Westward to Holbrook - 06/21/2021 (Day 5)

As with most days, I wake up early. My fifth day was no exception. I had to travel all the way across New Mexico to Holbrook, Arizona.  So I got up early and grabbed some breakfast at the Kix on 66 restaurant across the street.  With a name like Kix (rock on!), I had to grab some food there.

However, before departing Tucumcari, I went to their local Route 66 museum. It's mostly cars and some artifacts from the town.  It looks like everything that is on display in there was donated from locals.

What really struck me in the museum is how Interstate 40 bypassing the town really turned it into a ghost town. There are so many closed businesses there. So many buildings were left to decay. There was a picture of Tucumcari during its heyday and it looked like it could have been a picture of downtown New York City.  I couldn't believe how many people and businesses were there that are now gone.  Very sad.  

As I departed to come carry and headed to Albuquerque, I saw a bunch of signs for the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History. The signs were interesting and I decided that would be a nice place to stop and break up my trip to Holbrook. Boy was I happy.

The National Museum of Nuclear Science & History in Albuquerque is fantastic. It's broken up into several parts, the more interesting being the war uses of nuclear science. However they also have sections on the medical use and energy use of nuclear science.

I think the part that I liked the best was the Minuteman missiles. My grandfather worked on this project back in the '60s and '70s. So it is something that has always interested me. They had some great artifacts from back in that time that I enjoyed looking at.

After gassing up at Costco, I headed to Enchanted Trails RV Park on the west side of town.  They had an offer to tour some vintage travel trailers from the 60's and 70's and how could I pass this up?  It was hot as hell, but so much fun.  

Next up, I was off to Grants, New Mexico.  They have a brewery there in town I wanted to visit, but it was closed.  So I looked at a sculpture in the local park and then got my car's picture taken in the drive thru Grants, NM sign.  

My final stop before Holbrook, Arizona was Gallup, New Mexico. I'd never been there before and it seemed like a cool town to stop in. As I arrived in town, I immediately went to Jerry's Cafe as I knew it was closing at 6:00 p.m.  I had not eaten lunch yet, so I wanted to grab something there. I got a pork plate (Tu Gusto) that was absolutely excellent.

After walking around the town for a little bit after my late afternoon meal, I decided to head over to the Hotel El Rancho. 

This is a historic hotel that many movie stars starring in Western films stayed up. The upstairs was full of autographed pictures of movie stars. The inside décor was a total throwback to the fifties.

After touring the hotel, I decided to stop for a drink at the 49er Lounge, which was attached to the hotel. It was a neat bar with really cool stained glass windows and exposed wooden beam ceilings. It was a great place to grab a drink.

After leaving Gallup it was a short trip over to Holbrook. As I arrived in town, I immediately checked into the Wigwam Motel.  It was pretty much everything that I expected. Nothing too special, a motel room within a concrete Wigwam. There were some fun cars parked around the parking lot from days past.

I did a video tour of the Wigwam and the surrounding grounds for those who are interested.  

It was still early and I was thirsty, so I decided to go check out a local watering hole. On my way to a saloon, I saw some children dancing in a local park and decided to stop. There were some young, native American children dancing, as well as some adults. I watched them for a while and it was very enjoyable.

After leaving the park, I went to the Empty Pockets Saloon in Holbrook. It is a local place and it was a Monday night, so apparently because of that, it closes rather early.  However, I had enough time to grab two $2.50 Budweisers, chatted with some locals and headed back to the Wigwam for the night. I always enjoy checking out local bars and talking with people there.  Unfortunately it was real dark so getting a picture of this place was not going to happen.  

The Drive to Tucumcari - 06/20/2021 (Day 4)

 In states like Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico, Sunday is one of those days where there isn't a lot open. That was the case on the day that I left El Reno. There are a couple cool Route 66 museums along the way, but none of them were open. I made the best of it and stopped at some places along the way.

The first stop of the day, or shall I say drive through, was on the Canadian River pony bridge in Hinton, Oklahoma. It was a very cool bridge to drive over and I'm glad I got a video of it.

The next stop was Lucille's gas station on Route 66 in Hydro, Oklahoma.  Although it was an open, it was really cool to look into and see another old style gas station.

My next stop was the Conoco Tower Station and U Drop Inn in Shamrock Texas. This is a beautiful gas station and I wish I was there at night as they light it up with neon green lighting. Unfortunately it was not open, so I could only look in the windows. However it was a beautiful station to look at. 

After leaving there, I headed west to Britton Texas where they have a leaning water tower. This water tower was not built upon unstable soil, but rather built leaning on purpose. It was meant as a tourist attraction.

I arrived at Amarillo and needed to get my picture taken at the Big Texan to show my girls that I was there. It was a madhouse as it was Father's Day. I grabbed a seat at the bar and had a pecan porter before departing. I had a nice conversation with a couple who transport cars around the country as a job. That seems like a lot of fun.  This is a tourist trap, but it's a fun one I always try to stop at.  

Since the big Texan was so crazy I needed to find another place to get lunch.  I did a Google search for the best chicken fried steak and Amarillo and a place named Brent's Cafe came up. How could I not go there? My chicken fried steak was outstanding and it was kind of fun having it with green chili gravy on top of it. That was a first for me.

The next stop was at Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo. I've been there before and just wanted to stop for a picture. It was much more crowded than last time I was there. There were so many families there spray painting the cars for Father's Day. I found that funny.

My next stop was at the Magnolia Gas Station in Vera, Texas.  This was another cool gas station that I wanted to check out. It's really nice seeing how many of these old gas stations are being preserved along Route 66.

My final stop before heading into Tucumcari New Mexico was the midway point of Route 66. I had to get my picture taken on the line. Even though I did not start in Chicago, I did a good section of this road.

The one thing I did notice is how many structures along Route 66 have been left to be taken back by Mother Nature.  So many beautiful gas stations, motels and other stores.

I arrived at the Roadrunner Lodge Motel just before 4:00 local time. I took a walk up the street to go to the visitor center and had a nice chat with the woman working there. When I was done, I walked back down to the Roadrunner and checked in. It was hot, and not much was open, so I hung out there for a while.  

This is one of the motels I've really been looking forward to. I stayed in the snazzy 60s room, and it included a bed with magic fingers. I have not seen these in hotel rooms in about 30 years. At a quarter for 15 minutes of a massage, it was well worth it.

The décor in the room was great. There was a Twister sign on the wall which I really liked and it had a radio playing 50s and 60s songs and commercials. I don't think I even turned the television on the whole time I was there, as I was listening to the music and commercials. It was a total time warp.

I was able to do a video tour of the room for those who are interested in seeing it.  

I walked up and down the main drag and took him carry and took some pictures of some of the neon signs that lit up as the sun went down.  The best of which were at the Blue Swallow Motel and Tepee Curios.

Then I went back to the hotel, grab my cooler a beer and went and sat by the fire pit. They installed a new fire pit this year and it is beautiful. I was joined by the owner of the Roadrunner Lodge and we had a great chat about the place.  I was also joined by two separate sets of travelers, both from North Carolina, and we spent many hours drinking beer around the fire pit chatting about what we've seen well on the road, and having some good laughs. That was about as good as it gets for me.

I can't wait to visit the Roadrunner Lodge again with my family as we tour New Mexico in the future.  What an amazing place with amazing owners.  

Beginning Location:  El Reno, Oklahoma

Ending Location:  Tucumcari, NM

Total Driving Miles:  345 miles

Favorite Things I Did Today:  

• Drove the Pony Bridge over the Canadian River in Hinton, OK
• Visited multiple historic gas stations along Route 66
• The massage from the Magic Fingers bed and drinking beer by the fire pit at the Roadrunner Lodge Motel in Tucumcari, OK