Day 14 - Santa Fe to Gallup

Another full brekkie, before hitting the road and heading south again, towards Albuquerque. We stopped in Madrid and the Wild Hogs Diner. This was built especially for the Wild Hogs movie and is now a gift shop. Either we were too early or maybe because it was Sunday, either way, it was closed. Quick photo and we were back on the road.

Maggie's Diner, Madrid, NM

Just east of Albuquerque we encountered the singing road. Ridges in the tarmac, when traversed at 45 mph, play the Star Spangled Banner. It was pretty cool.

As we entered the city, there were a number of old motor lodges/motels worthy of a photo stop and then the Kimo theatre. This, for me, was the best we have seen, with it's native American decoration.

After driving around trying to find somewhere to park, where we wouldn't get towed away, we got lucky in the old town square, right outside the church. The temperature had risen to the mid nineties again, so we had a quick look around the town, taking in a wild west 'play' in the street, involving lots of jokes and loud bangs, before making our way back to the car and back out onto R66.

Guy shoots other guy and wins girl!

Just a mile or so up the road, we stopped to walk across the Rio Grande bridge. I did this back in 2010 but there was a lot more water in the river this time, than I recall then.  Next stop was the Rio Peurco bridge. This is a now bypassed R66 truss bridge, over the Rio Peurco gorge. Gorge makes it sound quite grand, it's about 20 feet deep and was dry as a bone. Part of the old R66 tarmac has been preserved at the bridge, for parking, the first place we've seen this. It's a nice example of this type of bridge.

Onwards we went, stopping at an old abandoned trading post and a little further on, a gas station with some old signs, for stores and a motel. Another old gas station stop and we were at the Continental Divide. This is, apparently, the point where rainwater takes different routes to the ocean, i.e. East of that point, it flows towards the Atlantic, West, towards the Pacific. There are some lovely red escarpments off in the distance to admire, besides the info sign to photograph.

From there it was a short drive down into Gallup and our hotel for the night, the famous El Rancho. Unfortunately and despite me having a confirmed booking from November last year, they had no record of my booking. I'd had a king room confirmed, with the cost and a confirmation number but now the receptionist wanted me to have a queen room, for just $2 less. Apparently, a tour had all the king rooms booked out, so she couldn't give us one! We were not happy, as you might expect. In the end, a compromise was reached and we are in a queen room but at a saving of about $20.

The restaurant here is totally non veggie friendly, so we took a drive along the 'strip' to a Pizza Hut. Since our arrival it had rained a little, so Catherine was able to employ her brolly for the first time!

We have a short drive tomorrow, to Holbrook in Arizona, our 7th state. The Wigwam awaits!