Route66: New Mexico

Amarillo, TX – Tucumcari, NM – Santa Fe, NM – Albuquerque, NM

Bushland & Wilderado are the last villages in Texas. The name says it… not much going on here, even the mobile phone signal is gone…

The end of Route66. Entering the interstates across the gras – only possible in the land of the free.

Reaching exit 0 on the interstates: Glenrio. Population: 0. Zero! The last people left the village in the 80s. It’s a ghost town, directly on the state line between Texas & New Mexico.

That’s all what’s left: a lonely gas station out of service.

No mobile phone connection. A quarter tank of gas and one liter of drinking water – let’s go off-road.

Those were some of the best 19miles on Route66 so far. Dusty and Wohooooo! In case of a car break down… we would have been out of luck or walk some miles to get help. No risk, no fun. We made it.

We arrived in the desert. The country seems empty, the sky is blue, the land endless, almost scary if there wasn’t the highway looking like a straight line and leading the way to go. And when you got stings from cactus first under your shoes and later on your foot (and fingers)… you know you arrived in the desert. Ouch!

Hello New Mexico! We gained one hour, the time zone changed from central to mountain time. About time for lunch.

Tucumcari is celebrating the mother road like no other town: the Route66 goes right through, and you can find many restaurants, hotels, gas stations, who all remind you of where you are. Or how about a drive-in tattoo?

The most famous neon sign:

The owner of the motel in the 60s: “I end up traveling the highway in my heart with whoever stops here for the night.” ♥️

Chilling in front of our motel (from 1939!!!) listening to 50s/60s/70s music. Life is awesome.

Rolling on to Albuquerque, also called „Q“. But not before another awesome “mile marker favorites” for breakfast.

Steak & egg. Pancakes are called pankix here.

Just not sure what to think of sitting next to a man with 2 guns, one on each side… also that is the land of the free.

Hard decisions to make today: taking the older Route66 (pre 1937) via SantaFe, the capital of New Mexico. After many miles on a very straight highway we were climbing up to 2000 meters altitude.

Passing by Las Vegas, NM, the little brother of the casino Las Vegas, Nevada.

34C degrees. Bush fires causing road closure and big traffic jams…

Santa Fe, our new favorite town, we would move immediately… the architecture a mix out of Mexican & Mediterranean, very nice people, snow & skiing in winter.