Route 66: New Mexico

Road trippin The Mother Road, from Oklahoma, to Texas, and into New Mexico...

Sunset, Glenrio NM
The abandoned town of Glenrio not only straddles the state line, but also the Central and Mountain time zones! With the -1 hour change, sunset comes early at 4:48pm!

Roadrunner Lodge, Tucumcari NM
This motor lodge is all about the classic vibe. And the Snazzy Sixties room takes it up a notch with old time radio, RC Cola, Moon Pies, and...

Magic Fingers, Tucumcari NM
Part of the lore of these old timey places, it's real! A few bucks worth of quarters gently massages away the road weariness.

Tee Pee Curios, Tucumcari NM
More kitsch. Look closely. See it? Apparently the sign company got paid on delivery in 1960 and refused to fix it.

La Cita, Tucumcari NM
If you're not eating your Mexican food in a giant sombrero, are you even eating Mexican food at all?

Signpost, Tucumcari NM
While most of the small towns along Route 66 have either modernized or faded away, Tucumcari remains exactly as it was. Even the name seems retro. Must stop.

Route 66 Auto Museum, Santa Rosa NM
Celebrity sighting! Tow Mater means Radiator Springs can't be too far away.

Clines Corners NM
Is it a town? Is it an intersection? Is it gas station? Ya have to stop to find out.

Alien Zoltar, Clines Corners NM
Fitting that out in the New Mexico desert, the soothsayer is an alien.
ADVICE: "Lately, you have failed to acknowledge the gift that is already here today. You are constantly thinking "life will get better when...". Wake up! Stop wishing your life away. Yesterday you couldn't wait for today. It is here. Embrace today and live the life that you have always dreamed of."

155 miles driven on Route 66 thru New Mexico ✓

505 miles driven time travelled on Main Street USA ✔

BONUS: Of course, my journey didn't end in the middle of the desert. But this is where I left Route 66 and headed north to Angel Fire. I did make one more stop though. Growing up in the 80s, I know the movie Red Dawn well, and couldn't help but snap a photo to commemorate it.

Calumet Says Howdy Mural, Las Vegas NM
Welcome to Calumet, CO. Birthplace of the Wolverine rebellion against Russian invaders in 1984.
WOLVERINES!