Day Seven, More Route 66 in Holbrook, AZ

I even took a picture of this Wigwam Motel in about 1967 when I drove cross country with my friend Bette Pancoe. No never stayed there.



Looks like it's still open for business.


They are small. The old cars are there just for looks.


The really dead cars are just parked there.


Wonder if it would run??

Day Six and Seven, Oh,Oh

Oh! Oh! Hmm. As we were driving along, Rick noticed that the oil pressure needle was fluctuating up and down...a lot. Stopped. Oil OK.



Stopped further down the road at Chambers, AZ. Just out of NM. Needed gas...it was $3.80/gal. Ouch! Car would not start. Wouldn't even make a noise.


Called AAA. Does he think he can tow us?? Suburban AND Airstream??? Rick was on the phone to everyone, Cousin Tom Richards (in CA), Art Andersen (in Ashtabula), Mr Boltz (in Ashtabula)... The guy from AAA got under the Suburban and pounded on the starter. Behold! It started, we drove it to the Holbrook, AZ, KOA. OK, now we have a place to stay at least.





Rick waving bye to me as the Suburban goes off the get a new starter and cellanoid.
I stayed at the KOA and worked on the blog.

Day Six, Leaving Albuquerque, NM

Leaving the Elks Club



Long long straight roads. Flat land.



There are ads for casinos all along the road. They are located at the exits. Lots of room for truck parking. A hotel and gas station are available, too.


The Continental Divide


These red buttes and cliffs go on for miles. Today was really, really windy. Sandstorm, even. Some of the tumbleweeds were huge. Saw many cars hit them. They just disintegrate, they are some dried shrub. Oh, we saw snow, too, in the protected areas.

Day Five, Sandia Peak

After leaving Santa Fe, we were driving by Sandia Peak, the longest tramway in the world. So of course we got a ride to the top where there is skiing on the other side of the mountain. Lots of snow there. It was so windy, the tram had been stopped for a while during the day. It was a bit scary...I thought so...but safe enough. The ride down was in the dark...maybe better!





Enlarge this picture to see the descending tram!

Day Five, Santa Fe

On to Santa Fe and walk thru the Old Town. The whole town must build so that it looks like very old southwest stucco. Unique looking McDonalds, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, you get the idea.



Stucco Building.


Indians sell handmade jewelry.


Rick and Chip looking for a good bargain.


Really beautiful hotel inside. Many hand painted windows that look like stained glass in the lobby.

Day Five, Madrid

Interesting house with hands.


Great musicians. Just doing it for themselves


Neat mailboxes.


People live in boxcars and make them into shops.


This trading post used to be a whorehouse.

Today we decided to go to Santa Fe. We were really glad Chip could join us. He was our guide up a scenic route thru the mountains and thru a town called Madrid, which had been a hippie colony in the 1960's.

Casualties along old Route 66

The Historic Route 66, the first cross country road from Chicago to LA, was closed when the Interstate System came into being. I40 now follows a lot of the old southern route. In fact, along a lot of the way, there is the 4 lane I40, old unnumbered Historic Route 66 and 1-2 railroad tracks.

When I40 was opened, nobody went on 66, businesses failed, gas stations closed, motels closed, people moved out and all the buildings were left behind to the ravages of time.

Here's some pictures of the abandoned buildings. I did take some out the window as we were driving, but they're not too bad.