All of the Authenticity we desired from Santa Fe....we got in Gallup.
We stayed at the beautiful El Rancho Hotel in the Jack Benny room and walked around town talking to locals and checking out some pawn shops. Gallup is centralized to many reservations so they get all of their items direct.
The downtown area was so cute, keeping it 50's, and 60's charm.
The El Rancho served as a home away from home for all the Western stars of the 30's and 40's. We had a couple drinks in the bar and then has some rice and beans salad with fried zucchini for dinner....we were in bed by 9:15....traveling is so tiring.
After our detour to Las Vegas we headed south to Santa Fe. We were both really excited to be going there as we thought it would be a cool, artsy place to live someday......we were very disappointed. The architecture I loved, but it lacked authenticity. It seems like disney came in and decorated and there were so many tourists that I had no desire to explore much of downtown.
I treated Michael for his birthday to a very nice spa that night. Ten Thousand Waves was set up in the mountains a bit above the city and we had a hot tub, sauna and massages before retiring to the Santa Fe Sage Inn.
The next morning we had coffee at a pretty cool cafe called Aztec Cafe,
and hit up a few of the vintage western wear shops where Michael tried on some very '3:10 to Yuma' cowboy hats.....the one that looked amazing was 100 dollars...so it still in the shop.
We drove down to Albuquerque and stopped at a couple more vintage shops and record stores before getting on the road to Gallup.
Las Vegas is where all the old trails would meet up so there is a lot of history in this town. It comes out of no where...which seems to be pretty common here in the SW. They have over 900 buildings on the register for Historic places and they have 2 historic sections of town. One on the north side of the creek where the plaza is.
More of the older downtown....
After talking with the owner of the Blue Swallow we decided to take a back road to Santa Fe via Las Vegas, NM.
The 104 was bare with only a few other cars on the road.
We passed this Lonely cow on the way.
About half way to Las Vegas we came upon Cochas Damn and Lake....after miles of the scenery above, the lake smiled in sapphire.
We were greeted at the entrance with a beautiful family of Deer.
Tucumcari was a great stop on 66. So many of the only motels and diners were still there...or at least their signs were. We had dinner at the Pow Wow Restaurant and breakfast the next day at 66 kicks diner.
The big highlight of Tucumcari was the Blue Swallow Motel. The Motel had a great feel to it; with a garage for every room, a cigarette machine with route 66 brand cigarettes still in it, and 2 amazing classic cars in almost perfect shape that I'm kicking myself for not getting pictures of. This town felt like the real 66 spirit was still trying it's hardest to shine.
Tucumcari was a great stop on 66. So many of the only motels and diners were still there...or at least their signs were. We had dinner at the Pow Wow Restaurant and breakfast the next day at 66 kicks diner.
The big highlight of Tucumcari was the Blue Swallow Motel. The Motel had a great feel to it; with a garage for every room, a cigarette machine with route 66 brand cigarettes still in it, and 2 amazing classic cars in almost perfect shape that I'm kicking myself for not getting pictures of. This town felt like the real 66 spirit was still trying it's hardest to shine.
Groom had a population of 527 I believe and felt just as desolate and eerily silenced as Mclean.
Leading to town:
Here is downtown:
A wonderful stop we made today was a visit to the 'Blessed Mary' restaurant where there are no prices on the menu and there is no cash register either...you pay what you can.
Driving today made my imagination run wild....to a different time. A time where there was more than just one run down gas station and motel/cafe after another....where there were thriving businesses in the now boarded up, silent memories of what used to be.
McLean Texas was first:
A refurbished phillips 66 gas station:
The downtown which really made me want to film a movie there:
Where did everyone go???
We started the morning off by watching the famous Ducks of the Peabody Memphis do their daily march from the rooftop where they live freely at night to the lobby fountain where they swim happily during the day. The hotel made quite a show of it with a red carpet and even an honorary duck helper....no, they didn't choose me...they chose a 6 year old....the ducks ran so fast down their red carpet and into the fountain that i really couldn't see them through the crowd, but it was cute nonetheless!
Here they are in their big dramatic entrance...
We grabbed breakfast at Java Cabana and were able to drive through some beautiful parts of Memphis on the way. Michael of course, stopped into the record shop next door and then we said goodbye to Diane and Steve and were on our way!
Through careful observation Michael and I have voted Arkansas drivers the worst drivers we've encountered so far on our journey.
We traveled another 650 miles and are spending the night at a very cute, unchanged 1960's motel called the Cactus inn.
Tomorrow we only have to drive 2 and half hours on route 66 going through all the small towns on our way to Tucumcari NM.
Before meeting up with Michael's sister Diane and her husband Steve, I went to get ice.....and Elvis was in the elevator! Oddly, he was looking at a pamphlet of 'graceland.'
Graceland was pretty cool. His home was surprisingly humble for how rich he was, and he was extremely generous with giving money to organizations and friends and even strangers in need.
I've never been known to be a big Elvis fan till recently, in preparation for Graceland, we watched a bunch of clips on you tube. Man! He was so charming and handsome and sexy!
Below is my favorite...
We finish the night off on Beale Street listening to some blues.
It was a great day and we are both very tired ready for some good sleep. Michael's sister and brother in law were kind enough to get us a hotel room at the Peabody Memphis which is probably one of the nicest hotels i've ever been too. We must be in the lobby by 11am because that's when they march duck family into the lobby and to the fountain/pond were they play all day.
good night.
UPDATE:
Here are a couple pictures of Elvis' home and also his beloved Pink Cadillac.
