own mountain lions. Winslow, Arizona: The sandstone canyon where Easy Rider and The Grapes of Wrath were filmed, plus a classic Diné trading post. Acoma Pueblo, New Mexico: Dubbed Sky City, this mesa-top village is the oldest continuously inhabited community in the U.S. Guest: Will Grant Born and raised in Colorado, Will Grant brings a cowboy-philosopher’s eye to the landscapes, characters, and histories that make the West unlike anywhere else on earth. After college, he worked as a cowboy and a horse trainer in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas, where he apprenticed under the legendary horseman Jack Brainard. In 2008, he pivoted to a career in journalism, but he continues to seek out ways to combine horses and storytelling. His 2023 book, The Last Ride of the Pony Express, recounts his 2,000-mile journey along the famed mail route with his horses Chicken Fry and Badger. Other adventures include a 600-mile horse race across Mongolia, an expedition to find gold in Arizona, and two trips to Kyrgyzstan to play kok boru, the most dangerous horseback game on the planet. For Via, Will traded his saddle for a steering wheel to investigate some of the most storied—and strangest—stretches of Route 66. His writing has also appeared in Outside magazine, Bloomberg Businessweek, the Wall Street Journal, and regional publications throughout the West. Will currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with his partner, Claire Antoszewski, and two dogs, three chickens, and five horses. Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group. DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to team@podroll.fm.
