Wednesday 25/05/2011 Amarillo to Santa Fe
And we did! Loved our road trip today - great scenery and places - so enjoyed and loved everything about Albuquerque and Santa Fe! Musts to visit! Great history, art and culture here! We'll be back!
In Amarillo we picked up the I-40, the famous Route 66 and headed off to Santa Fe via Albuquerque. We did a quick reconnoiter of downtown and residential Amarillo before heading off - quite a big town, neat, tidy and lovely tree lined residential streets. Also some quite grand houses! A good stopover if traveling through Texas on Route 66.
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| Off we go on Route 66! to get our kicks! |
We soon crossed into the state of New Mexico and the landscape didn’t take long to start transforming from farming plains to desert littered with mesas and buttes,red soil and the tuffty course grasses and stumpy trees that thrive here. The wind finally stopped! Some very artistic rock formations were painted on the horizons.
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| Butte |
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| Mesas |
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| Snow on far mountains - the Rockies! |
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| The Rockies make their appearance across the plains |
Stopped to fill up with petrol - sorry fuel lol! and chatted with a poor couple who came through one of the tornado’s yesterday in Oklahoma - they got pelted with hail and the stong wind tore some pieces off their RV but they managed to dive out of it, passing an overturned truck on the way! Scarey!
How immaculate is Albuquerque! What a pride these New Mexicans take in the presentation of their city! History, art and culture are priorities here and is evident as you immerse yourself in this fascinating city. Art works and sculptures are scattered around the city so there is something of interest at every turn. Everything - even the flyovers and street-scaping - is done so they complement the desert environment. Very aesthetically pleasing!
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| Threading our way through the mountains, the gateway to Albuquerque from the east |
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| The silver cactus heralds the city limits of Albuquerque |
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| The Rio Grande meanders through Albuquerque |
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The historic Route 66, now called Central Avenue,threads through the city.
It is alive with the buzz of traffic and neon lights (a bit tacky but part of the historic appeal |
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| All the flyovers are painted in desert hues |
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| The street-scapes are beautifully landscaped and reflect the desert |
The cultural heart of the city is Historic Old Town with its tree-shaded plaza and the city's oldest building, San Felipe de Neri Church, constructed of adobe in1793. Built 70 years before the American Revolution, it looks much like it did centuries ago. Old Town follows the traditional Spanish pattern of a central plaza and church surrounded by homes and businesses. Many of the historic homes are still standing and some have been renovated into today's shops, galleries and restaurants.
Wandering around you find charming side streets and hidden court yards. The architecture is really appealing - flat-roofed buildings mixing pueblo and Spanish styles mirror the landscape. Long portals (porches) with bancos (benches) offer shade from the sun - suit the New Mexico climate perfectly! The galleries, shops and restaurants have mostly locally made, from the art and jewellery and food - really nice strolling around window shopping!
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The city was founded in 1706 by Governor Valdes
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| Click to enlarge |
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| The beautiful San Felipe De Neri |
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| The lovely symmetrical garden of the convent associated with the church |
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| The leafy central park |
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| Click to enlarge |
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| The adobe and wooden buildings surround the central park and for the plaza |
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| Th buildings suit the hot climate with the portals and bancos |
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Turquoise is a popular colour choice to use with desert hues of the adobe -
may be the sky? |
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| Flowering desert plants in the gardens |
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| A quaint cafe |
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| Court yards add appeal to the Plaza |
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| Interesting drainage |
From Albuquerque we chose to explore the Historic Route 66 and its New Mexico charm, rather than the I-25. Called the Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, this scenic and historic area encompasses 15,000 square miles in the heart of New Mexico linking Albuquerque and Santa Fe. And what a breathtaking drive it is! The old mining towns of Golden, Madrid and Cerrillos along the trail have some lovely local arts and crafts.
Santa Fe is also very impressive and has lots of character. Founded by the Spanish in 1608 it is the second oldest city in the USA and the only state capital to serve under the administration of three countries. The Old Town Plaza here has the same grace and charm as Old Town in Albuquerque and is also modelled on the Spanish pattern. Art, history and culture abound here to. A very appealing town to visit! We will return! Loved it here!
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Vargas, a famous and influential Governor of New Mexico
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| Click to enlarge |
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| A beautiful gated and fenced park near the plaza |
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| Central Park in the Plaza |
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| The adobe buildings with the portals have lots of charm and character |
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| The turquoise paint adds a colourful contrast to the desert hues |
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| Museum of Indian Art and Culture |
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| La Fonda Hotel |
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| The Museum of Contemporary Art |
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| Lots of galleries with amazing art works |
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| Great arcades of shops |
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| The Central Park Monument to all those who have fallen in "battles" in New Mexico |
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| Where the Santa Fe Trail ends |
A movie was being filmed in the Old Town Central Plaza. "Odd Thomas" starring Willam Dafoe. Keep an eye out for it! Loved watching the process. Felt like I was back in the classroom teaching film technique.
Lots of films are made here and many celebrities have made their home in Santa Fe because "as famous as they are Out There, here in the City Different they can live life pretty much the same as other Santa Feans."
Who has made their home here?......Gene Hackman; Greer Garson; Shirley MacLaine; Ali McGraw; Val Kilmer; Robert Redford.
Films made here: Easy Rider; The Milargo Beanfield War; No Country for Old Men;Crazy Heart; Wild Hogs; Georgia O'Keefe; Appaloosa; The Book of Eli; Did You Hear About the Morgans?; True Grit; Thor.
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Post filming discussion
The director is on crutches! |
So when we haven't camped in the Turtle at the KOA's (Campgrounds of America) we have Super 8'ed! We are overnighting at the Super 8 Motel in Santa Fe - it's also got its desert attire on! We have found the Super 8 chain across the USA to be clean and economical - great value for $ -includes breaky and free WiFi - ideal accommodation for road tripping! Pete loved what was parked at the entrance!
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| Pete likes this toy! He'd love one! |
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| Even McDonald's wears its desert adobe coat! |
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