Study Overseas

Route 66 Part 5

Journey Through a Land of Enchantment

With just under half of the Historic Highway to go, we're entering the state of New Mexico for some beautiful landscape, rich history and over 260 original Route 66 miles to cover. From ancient pueblo cities to neon signs, there is an eclectic mix of ancient and contemporary cultures to see so let's not keep the Harley waiting...

Glenrio - State Border

Straddling the sate border at Glenrio with a full tank of gas, we're about to embark on our journey through New Mexico. Bumping along the 20-mile gravel stretch of the old highway all the way to San Jon we get a flavour of the early days of Mother Road travelling. Stopping at San Jon to shake off the dust from the road, we can now drive an almost entirely intact 24-mile paved chunk of Route 66 all the way to Tucumcari.

Tucumcari

Along Tucumcari Boulevard, we get a blast from the past with an array of vintage Mother Road icons from the 40s and 50s including the Cactus Motor Lodge, Lasso Motel, the Pine Lodge, the Blue Swallow Motel, Teepee Curios, the Westerner Drive-in, The Palomino, and Travelodge Motel, and Del's Restaurant. After a spot of sightseeing we travel approximately 10 miles west on I-40 to the Palomas Exit, at which point we return to Historic Route 66.

Riding along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks surrounded by ranch lands and scenic mesas we are making our way to Montoya. Established in 1925 and once a hive of activity, Richardson's Store and Gas Station marks the beginning of an almost uninterrupted 38 miles of the Mother Road all the way to Santa Rosa. Watch out for the 4,984-foot Cuervito Peak, one mile northwest of the village of Cuervo.

Santa Rosa

In Santa Rosa we're cruising down Will Rogers Drive, the city's four-mile stretch of Route 66. It's time to park up the Harley for a quick bite to eat at a Mother Road must-see, Club Café. Feeling refreshed, we're now ready to take the picturesque pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 northwest to the beautiful city of Santa Fe, before dropping south to Albuquerque. Be sure to stop off at the New Mexico State Capital and the San Miguel Mission, the oldest church in the US!

Albuquerque

Central Avenue in Albuquerque is an 18-mile stretch of old Route 66. In it's hey day, there were more than 100 motels here and in the summer, they were all fully booked. Today you can still see many of these 1930s classic icons. Downtown, there are several buildings that were highlights during the 40's and 50s including the Sunshine Building (1923), the First National Bank Building (1922), the Rosenwald Building (1910), and the KiMo Theater (1927).

Filling up the Harley again, we leave Albuquerque and pass through Algodones, Bernalillo, Sandia and Isleta Pueblo on our way to Los Lunas.

Los Lunas

In Los Lunas, we're turning west onto Main Street, where we'll stop for a few photos of the Luna Mansion, built in 1881. If you dare to enter, you may find the ghost of former occupant, Josefita, who is said to appear mostly in two former bedrooms on the second floor, an attic storeroom and at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor bar. Spooky! Continuing on our westbound journey, it's time to step up the pace and ride non-stop to Gallup near our next state border.

Gallup

It's getting late and with all that travelling, it's time to check into a hotel for the night. On Gallup's nine-mile segment of the old highway we come across the El Rancho Hotel built in 1936. From the 30s to the 60s, Gallup was a Western film capital and during this time, Hollywood film stars were regularly found among the guests at the El Rancho Hotel. Who knows, Ronald Reagan, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn or Kirk Douglas could have stayed in your room!

After a good night's sleep, it's time to prepare for the journey through our penultimate state on this Route 66 adventure. Watch this space for travels through Arizona!