There are two driving options from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa, both are Route 66 alignments and are detailed below.
On reaching Albuquerque, which I might add, has the longest avenue in the world, 18 miles long to be exact, has many old sites to view. Unfortunately, due to the traffic and road works, it is pretty much impossible to pull over and see them all. Here are just a few of the old relics, but there are plenty more to see.
ROUTE 66 RELICS
Established in the late 80s, in a converted Phillips gas station, the 66 Diner isn’t really a relic! It re-opened in 1996 after being destroyed by fire in 1995.
Built in 1927, the KiMo Theatre has Art Deco-Pueblo Revival style architecture. Fortunately, it was saved after a fire in the late 70s and now is a historic landmark.
On the opposite corner of the theatre is Lindy’s diner and coffee shop in the Bliss Building. The actual building was built in 1906 and has been a diner since the late 1920s.
Mac’s La Sierra Coffee Shop with its giant bull atop of its signage was established in 1952.
The restored neon sign of the Cowboy riding his horse and whirling his lasso at the El Don Motel is another 66 iconic sign. Alas, the motel has now closed.
HiWay House has the original neon sign since the motel opened in 1958.
Premier Motor Inn is another motel now closed for business.
Just for fun, I’d include this, seeing as the Greater Roadrunner happens to be the state bird of New Mexico. This statue was in someone’s garden on the outskirts of the city.
Time for another direction choice. From Albuquerque, you can head north following the old alignment to Sante Fe or head east towards Santa Rosa. We did both.
OPTION 1 – 176 MILES
ALBUQUERQUE TO SANTA ROSA VIA SANTA FE
You may be more fortunate than us at spotting some of these sights.
- ALGODONES (exit 252 – original 66 pathway visible as a notch in the high ridge east of exit look from North which should be on the right side of the road)
- DOMINGO – (exit 259) Santo Domingo Trading post – restored near Santo Domingo Pueblo off of Hwy 22
- BERNALILLO – Silva’s Saloon pre-1937 Route 66 bar
- LA BAJADA – View the hill 4wd only. To get there: NM16 for 4 miles west of exit 264. Turn right onto the paved road for 1 mile. Right onto a dirt road that leads to the foot of the escarpment
SANTA FE
I think Santa Fe is one of my favourite towns here in America. It felt safe, was clean, the people were friendly, and the Historic Downtown is delightful.
We pulled into the Garrett’s Desert Inn for the night. The hotel was charming, and the location was superb as it was just a few minutes walk into Historic Downtown.
After unloading the car, we decided to put our walking shoes on and hit the pavement.
OUR WALKING TOUR
Loretto Inn and Spa was all lit up and extremely beautiful. Built 1975, so relatively new in comparison.
La Fonda Hotel, once a premier Harvey House until 1969 is still as majestic. Various inns had been on this same site since 1607 which were first founded by Spanish settlers. The current hotel was built in 1927.
Walking around the corner on the opposite side of the street is the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St.Francis of Assisi, built between 1869 and 1886. The first church on the site was built in 1610, the same year that the city of Santa Fe was founded.
HISTORIC OLD PLAZA
The Historic Old Plaza at the end of the Santa Fe Trail is an attractive town square, lined with trees and grass, and surrounded by many antique shops, art galleries, boutiques, bars and restaurants.
SANTA FE HISTORIC OLD PLAZA SLIDE SHOW
Once it was the terminus for the Santa Fe Trail, and before that a massive defensive wall encompassed the residences, barracks, a chapel and even a prison. Nowadays it’s a meeting place, a performing arts stage, and is the centrepiece of Santa Fe where you can sit, drinking coffee and watch the world go by.
BURRO ALLEY
And just along the road is Burro Alley. Early in the 19th-century donkeys were brought into Santa Fe carrying the much-needed wood for building and fire. The donkeys were lined up in the alley and unloaded – hence the name, “Burro Alley”. Their “owners” sold the wood, spending the earnings in the brothels and bars. These also happened to be in the alley.
LORETTO CHAPEL
In the Loretto Chapel, you can view the miraculous stairway. The unknown carpenter built this amazing structure with unidentifiable wood using simple tools and wooden pegs. It has two 360 degree turns with no visible means of support. Even appearing on the TV show Unsolved Mysteries and in the movie “The Staircase” (Go figure) starring William Petersen and Barbara Hershey.
Santa Fe is one of those towns that you could spend days exploring, plus there are so many things to do and places to go around the area. Unfortunately for us, it was time to move on.
GLORIETA PASS
Leaving Santa Fe and heading towards Romeroville, back on Route 66, there are a few small hamlets which we passed through. At Glorieta, there is Glorieta Pass which was the site of a civil war battle. A memorial stands to commemorate this historic event, just off of the road on the right-hand side, which was easy to miss.
PIGEON’S RANCH
Immediately after that are the ruins of Pigeon’s Ranch.
Pigeon’s Ranch was once a mail and stagecoach stop in 1879 along the Santa Fe Trail. Flourishing into a tourist attraction with the many passers-by using the 1926-1937 alignment of Route 66 which ran right beside the house. Until that is, a new alignment was built, which bypassed Santa Fe which eliminated 197 miles. So, yet another beautiful establishment bit the dust – literally.
Now all that remains are one building and the old well on the opposite side of the road dating back to the mid-1700s, although no one knows of the well’s exact date. Apparently, it used to have a canopy over the top.
Pigeon Ranch acquired its name from the Frenchman who only spoke “pigeon English” during the Civil War.
SAN JOSE
San Jose is a quirky little hamlet that you wouldn’t know existed unless you were looking for the old iron bridge on a dead-end spur of Route 66. Turn right along Co. Rd. B41D for 0.3 miles and the road (Old Route 66) will end right next to a closed steel truss bridge, the original 1926 Bridge of Route 66 which allowed vehicles to cross the Pecos River.
We also spotted a Santa Fe Trail marker.
SIDE TRIP TO LAS VEGAS
Feeling like another side trip was in order, we decided to pop to Las Vegas. Las Vegas, New Mexico, that is.
From Romeroville to Santa Rosa, there are only a few remnants of times-gone-by. Here are some pointers that we took from the Route 66 map series which we have used throughout the trip.
- ROMEROVILLE Bernal: Near Starvation Peak – early settlers died bypasses section of R66 dead end east, gravel west
- LOS MONTOYAS Richardson Store ruins
- DILIA Ruins
- Abandoned R66 from Dilia to Santa Rosa
ALBUQUERQUE TO SANTA ROSA VIA MORIARTY (OPTION 2 – 120 MILES)
Leaving Albuquerque and travelling east on 1937 alignment to Santa Rosa, these are the things we saw.
The Mountain Lodge sign is still visible in Carnuel, although the motel, which had been converted into apartments, burnt to the ground in 2014.
Now for a treat! We drove this stretch of the road three times before we heard the music.
Installed in 2014 the Musical Highway plays “America the Beautiful”, but you have to go just at the right speed. 45 mph. The other tricks to hear it are, keep your car windows closed (otherwise all you’ll hear is the wind) and drive to the right on the road near the white line where the grooves are.
MORIARTY
Passing through several more ghost towns, and remnants of buildings along the way Moriarty is the next town we got to.
First en-route was El Comedor de Anayas Restaurant with its spiked neon sphere was in the same family for over 60 years until being leased to new owners in 2013. There’s a fab mural around the side.
Pete’s Bar is all boarded up and I’ve been unable to find out anything about it, although I did see one comment on Google saying it has been around for 30 plus years.
Sands Motel has now been converted into apartments like so many of the other motels along Route 66. Built 1955 as a small six roomed motel with garages between each room, which were eventually converted into more rooms.
There is a fab little Sal’s Whiting Bros Gas Station.
We peeked inside the window and were really surprised to find it had been renovated into a small working museum.
The Sunset Motel seems to still be operating as a motel.
LONGHORN RANCH
At Exit 203 you can find the Longhorn Ranch ruins and remains of the old sign. Once a small cafe seating only ten people, it increased in size to become a significant tourist attraction and a major stop along Route 66. Dubbed “Where the West Still Lives” it had a restaurant, saloon, a 15 room
RUINS LONGHORN RANCH SLIDE SHOW
CLINES CORNER & THE FLYING C RANCH
Bypassing Wagon Wheel, which used to be a stop for covered wagons, (alas there is nothing really noteworthy there), you reach Clines Corner.
Clines Corner was a popular Traveler’s Way Station established in 1937, and although still serving the public, it is now one massive tourist trap selling every type of trinket known to man!
Flying C Ranch has gone the same way.
The Bowlin family had been doing business since 1912 and had numerous trading posts in New Mexico throughout the first part of the decade. In March 1964 they were chosen to represent NewMexico at the 1964-65 Worlds Fair in NewYork. The state wanted to create a traditional Indian Trading Post for the event helping to educate visitors about New Mexico history and culture. Hence the Flying C Ranch was born.
This is our last stop on Route 66 of the section from Albuquerque to Santa Rosa.
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