There’s something to love about every state that Route 66 passes through, but I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that I think New Mexico is my favorite.
Glenrio straddles the Texas New Mexico border so it gets claimed by both states. If you’re driving westbound, Glenrio will be your first intro to New Mexico.
The first time I showed up in Tucumcari it was after dark and we just popped off the interstate real quick because I’d heard about the neon in town. Well we drove into town on the end of town where Teepee Curios and the Blue Swallow are, and I’m not going to lie, it felt like I was at Disneyland.
Architecturally speaking, the KiMo Theater is probably the most recognizable and distinct spot in Albuquerque. Opened in 1927, the “Pueblo Deco” picture palace combined the wildly popular art deco architecture style with Native American and Southwest culture.
Albuquerque’s oldest neighborhood is home to 300 years of architecture and culture and if you’re not going to make it to Santa Fe on your Route 66 road trip, then you NEED to spend a little time in Old Town.
The Continental Divide: an imaginary line down the middle of the US where all of the rainfall west of it flows to the Pacific Ocean and all the rainfall to the east of it flows to the Atlantic. And it crosses Route 66!