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Saturday, May 20, 2023
"I KNEW I should have taken that left toin at Albuquerque..."
Amarillo, TX to Albuquerque, NM
JUST leaving town, you happen on the Cadillac Ranch. First up is the Cadillac
Ranch gift shop and RV Park where I picked up a Texas US 66 T shirt. I like that
both the 2nd Amendment Cowboy and his six-shooters are on wheels for easy
re-deployment. Just past the RV Park is the actual Cadillac Ranch.
Mark tells me this is not the original location of the cars. Apparently the guy
dug them all up and replanted them here. Frankly, I'm not impressed. It's quite
the mudhole with all the rain they've been having and IMHO doesn't live up to
the hype. To each their own. I DID like the spray paint smell... Ahhhh....
Back on 66, we happen upon some Texas US 66 signs painted in the road. Texas was
one of the states with very few historic route 66 signs -- probably because they
get stolen. Nobody's gonna pry up an entire section of blacktop to get this logo
-- you couldn't get it on the plane home anyway.
Binford Ranch! So that's where they make all the equipment for
Tim the Tool Man Taylor,
Wooooooo!!!!
Vega, Texas has this two-story, pre-1926 US Route 66 Marathon gas station. The
coolest part was the gigantic arrow planted back behind the building.
"Oh, whoa, we're halfway there..." Little Adrian's entire claim to fame is being
the geographical HALFWAY point on US 66. Huzzah!
The Road to Endee or the "Dirt 66 Option". Just after crossing the border into
New Mexico at Glenrio, is this formerly paved, now dirt/gravel section of old
66. My guide book posted all sorts of warnings against taking this route, but
Mark wasn't buying it.
As it turned out, this dirt/gravel road was in much better shape than
advertised. We were tooling along at 40-50 mph with no problem. I think this was
my brother's favorite stretch of road today. There's something about fishtailing
along a gravel road in a rental car. Especially when you've bought the full
insurance. The old timber trestle is what's left of the former Rock Island
line from Tucumcari to Amarillo and OK City. All since ripped out.
In contrast to Texas signage, New Mexico has splurged on some very fancy,
reflective Historic Route markers -- which must have cost quite a bit to
produce. Love that unique 66 font!
Okay, why the crappy picture of a Chrysler and Dollar General sign? Because
Dollar stores were the most common business along the entire route. Every little
town had one. We started calling them out when spotted. Dollar Store, Family
Dollar, Dollar Tree, Dollar General, the Mother Road has them all. Sometimes two
right next to each other.
Tucumcari, New Mexico!! (pronounced "Two-come-carry")
Famous for their remaining neon signs, unfortunately we're here noonish for a
lunch stop and are seated next to a table of cackling and shrieking old biddies.
It's really quite frightening. After a most unsettling meal, we did a quick tour
of the famous spots in town.
First, the Blue Swallow Motel which, of course, is completely refrigerated;
Second, the Southern Pacific - Rock Island depot. The two railroads met here and
were part of the "Golden
State Route" from Los Angeles to Chicago; Third, the Tee Pee Curios gift
shop complete with Indian teepee. I understand this store might have been
damaged by a terrible hail storm just days after we passed through. I hope I'm
wrong.
Santa Rosa finds us at yet another museum - this one about cars. Mark
photographs a Ford Edsel with optional front end loader and backhoe attachments.
Oh, hell, let's just go inside for a look...
DING! DING! DING! Discovered by yours truly, are two genuine New Mexico
Route 66 signs. Mark and I each got one. They aren't stolen. There's a sticker
on the back from the highway department explaining these were produced as a fund
raiser for various NM Route 66 associations. Now proudly hanging up in my garage
in the place of honor. This was the souvenir of the trip, hands down.
Santa Rosa's geological claim to fame is
The Blue Hole
- a natural example of an artesian well.
It's a great place to dive in for the local kids and scuba divers train here as
well.
From Santa Rosa to Moriarty, US 66 is buried under I-40, so we pretty much
punched to Albuquerque. Incredible rainstorm in ABQ, but we dodged most of it
checking in at the Monterey Motel for TWO nights.
Walkable-from-our-hotel neon that evening. Los Compadres was where we had
dinner. We had rooms across the parking lot from each other. A quick drink and
hit the hay.
 
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