NEW MEXICO, ROUTE 66.
Defiance to Glenrio (Arizona State Border till Texas State Border)
New Mexico claims 745 kilometres of Route 66’s Chicago to Los Angeles journey. The interstate (i40) runs over top of the old highway in many places. The desert landscape, the red cliffs, pine wooded hills and valleys, mixed with old route 66 motels, 1950s diners and lots of route 66 neon signs makes it a pleasure to cross the mother road in New Mexico.
Our first stop was defiance a tiny village that once was a coal-mining town on the Historic Route 66 west of Gallup.
Gallup is the First largest town in New Mexico after leaving Arizona on Route 66. Hotel Rancho literally and figuratively rolled out the red carpet for Hollywood stars of yesteryear, who came to the area to film Western Cowboy Movies. The names of the rooms recall the hotel’s former guest, including Ronald Regan, Katherine Hepburn.
We did visit Richardson Trading Co a Native American trading posts, to enter a genuine trading post that trades with local Native Americans is an experience in commerce that has its roots in the trade before the 1900s.
From here we passed a number of towns which were popular Route 66 stops but have since faded.
On the way we crossed The Continental Divide third time while in the USA and numerous times before in South and Central America. Last crossing was in Colorado when we crossed to the west. This is a geological spine running through much of North and South America. It marks the dividing point between water running toward the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.
You cannot miss the arch in Grants and the many Routes 66 signs along the historic Route 66. a quick photo op at the Route 66 Neon Drive-Thru in Grants is a must. The idea was to park overnight at the Cracker Barrel and visit Albuquerque the following day. But we were told to move as Cracker Barrel no longer allows overnight camping.
Albuquerque also known as ABQ, Burque, and the Duke City, Founded in 1706 as La Villa de Alburquerque. It is a vibrant city of 500000 inhabitants who maintain the dynamic traditions and have helped shape our centuries-old story. Albuquerque is also the hot Air Ballooning capital of the world. The Sandia Peak Aerial Tramway’s 2.7-mile ascent to the just over 3000 meters peak of the Sandia Mountains is a thrilling way to see Albuquerque and the surrounding landscape. Waking up with minus 2 degrees, a gale blowing and snow on the mountains we decided to move on.
Heading west out of Albuquerque on Route 66, we enjoyed a scenic descent from Nine Mile Hill into the Rio Puerco Valley
As we headed further East we hit some snow just before our next stop at Clines Corners, where Roy Cline opened a rest stop in 1937 to serve Route 66 travellers.
The weather was getting worse hence we decided to camp at Santa Rosa State Lake Park. It was just 2 degrees, and a severe weather warning was in place with wind gust up to 100 kilometres per hour.
In Santa Rosa we visited its legendary Route 66 Auto Museum.
Santa Rosa’s stretch of Route 66 is forever memorialized in American film history in Steinbeck’s epic novel, Grapes of Wrath with a memorable train scene, as a freight train steams over the Pecos River railroad bridge in the centre of town.
Enroute to Tucumcari we passed a number of what are now largely ghost towns, many of which have abandoned Route 66 era buildings.
Tucumcari today it is home to more surviving Route 66 era motels than anywhere else on the Route. Including the Blue Swallow Motel, where the glowing neon sign is as iconic as the drive-in rooms. The hotel dates to 1939 and continues to be family-owned and operated today. Other historical motels are Motel Safari, and Pow Wow Inn. The Mother Road travels through the town centre, where it’s known as Tucumcari Boulevard. Teepee Curios is one of the most photogenic stops on the entire route. This used to be a former 1940’s petrol station. Other highlights in Tucumcari include the enormous amounts of neon signs that light up the streets at night, the beautiful 1930’s Art Deco theatre The Odeon and the route 66 museum.
Between San Jon and Glenrio, you take a dirt and gravel road which is part of the original Route 66 (pre-1950’s) Most of the towns through this stretch have few residents and most have become ghost towns. Last stop in New Mexico was the Russel Truck and Travel centre in the small town of Glenrio.
Till next time from Texas.
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