Tucumcari to ABQ

We went back to the beginning edge of town, to Tucumcari mountain a welcome site for westward travelers knowing that rest and such was just ahead in town

Tee Pee curios is a fun stop as well

Sammy’s this n that we saw the artist beginning this wall art last night.

Train museum was closed but had the stamps outside

Interesting write up I found online about how the interstate impacted businesses etc. not my work, but well put

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Next stop the “blue hole” Santa Rosa 61 degrees. Reminded me of our swimming hole at home. I didn’t swim. Shelle dipped her feet

From Google:

The Original 1926 Alignment (The Santa Fe Loop)

• Approaching from the East: From Santa Rosa, the original route headed north toward Las Vegas and Romeroville, following the old Santa Fe Trail corridor through Pecos and Glorieta Pass. 
• Through Downtown Santa Fe: The road entered the capital city along the Old Santa Fe Trail, passing landmarks like the San Miguel Mission and La Fonda on the Plaza. 
• Heading South: From downtown, it turned onto Water Street, Galisteo Street, and Cerrillos Road, heading south down La Bajada Hill toward Bernalillo and Albuquerque. 

The 1937 Realignment

• The Bypass: In 1937, a new, more direct east-west alignment was built straight from Santa Rosa through Moriarty and directly into Albuquerque.
• Distance Saved: This modern shortcut completely bypassed Santa Fe and cut roughly 100 miles off the cross-country drive. 

We did the “Santa fe loop” last trip. So we are skipping it this time.

Next stop Clines Corners

From Google:

Clines Corners started in 1934 when Roy E. Cline opened a small filling station and café at the intersection of New Mexico state highways 2 and 6. 

Early Beginnings and Relocations

• 1934 Foundation: Roy E. Cline built the original rest stop on lonely ranchland.
• Road Changes: When the state realigned the routes into U.S. Route 66 and U.S. Route 285, Cline physically moved his building to stay at the new intersection.
• Name Origin: The name combines Cline's surname with the crossing of the two highways. The apostrophe was dropped over the decades

From Google:

Country Friends Antiques in Moriarty, New Mexico, is famous for the vintage, Space Age Roto-Sphere (or "sputnik") neon sign mounted on a 16-spike metal sphere above the building at 1005 Historic Route 66

History and Highlights

• Former Restaurant: The building originally housed El Comedor de Anayas, a popular 1950s and 1960s restaurant that welcomed travelers, politicians, and passing country music stars. 
• Celebrity Portraits: Autographed portraits of the historic musicians and political figures who dined at the restaurant still line two interior walls inside the antique shop today. 
• The Roto-Sphere Sign: Manufactured in the 1960s by inventor Warren Mills out of Bossier City, Louisiana, the 16-spiked neon sphere once rotated in multiple directions to lure Route 66 motorists off Interstate 40. 
• Roadside Landmark: While the mechanical rotation and neon lights are no longer fully functional due to weather and weather-fried repairs, it remains a heavily photographed Route 66 landmark and the last sign of its kind left along the New Mexico stretch of the highway.

Shop owner Cindy Arnett talking about the Sputnik . It is free to move in the wind now, but they didn’t have the motors replaced again the weather is too hard on it .

Moving on to ABQ for the night

Tonight we stayed at the American RV Resort in a cabin. Thankfully because it’s raining pretty good out there.

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