Day 10 - On the Santa Fe Trail
- Paul Mullan
- Sep 29, 2017
- 2 min read
Breakfast was across the road from the Blue Swallow at Kix on 66... voted best brekky so far by this tour, even if the power did cut just after we had been served.
There are two alignments across New Mexico from Tucumcari to Albuquerque. The most common is directly west through Clines Corners but the earliest road headed north through Santa Fe.
We made our way across America's main road, weaving backwards and forwards, under and over the i40. With yesterday's rains we were lucky to get through, the old tarmac pretty slushy in places.
An original piece of road clearly left over as the interstate swallowed up the bits it needed to make a straighter, faster piece of highway. A first time on this piece of R66.
There's plenty of evidence all around once busy little towns, now reduced to ghost status. Had the ruins not been here we wouldn't be any the wiser but they are and we couldn't help but think about what once was.
At Santa Rose the Route 66 Museum is a simple but interesting mix of cars from one man's collection.
Departing the direct route west, we took in part of the famous Santa Fe Trail, the commercial route established through North America before the railway link was established in the 1880s.
After climbing to over 1500 metres amongst some vastly changing countryside, we deviated off a few miles further to another Las Vegas for lunch. It's nothing like the glamour and glitz of Nevada's equivalent but before heading to what is considered the Adobe capital of USA.
Santa Fe's amazing architecture has a real Mexican influence and the state capital boasts the oldest house in the country.
Another marvel is the masterpiece staircase inside St Loreto Church which was built without nails.
The weather wasn't all that kind to us today but it's been a leisurely day compared to yesterday with less than 180 miles covered.
Tomorrow promises to be a big day, so time for a bit of rest.
