I am a big fan of the Pixar movie, Cars – the story of a race car, and the historic route 66, the American’s mother road, or the main road.

The movie is a very decent, and thoughtful work with the thought of the impact of modern, and fast life, symbolized by Interstate 40 (I-40), and the old-good-sweet time symbolized by route 66, on the life of the people (like the cars in Radiation Springs town).

Wendy and I was on I-40, and Route 66 yesterday.

It was completely not a planned trip. But it turned out we were on the highway crossing California to Nevada, and finally arrived at Arizona. Driving at 102°F in the middle of the desert, when we finally enter the area with trees, grasses, and mountains, I find out the signs to historic route 66 along the highway.

Obviously, the shape of the curved Route 66, and the straight I-40, and the Grand Canyon-like mountains reminded me of the movie cars.

Although Wendy don’t enjoy to leave highway as much as I do, I finally pulled out at a small town called Seligman, AZ. We bought some water, ice cream, and one of the big Route 66 sign in the local super market. Outside the market were many old fashioned store – that type of signs you see in old American movies (including Cars). From the parking area of the super market, we saw cars running as fast as light in the I-40 not far away. On the current Route 66? You can make U-turn as you wish.

When I am at hotel, I did some research, and surprisingly find my intuition was right. Seligman, the two with just 495 people living there, is one of the key inspiration of the Pixar movie Cars. John Lasseter has said in interviews that the town of Radiator Springs in the Pixar film Cars is loosely based on Seligman, although from the name, and location, the town Radiation Springs in the movie is more like Peach Springs on Route 66.

I thoroughly enjoyed the moment of peace, the icecream, and the history of route 66 in the small town of Seligman.