Route 66 Roadtrip: Day 6, Santa Rosa, NM to Santa Fe, NM

No sooner had we started out this morning and I discover that my camera's batteries are dead and and so are my spares. So here is one from my iPhone. Not a bad picture from a phone camera. We stopped at a gas station and bought some AA batteries.


As we drove to Santa Fe we used old route 66 when we could. We used Highway 84 which was built on top of 66 for a good bit of the way. When they separated they ran adjacent to each other so it really didn't matter which we were on. This is on 66 and would make a great example of the "vanishing point" in an art class.

This is such beautiful country that you can point your camera in most any direction and take a good picture. I took far more photos than I can use here. You will see them sneak in as time goes by.

As we drive north the terrain becomes more mountainous. By the time we get to Santa Fe we will be at about 7000 feet (2134 meters).

We stopped to visit the Pecos National Historical Park in Pecos, New Mexico. There is a very nice visitors center with tours. Since the hike was a bit too much for me even with my new chair, we were allowed to drive up to the main attraction which is the ruins of a Pueblo village and Mission.

There was a sophisticated society here at one time. The park has a good website if you would like to know more. Link to Pecos National Park.

This area is also home to a well known Baptist Conference Center.

Enormous cumulus clouds kept rolling by. We passed in and out of sunshine then it began to spit rain.

We decided that we would not mind living in this house.

By the time we arrived in Santa Fe it began to snow, a few flurries at first then rather heavy. Not the sort of weather we had in mind for looking at the many shops and attractions of Santa Fe.

Susan took advantage of a break in the snow to take Smokey for a walk. He has been a good traveler. After a break we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Tortilla Flats. This was recommended by the guide book we are using and was excellent. While we were eating it continued to snow. It melted on the streets but covered the grass and autos with a thin layer of white. The forecast is for it to clear off tomorrow and we are hoping that is correct.

Our plan for tomorrow (weather permitting) is to go down town and go through the many shops and attractions in Santa Fe. When my son David was stationed in Albuquerque with the Air Force I came up here with him and we had a nice time. Susan has never been here before and we are hoping for some decent weather.

Route 66 - Day 6

My camera's batteries are dead and and so are my spares. Here is one
from my iPhone -

Route 66 Roadtrip: Day 5, Amarillo, TX to Santa Rosa, NM

We are off for another day on route 66. Smokey and Susan keep us on track.


As we leave Amarillo we find this establishment on Arnot Road. Going to be out of town for the weekend? You can leave your horse at the Happy Trails Horse Motel.


Click on this picture to enlarge it.

Between Arnot and Hope Road is the Cadillac Ranch. I will let Wikipedia explain it.

Cadillac Ranch is a public art installation and sculpture in Amarillo, Texas. It was created in 1974 by Chip Lord, Hudson Marquez and Doug Michels, who were a part of the art group Ant Farm, and it consists of what were (when originally installed during 1974) either older running used or junk Cadillac automobiles, representing a number of evolutions of the car line (most notably the birth and death of the defining feature of early Cadillacs; the tail from 1949 to 1963, half-buried nose-first in the ground, at an angle corresponding to that of the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The piece is a statement about the paradoxical simultaneous American fascinations with both a "sense of place" — and roadside attractions, such as The Ranch itself — and the mobility and freedom of the automobile.

Now do you understand?


As we drove west across the Texas panhandle we could see a cold front moving in. During the day the temperature dropped almost 20 Degrees.


In all the places along old route 66 where local economies depended on travelers patronizing their businesses there are abandoned motels, restaurants, and shops. Some of these towns look quite devastated. However there are still enterprising people who press on. In Vega is a restored Magnolia Station. Note the classic old gravity fed gasoline pump.


Adrian, Texas is calculated to be the midpoint on route 66. It runs 1,139 miles in either direction.


The Midpoint Cafe is reputed to be a good place to eat, however they were closed for the day.


As we drove west into New Mexico the terrain began to change. We have left the flat land of the panhandle and are climbing into the high plains of New Mexico. It looks quite different.


The community of San Jon has been decimated by the relocation of 66, however in the midst of abandoned motels and houses the Methodist Church of San Jon is well kept and occupied.


When we get close to Tucumcari, New Mexico we drive through some red rock formations.


According to our guide book, this is the Tucumcari mountain.


Tucumcari has a population of about 6,000 and has been a favorite stopping place for travelers. At one time it was said to have 2,000 motel rooms. Today many of those are vacant, yet many are still in business. The community host an air show every year to attract visitors.


One of the old motels still operating is the Blue Swallow. We understand that its neon sign is very pretty at night.


We had lunch at Del's Cafe in Tucumcari and enjoyed a good meal.


The Route 66 Sculpture stands outside the Tucumcari Convention Center.


Following route 66 again required that we zigzag back and forth across Interstate 40. At one point this meant driving under the interstate in a little tunnel.


At about 5:30 this afternoon we arrived in Santa Rosa, New Mexico to spend the night. Since New Mexico is on Mountain time rather than Central time we had to turn our clocks back an hour.

On the news tonight we see that parts of Colorado and New Mexico are experiencing snow. We are not sure how this will affect our plans to drive to Santa Fe tomorrow. Hopefully we can still make it. Stay tuned.

Route 66 Roadtrip: Day 4, Elk City to Amarillo

Today we had sunshine. We started out at the National Route 66 museum in Elk City, Oklahoma. This is really several museums sharing one location. Collectively they document Route 66, early transportation, an old Elk City town museum, and a collection of windmills and farm implements. As one sort of runs into another it was not clear to me which was which but collectively it was really very interesting.


There were two large buildings with a variety of exhibits and an "old Town" which is a number of small structures which show a general store, a pharmacy, a dentist's office, a bank, a law office, etc. Objects and implements from the early 1900s are arranged and visible through the windows but you can't go inside.


In the Route 66 part were some antique cars and exhibits about the early days of highway travel. This was supposed to be the Joad family from Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath".


Among the antique cars was this pristine 1940 Chevrolet. I love old cars.


There were several old Harley Davidson's and this amazing vintage Indian motorcycle.


Here are some of those hubcaps you lost on the road.


This was originally the First National Bank of Sarye, Oklahoma. The capstone carries the year as 1905.


The elegant courthouse in Sayre was featured in the original "Grapes of Wrath" movie.


In what was left of Erick is the crumbling remains of several old motor hotels.


In Shamrock, Texas is the Conoco station and U Drop Inn Cafe from the animated movie "Cars". We had lunch across the street.


The little town of Groom, Texas has two claims to fame. One is this water tower which is deliberately leaning.


The other is a 190 foot cross and religious exhibit.


For us, the real attraction has been the road and the country. This is the Texas Panhandle and it is very flat. It is miles and miles of open country as far as the eye can see. As the song says, the wind blows free. The prairie grasses undulate in the wind like water.


We will stop this evening in Amarillo and should be in New Mexico tomorrow.

Route 66 Roadtrip: Day 3, Oklahoma City to Elk City

We are trying to follow the historic route 66 as closely as possible. From north of Tulsa to Oklahoma it follows the same general route as Interstate 44. West of Oklahoma City it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 40. The old 66 meandered from town to town along the path that was easiest to pave and did not run in a straight line. The interstates bypass most towns and run as straight as possible to allow high speed non-stop travel. This means that to follow old 66 requires that you zigzag back and forth and cross the interstate in a number of places. It makes for much slower travel.


We had a little breakfast and left Oklahoma city about 10:00 AM. I was assisted by my faithful navigators Susan and Smokey.


We drove down Lincoln Boulevard to see the Oklahoma State Capital building. The dome was just added a few years ago. It is impressive and the office buildings that make up the rest of the complex are also quite handsome.


Adjacent to the capital building is a working oil well. Oklahoma is the only state to boast of this feature.


West of Oklahoma City is begins to be very flat. This is good country for wheat and corn. Most towns of any size have large grain silos to store and ship the harvest bounty. This is the main street of El Reno with a view of its massive silos in the distance.


In a way, the star of this show is the highway itself. Almost the entire length was paved in sections of Portland cement. Expansion strips were cut across the pavement about every 30 feet and sealed with pitch. This was a very durable surface and after 75 years is still in excellent condition for the most part. As you drive along the sound made as front then rear tires slap over the strips make a distinctive slap-slap, slap-slap sound.


Where some distance separates the old road from the interstate, the old road provides
secondary access to rural areas and appear to be unchanged from the days of their construction. Most have a low curb at the sides which I would guess was used to control water runoff. This scene would have looked exactly the same in 1935.


Where the volume of traffic was sufficient to add additional capacity the existing highway served as two lanes in one direction and another pair of lanes were built to go in the other direction. This new pavement was usually of a different material, often asphalt. The difference in durability is soon apparent.


Here we stopped on one of the many crossovers and looked down Interstate 40 which carries a high volume of traffic at high speeds (75 mph). If you look to the left you will see the section of old route 66 that we are about to drive on.


West of El Reno are a number of very large wind turbines beginning to supplement the electrical grid. We will be seeing more of these in the near future.


We stopped here at the "Trading Post" for lunch. Places like this used to be a common sight along the highway. It offers a variety of gifts and souvenirs and a lunch buffet which was really quite good. Since the interstate roads provide controlled access, all the commercial services are bunched up at the exits.


On one of the many crossovers we came across a scene very reminiscent of the animated movie "Cars". I suspect not by accident.


Just outside of Canute we passed a lot of cotton fields. Susan had never seen cotton in the field. It is still a significant cash crop in western Oklahoma.


This looks about ready to be picked. Until a machine for mechanically picking cotton was invented in 1948, cotton was universally harvested by hand. This was back breaking work and left the hands sore from the many cuts inflicted by the sharp bolls which held the loose cotton. It was the mechanization of harvesting and processing cotton that encouraged the migration of southern farm workers to northern cities in search of work.


We encountered the Cotton Boll Motel in Canute, Oklahoma. It appears to have seen better days.


Also in Canute we admired the Canute City Hall and Water Department, the Canute Lions Club, and Joe's Liquor Store all in the same small building. We imagined a number of ways that this arrangement might facilitate local politics.

at 4:30 PM we stopped for the day in Elk City. The National Route 66 Museum is here and promises to be worth investing some time. We will look at that in the morning and start west to Texas and hope to make it to Amarillo by tomorrow evening.

One of the things that has surprised us on this trip is how much time it takes to travel this way. The road twists and turns, we have to stop and go at every little town, and by necessity drive much slower. We tried to imagine making this journey in an old car whose reliability was marginal or breaking down in the middle of nowhere miles from any mechanic.

Another simple fact was that in the early days there were long distances without anyplace to buy gasoline or oil. What people did from necessity was go to the nearest farm and hope they had some surplus gas they would sell. Ah, the good old days!