I was excited to cross the state line into New Mexico as it was my wife’s first visit to this beautiful state. Our first stop was Tucumcari which is a small town focused on Route 66 sites. Other than that, there didn’t seem to be much life in this small town. I wondered how the pandemic had effected the state since I know that New Mexico and specifically the Navajo Nation was hit hard.
Tucamcari has a population around 5,000 and an elevation of 4000 feet. It was founded in 1901. According to Wikipedia, Tucumcari has been a popular stop for cross-country travelers and is the largest city on the highway between Amarillo and Albuquerque. Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard. It was once full of businesses; service stations, restaurants, and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south. Tucumcari is the home of over 50 murals. Most were painted by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles.
Our next stop was the Blue Hole in Santa Rosa, NM. It is a circular, bell-shaped pool or small lake that is a tourist attraction and swimming venue, and one of the most popular dive destinations in the US for scuba diving and training. There was a brave swimmer in the water, which he reported was quite chilly.
The road to Santa Fe was US 285 which heads north off of I-40. It was a gorgeous drive, full of mountain views with snow on top and even some snow alongside the road. Our hotel was called Las Palomas and it was exquisite. Our room was the second floor of the adobe building with a gas fireplace which made it very cozy. This is another dog welcoming hotel that also serves a cooked to order breakfast each morning which is included. I am sure during peak season, this place would be pricey but again, January travel is perfect. It was chilly but mostly brisk as we walked downtown Santa Fe and enjoyed the shops. We had dinner at, “Dinner for Two,” which was just blocks from the hotel and had great Happy Hour specials. We shared blue crab cakes, smoked steak nachos, salmon fish and chips, and pulled pork tacos. My cocktail was called a love bubble margarita and when it was created, there was a large smoke bubble on top but we were not fast enough with the camera to capture the moment.
We enjoyed seeing all the adobe architecture throughout downtown Santa Fe. Christmas decorations were still evident. There are a number of very old historic Catholic Churches.
Nice to see New Mexico. When I think of New Mexico I think of John Prine's song "Picture Show". He sings about taking pictures of the Navajo... "every time the Kodak clicks, it steals a little bit of soul."
Enjoyed while reading this 😀