Monday, May 6
Odometer Reading: 47,473 Food Supply: Still no bread. Now we're out of cheese. We had to swing for McDonald's last night.
We left Tucumcari early because we had had enough. Thankfully New Mexico improved greatly after that. (And this was the time where we started to get on each other's nerves. Being in a car for 10 hours a day does that to you)!
Anyway, there's not much to see on NM's stretch of Route 66 except for the sky! The scenery is breathtaking. I oohed and aahed at nearly every turn. Matt decided to drive me through a reservation around Domingo since I'd never seen one. It was very interesting. I wish I had pictures to post up here, but cameras aren't alowed on reservations. Again, this area was filled with gorgeous scenery.
We took a detour up to Santa Fe, and neither of us were too impressed with it. It just looked like your average trendy type town. Nothing special. We didn't even get out of the car. I don't "get" why this is such a popular city. Seriously, it stinks.
Albuquerque was the next stop, and it looked like a western version of Georgetown. A lot of rude people live here, though. Lots of obsessive horn-honkers and obscenity spewing drivers. Other than that, it's a nice city. (And it has grocery stores that sell BREAD! Finally!) We saw a couple of volcanoes on the edge of town and made sandwiches outside the Petroglyph National Monument, where nice park rangers reminded us in quiet voices to look out for rattlesnakes and sold us a $25 Golden Eagle Pass. (If you're planning a road trip, I'd recommend buying this pass--it's still a good deal even though the prices are going up to around $50 in '98). It allows you and a guest admission to any national monument or park. It paid for itself on our trip. Although we could get in for free, we made sure to put a little extra cash in the $ money boxes in the visitor centers, though.
Gallup was the highlight of New Mexico, mainly because it is the home of the El Rancho Hotel (above). The entire restored motel is filled with movie memorabilia from the golden days of Hollywood. The hotel itself is rumored to have been owned by film pioneer D.W. Griffith's brother, and each room in the hotel is named for a famous star. The lobby is amazing as well, decorated with old wooden furniture and southwestern-type rugs and wall hangings. It's definitely worth your time to stop. We looked around a bit, and it would be a neat place to stay--but I don't think it was well air-conditioned. (In other words, stay at the Wigwam instead--see below). There's also a good Rt. 66 themed gift shop off the lobby.
Next we drove along Highway 666. We just HAD to take a spin on the Devil's Highway. Nothing bad happened, though. People are still superstitious about it for some reason. Then we got back on the road and passed into the wonderful state of Arizona.
Arizona was my favorite state that we passed through. It was undoubtedly the most beautiful place I've ever seen. From the moment you pass the border and see the spectacular rainbow-colored rocks, you know that you're "somewhere else." Right on the NM/AZ border is this cheesy little cluster of Native American shops hawking turquoise jewelry and moccasins. There are gigantic tee pees, concrete animals and live buffalo walking around. It's just like a true southwestern South of the Border. I want to suggest that Arizona make this their welcome center. It rules!
We truged on to Holbrook to pick up our "reservation" (ha ha) at the Wigwam Village motel, a Route 66 tradition. This place is great! At first we were nervous about staying there, but for $28 a night, it turned out to be the best lodging bargain, and it had the most comfortable bed of any on the entire trip. The Wigwam Village is operated by a nice woman who fills up your ice bucket from her own refrigerator. Check out time? There isn't one! Just leave your keys on your bed when you leave!
The best part about the Wigwam Village is that you get your own, personal tee pee with one hell of a good air conditioner. Our tee pee came with a bonus--a nice stray cat who slept outside our door.
The W.V. is a great place to stay, but don't expect luxury--it's clean, cheap, and the beds are amazingly comfortable. It has a scary location, and the furniture and fixtures show their age, but it's so much fun! Trust us! If you're passing through Holbrook, at least stop and take a look. But you should try to spend the night there, and help out one of the old Route 66 legends that's still hanging on. By the way, almost all of the teepees were filled the night we were there.
Questions/comments about the trip so far? Please e-mail me at niftybugs@hotmail.com
This page was created, designed and written by Louisa Moore.
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