Sunday 12 April, 2015

DAY 6 – Amarillo to Santa Fe

Our check-out from the Amarillo Baymont was temporarily interrupted by huge and floppy shambler in dirty sweatpants and bare feet expressing his disappointment that he had only until 11am rather than noon to make his business calls. The clerk stared him away and he grumped off. Adrian and I—guided by our friends at Tripadvisor began our day at Henry D's, a restaurant occupying a large corner in United Supermarkets. Proved to be one of our best road breakfasts. Adrian has coffee.

The Real Route 66

Just (150k) over the border of New Mexico, Adrian spotted yet another sign urging us to try The Mother Road—Route 66, and we did, finding ourselves on eastern end of Tucumcari whose main street is "the highway that's the best." 

                                                     wishful thinking

                                                           grin reality

By the time we were past the middle of town we were numb: almost every business—the town once featured over 2,000 motel rooms—was boarded up, blown-up, abandoned...or oddly re-purposed. 

                      The Guardian Angels share space with a thrift shop. 

The remaining motels offered bargain rates: $17.95 to $34.95...some with up-to-the-minute features.

At the western end of town we turned back—I'd spotted an open restaurant—KIX...and amid all the desolation, it was jumpin'. Relatively.

Had a huge grilled cinnamon bun with a scoop of butter (skipped the syrup.)

As we drove back to Highway 40, the southwest's disrespectful child of America's most famous road, feeling kinda ghoulish we recorded Route 66 and Tucumcari's bypassed condition.

                                                           scene

 Highway 40 of course has plenty to offer. Tucumcari doesn't rate an Arby's or a Pizza Hut or a Burger King or a Dunkin' Donut or a Subway, but 40 mixes them in with the EZ-off-EZ-on gas-up trading posts and craporia. Bear with me.

                      True Bear  

                                                                                       False Bear

Back on the road...

Bicycle-Friendly Santa Fe where we stopped for the night was different. The recently-renovated (didn't get to the plumbing yet) Courtyard Marriott had a placard at the front desk advertising one of the evening specials at their new fast-casual bistro: a kale and mushrooms risotto. But we walked down the street to El Comal where we were given the best meal we'd had since Toronto.

On the way back Adrian stopped to smell the flowers.

 And finally, do we need to revisit the ordering of canyons?