Astronomy and Asphalt: The Stories Behind Lowell’s New Route 66 Tour
Interview with Stoker Stoker, Historical Tours Specialist
Lowell Observatory’s legacy is as deeply woven into the fabric of the American landscape as Route 66. In fact, all of the most significant astronomical breakthroughs in our history happen to take place along the Mother Road itself.
That connection is the foundation of a new experience led by Historical Tours Specialist Stoker Stoker, who guides guests on a storytelling journey through time, space, and roadside Americana — with a little help from one very historic car. ‘Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour’ weaves together tales of cosmic discovery, local folklore, and community identity, culminating in a guided tour of an exclusive archives exhibit visit that brings it all to life.
Here’s a look at the four main stories told on the tour, and the unexpected connections between them.
Big Red: Flagstaff’s First Car and Lowell’s Rolling Time Machine
The journey begins with Big Red, a 1911 Stevens-Duryea and one of the first automobiles in Flagstaff. It once belonged to Percival Lowell himself, who had it custom-built with an extra-wide backseat so his wife, Constance Lowell, could take naps in comfort during their drives.
Big Red quickly became a beloved local icon in Flagstaff, and remains so today. After decades away from Mars Hill after being sold to a friend of Constance, the car was rediscovered in 1989 by a vintage auto collector named Warwick Eastwood who unknowingly owned it. He reached out to Lowell the very next day and drove it up the hill for a joyful staff reunion, which included astronomer and former mayor of Flagstaff E.C. Slipher’s son Earl Jr., who remembered playing in it as a child.
“It feels really good,” says Stoker. “We even have a Big Red team now: people who take care of it, bring it out for special events. It’s a symbol of our history, but it also connects the community in a really emotional way.”
The Expanding Universe: A Tale of Cross-Country Collaboration
With Big Red as our metaphorical vehicle, the next stop is a massive one: the discovery that the universe itself is expanding.
This story traces a scientific lineage from George Ellery Hale, who founded multiple observatories along Route 66, to Harlow Shapley and Edwin Hubble, whose work helped define the nature of galaxies in the early 20th century. It also highlights V.M. Slipher, the Lowell astronomer who first measured the redshifts that Hubble would later use to formulate his famous law.
“We really try to show that discoveries don’t happen in a vacuum,” says Stoker. “Hubble didn’t just wake up one day and decide the universe was expanding. He was building on the work of Slipher, Humason, and so many others.”
The tour also honors Vera Rubin, a trailblazing astronomer who studied dark matter using Lowell’s own Perkins Telescope. Her legacy continues through Lowell astronomers like Dr. Deidre Hunter, who once studied under Rubin herself.
“Not only is the universe expanding,” says Stoker, “the scientific community is expanding, too.”
Pluto: From Planet X to State Planet
While the origin story of Pluto’s discovery is covered in Lowell’s Origins Tour, this talk explores the wider cultural love story surrounding it — from discoverer Clyde Tombaugh’s humble beginnings in Streator, Illinois, to the pre-discovery images of Pluto taken at observatories along Route 66.
The story also features the lesser-known but vital contributions of Elizabeth Williams, Lowell’s lead computer and one of the few women in astronomy at the time, as well as Jim and Charlene Christy, whose love story is quite literally written in the stars. Jim discovered Pluto’s largest moon and named it Charon as a tribute to Charlene.
“Most husbands promise their wives the Moon,” Charlene once quipped. “Mine actually delivered.”
Today, Pluto remains a source of pride and joy in Flagstaff. From local beer cans to sushi rolls and legislative victories, the planet (yes, planet) has inspired a wave of public affection. It even became Arizona’s official state planet in 2024, thanks to the efforts of Arizona State Representative Justin Wilmeth.
The Moon and Back: Training Ground for Apollo (and Beyond)
The final story returns us to Earth — but just barely. During the Apollo era, Flagstaff played a major role in preparing astronauts for the first moon landings. From Lowell’s lunar mapping efforts to geology training at Meteor Crater and Cinder Lake, Northern Arizona became a stand-in for the lunar surface.
Astronauts like Neil Armstrong and Thomas Stafford studied geological maps at Lowell under the guidance of E.C. Slipher, ensuring they’d know how to navigate once they got to the real thing.
“Only twelve people have walked on the Moon,” says Stoker. “But it took thousands of people, including artists, geologists, and engineers, to get them there.”
That legacy continues today with the Artemis program, which brought a new generation of astronauts back to Flagstaff for geology training. The hope is that lessons learned on the Moon will someday carry us to Mars.
To bring things full circle, the tour ends with a nod to community and continuity: In 2022, Apollo geologist and moonwalker Harrison Schmitt returned to Flagstaff to serve as Grand Marshal in the Fourth of July Parade — riding, of course, in Big Red.
An Exclusive Experience
After the stories are told, guests are invited to a private tour of the exhibit inside the Putnam Collection Center, the observatory’s Archives building — which is typically closed to the public. There, they can view Big Red up close along with rare historical artifacts, including the Brashear Spectrograph that helped reveal the expanding universe and the guest book signed by Apollo astronauts.
“It’s not just a lecture,” says Stoker. “It’s a chance to see history, touch it, and feel the ways it’s still with us.”
‘Cosmic Highways: A Centennial Tour’ will make its official debut in the Lowell Universe Theater on October 13.