New Mexico Route 66 - Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. Classic Art Deco and neon diner on Route 66. The 66 Diner started out as a Phillips 66 gas station and was converted to a "Streamline Modern" style diner in 1987. The restaurant only serves breakfast on weekends, so my Tuesday morning visit resulted in pictures but no pancakes.

New Mexico Route 66 - Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. The Premier Motel, located across the street from the Aztec Court. Tough choice if the kids were allowed to decide where to stay based on the neon welcome signs.

New Mexico Route 66 - Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. Aztec Court, 1932 - 2011. In 1937, Route 66 bypassed Santa Fe and took over from New Mexico 6, a more direct road from Santa Rosa. This increased traffic on Central Avenue, and close to 100 motels were built between downtown Albuquerque and the city's historic Nob Hill neighborhood, including the Aztec. The old motor court was demolished in 2011 when it became just too expensive to restore. Only the neon sign remains.

New Mexico Route 66 - Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO. Pioneer Motel on Central Avenue (old 66), with some fashionably tilted neon.

New Mexico Route 66 - Albuquerque

"We ought to make Albuquerque easy by tonight." Porky Pig to Sylvester the Cat, "Jumpin Jupiter" cartoon. And so said countless fathers to their wives and children on old Route 66 in the 1950's.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Fe

Santa Fe adobe, sepia. From 2010

Santa Fe Street Scene, sepia. From 2010

Adobe window and lamp, sepia. From 2010.

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. The old city captured in sepia.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Fe

The cross and bell tower of the San Miguel Chapel, 2010

Santa Fe street light and adobe wall, 2010

Santa Fe, 2010

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. More adobe architecture.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Fe

Santa Fe adobe restaurant, 2010

Native American pottery in a Santa Fe market, 2010

A Santa Fe adobe shop, 2010

SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO. I took the more direct later alignment of Route 66 on this 2012 trip, in which the old road runs on and alongside Interstate 40 through the little towns of Clines Corners, Moriarty, and Tijeras. On two previous trips, however, I did make the turn north on Highway 84 (old 66) to Santa Fe, and the New Mexico capital is such a unique American city that it must be included in any Route 66 report.

New Mexico Route 66 - Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO. Our Lady of Sorrows Church, sepia.

New Mexico Route 66 - Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEW MEXICO. A short hop from old 66 on the way to Santa Fe there is a Las Vegas just a little less famous than the one in Nevada. The Plaza Hotel in town was called "The Belle of the Southwest" when it was built in 1882, and there just has to be an Old West card game going on inside. From 2010.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO. Nearby Joseph's Bar and Grill adopted the famous Fat Man from the old Club Cafe, and how could I dine anywhere else while in town? From 2008.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO. During a 2008 visit to Santa Rosa, I found some of the Club Cafe's neon stacked in the parking lot. This section was once attached to the building, and one wonders where this piece of 66 history ended up.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO. Club Cafe neon, still going strong even though the restaurant closed way back in 1991. This is the establishment that erected the Smiling Fat Man billboards up and down Route 66.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO. The handsome Tower Motel, built in the 1950's, I believe.

New Mexico Route 66 - Santa Rosa

SANTA ROSA, NEW MEXICO. The bright and shiny Sun N' Sand Motel neon.

New Mexico Route 66

NEW MEXICO ROUTE 66. Whenever I see an out of the way 66 ruin like this, I wonder just who may have stopped here for a cold beer, and in which decade - the 1940's? 1950's?

New Mexico Route 66

There are stretches of interstate highway out west that a 66 traveler is forced to drive on, when the old road becomes impassable or just isn't there anymore. I found that during these detours my speed rarely exceeded 60 mph, so attuned was I to the slower paced two-lane.

New Mexico Route 66

NEW MEXICO ROUTE 66. Southern Pacific Railroad tracks disappear into the horizon, at one of my favorite out of the way spots on 66. After squeezing under the Interstate through a narrow one lane tunnel, you can just pull over and watch the trains go by.

New Mexico Route 66

NEW MEXICO ROUTE 66. How many 66ers remember this narrow lane under the Interstate? It's just west of Tucumcari.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. Buckaroo Motel. You can still spend the night here, partners.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. La Cita Restaurant on Route 66, black and white. From 2008.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. The old Westerner Drive-In in Tucumcari. You can still hear Elvis tunes coming from the parked convertibles, if you reminisce hard enough. I wonder if the car hops wore roller skates.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

Odeon Theater

Showtimes at the Odeon Theater

Lena's Cafe from 2008

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. Just a couple of turns off Tucumcari Boulevard (old 66), the small downtown of Tucumcari is perfect for a sunny walkabout. Inspect the fading small town architecture, look out for a couple of murals, and try to find colorful Lena's Cafe. There is also a dinosaur museum on 1st Street which I never seem to have time for, not with all the 66 stuff in town, but it's on my list for a future trip. The Art Deco Odeon Theater, built in 1935, dominates the corner of Main and 2nd Streets.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. Opened in 1942, the Blue Swallow Motel is stunning 1940's Americana, with its wonderful neon sign and tourist court garages. The most famous Blue Swallow owners, Lillian and Floyd Redman, purchased the motel in 1958, and Lillian became one of the legends of Route 66 by running the business for the next 50 years. (Floyd died in 1973.) She made an awful lot of 66 friends in those years, and ran a successful operation even after the interstate bypassed the old road through town. I have no images of Lillian, of course, as I was a prisoner in my office and buried in paperwork throughout the 90's.

New Mexico Route 66 - Tucumcari

TUCUMCARI, NEW MEXICO. The Blue Swallow Motel is another 66 landmark in good hands after a recent change in ownership. Kevin and Nancy Mueller took over the old tourist court in July, 2011, and the restoration they initiated continues to improve and brighten up the property. In fact, the Muellers were working the grounds in 103 degree New Mexico heat when I interrupted them for a chat and a photo. (Seems like I slowed down loads of 66 restoration work on this trip.)