Route 66 - Part 5: New Mexico

Lauren

Jun 29

2 min read

Day 7 - Halfway there!!

Adrian, Texas

The pie shop was closed but we were still excited to see the official halfway point in Adrian. 1,139 miles to Chicago and 1,139 miles to Los Angeles!

Tucumcari, New Mexico

We didn't stay in any of the vintage motels in Tucumcari but they do look like they would provide a fun experience.

We had another short day of travel, covering 117 miles and experiencing a time change. We arrived at the hotel early, where we relaxed by watching Friends reruns and playing Crazy 8s in our pajamas.

Day 8

Santa Rosa

We didn't go for a swim, but we paused to admire the Blue Hole. This 80-foot deep, clear, blue swimming spot is supplied by a natural artesian well.

Albuquerque

Herencia has fantastic flavors with blue corn tortillas. Excellent quality, presentation, and service with very reasonable prices. I got 4 mini street quesadillas with different fillings - poblanos and cheese, zucchini blossoms and panela cheese, beans and queso fresco, and papas con chorizo. Each bite was delicious!

We saw some neon downtown.

204 miles of driving today with an overnight in Albuquerque, near the airport.

Day 9 - Party of three!

We picked up Dan and kept moving westward. I kept my role as driver, Caden got bumped to the back seat, and Dan became the new copilot in charge of maps, music, and trying to take pictures of whatever I pointed at. He quickly learned he did not enjoy being copilot. He also learned we average two u-turns a day.

Gallup

We observed the Continental Divide, where rainwater flows eastward to the Atlantic and westward to the Pacific. Our first stay in a classic hotel on Route 66 was El Rancho. We got a kick out of using a real key to unlock the door, the manual elevator, and the abundance of photos and artifacts.

Dinner at Earl's Family Restaurant. We tried the Navajo Taco on fry bread and Earl's Special Double Decker Sandwich.