Dad's Route 66 Blog

Discovering Normal Rockwell's America

Albuquerque to Gallup, NM

Written By: trevixan - Jul• 18•11

After some down time in Albuquerque we took off for Gallup, NM. One of the places we ate is actually a chain fast food that we even have back home. I had never eaten there, nor had Trevor, so we thought we’d give it a shot. The place is Five Guys and is a burger joint. Anyway .. we walk in and right away I can see that it is not like the big franchises you might think of.

As soon as you are in the front door, they have these open boxes full of …

So, of course, I had to get some.

Trevor and I both get a cheeseburger. He has his toppings, I have mine.

And with a burger .. you gotta have fries.

Notice the fries still in the bag. There was probably enough to fill another one of those cups. It was a lot of fries.

So, as we were about to take off, a bird crosses my path. Who knows what kind of bird this is?

Throughout this trip, there is one thing that I’ve missed. It took us all the way to Albuquerque to really be among them.

Here is a shot from where we are across Albuquerque.

Can’t quite make it out? Well .. here is a closer shot.

Where are we? We’re at the Sandia Peak Tramway. This tramway world’s longest aerial tramway. It is 2.7 miles long.

Here’s a shot of the two towers that supports the tramway.

Did we go on the tramway, you ask? Do I really need to answer that? (See Willits Tower pics)

The tramway has it’s own crossing guard.

As we were driving through town, there were quite a number of motels to see. However, traffic did not allow me to stop and take photos. So, out of Albuquerque we go. The shots outside the city are better anyway. When we got to Mesita. Mesita is Spanish for Little Table.

I see the table .. but it doesn’t look so little.

In Grants, NM we have the time and traffic to see some old motels. Not all of them are in business, though.

Believe it or not, I think this is an actual working motel.

However, the next one I don’t think is in business.

I do like old cafe signs.

Here’s another motel.

Now, everyone knows Dairy Queen, but this one is a little different. I haven’t seen one quite this old.

Now .. Route 66 is littered with dead businesses. Here is an example of a business retasked. Originally it was a motel. See what it is now.

Did you notice what it is now? It’s a used car lot.

Did you know that the continental divide is in New Mexico? I didn’t.

So .. if you have a continental divide .. and a highway running by it .. what do you do? You build a souvenir stand, of course.

Not just one tourist trap .. but two.

We finally make it to Gallup, NM. So now we have to go find something to eat. We end up at El Rancho Hotel & Motel.

Trevor had a guacamole burger called the John Wayne.

I had a club sandwich. I cannot remember what the name was.

I went out a bit later and saw some pretty cool things. How’s this for a public parking sign?

There’s the Lexington Hotel.

It’s currently being restored.

All this was attached to a museum.

Here are a couple more signs that I liked.

That’s it for our trip to Gallup, NM. Next time we enter Arizona.

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16 Comments

  1. Connie Wyatt says:

    I loved that you caught a picture of a roadrunner! So way cool! I chanced to see them a few times around the hillsides of Las Cruces, but never got a picture of any of them! I love birds, and this one is a nice one to spy out, in view of all our favorite Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote cartoons! 😀 The scenic shots sure look a lot like all the same stuff where we lived too! There is certain charm in it all, but I am such a happy camper to be back by the bay! Yippee!

    Happy Trails;
    Connie

  2. Mary Kauhi says:

    Hey, loved the looks of that burger at Five Guys! I’ve been such a good girl staying away from them this year that you are really tempting me.
    When I clicked on your bird to get a closer look I was surprised and happy to get the identification of Roadrunner, the state bird. I otherwise wouldn’t have known.
    Did Mesita’s Little Table remind you of Table Rock in the Rogue Valley?

    • trevixan says:

      Yeah .. I remember Table Rock .. yes it reminded me of that. I couldn’t believe I saw the roadrunner. It was right in front of me when I was in the car. Yesterday we saw Wile E. Coyote, but he skedaddled too quickly for Trevor to get the camera and take a shot. Oh well.

      I can send you another picture of the burger with a bite taken out of it. It looks even better! :O

  3. Retha says:

    I loved the signs. they looked as if they are neon type lights that probably look great at night? You guys really enjoyed your burgers on this trip. But, I must admit they sure looked good. Thanks for another great tour. I’m so sorry you guys didn’t get Wile E. Coyote. I was always rooting for him to finally WIN against the roadrunner!

    • trevixan says:

      There’s only so much burger one can take. If you’ve noticed, sometimes we take a break and actually have healthy food (aka salads).

      • Retha says:

        On the road salads are not that healthy, sorry to burst your bubble. They usually have additives to keep them looking fresh. All the good stuff you add on probably makes it as fattening as a burger. :o) But, you’re on vacation and allowed to temporarily live it up or down, whatever the case may be. In any case I think you two will remember this trip for a very long time. You really did get some unique pics on this trip. Hope you put them on DVD and have us all over and we can bring a dish and enjoy the trip all over again.

        • trevixan says:

          Uh .. that’s why I said healthy. You don’t think packaged salads from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s are going to be healthy?

          As I mentioned before, I probably have over 1000 pictures. You’ve not even seen half of them. It would probably take a few DVDs to do all of them justice.

  4. Annette Thorsen says:

    When I fly down to join you boys tomorrow, I look forward to eating at a place where there is a beautiful view of palm trees and a beach, the special of the day does not pass through a deep-fryer first, the word “Food Challenge” is no where to be seen on the menu, the cuisine is not common to the average teenager..aka Burger, and finally, last but not least, huge portions are not a point of pride for the establishment or the patrons. 🙂

    • trevixan says:

      What sort of food are you looking for? There are a lot of places .. and we’ve been to some of them. I’m not going to suggest the Sunday brunch at the Ritz Carlton in San Nigel. Although, that is a truly exquisite and spectacular brunch!

  5. Annette Thorsen says:

    In the spirit of Dale’s blog, I would be very appreciative ( You dont know how much )for suggestions as to where to dine in the greater LA area (around Anaheim) or the ocean, with the above criteria in mind. LOL 🙂 I would also prefer if the words “Super size me”, were no where to be seen either.

  6. Annette Thorsen says:

    It looks wonderful especially the Tantalum evening for the Schooner or Later!

  7. Rose Hernandez says:

    Really enjoyed all the pictures, it was like being there too! What a great trip you can remember always I’m sure the rest of your family will love to hear about the private ones especially after you ate that salsa lol. Take care and thanks for sharing 🙂

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