Route 66 Day 11 November 1, 2019
We woke up refreshed after having had such a relaxing day yesterday. After doing all the normal things one does to get started, we called the reception to send up a bell boy to take our bags out to our car. That was a really different experience, and quite unsettling as I like to be in control of my bags at all times - especially after being interrogated in different places about who had been handling my bags! Oh well, I just relaxed, and in my mind I decided to be like a movie star or a pop princess and enjoy having someone else do all my heavy lifting for me!
Then we headed down to breakfast and enjoyed all the spicy flavours that proliferate everything in this Mexican environment. The setting was just gorgeous in every way, and we were treated like royalty. There was another morning briefing - this time in the underground car park - and when we finally got to our cars, there was everything beautifully packed. So, we started our engines and slowly crawled out of the heart of Santa Fe and onto the main road leading us to Madrid.
Our first stop was Maggies Diner which had featured in the 2007 movie Wild Hogs which starred Tim Allen and John Travolta. Although the story is set in Ohio and other locations, it was actually filmed in New Mexico with the opening scenes being filmed in Albuquerque and the ending showdown scenes in Madrid, New Mexico. Many of the local townspeople were used as extras in a story about a bunch of motorcyclists who somehow upset a bikie gang and stumble into Maggie's cafe causing everything to spin out of control. (Doesn't sound like the type of movie I would watch!)
Madrid is such a cute and colourful little town but because we arrived so early most of the shops were not yet open. But Maggie's Diner was. It's not a diner at all, but a very well stocked gift shop with things that bikers, in particular, will appreciate. Here are some of the things that caught my attention:
It is so bright and colourful and filled with so many creative ideas ...
.... and then it was time to get back on the road again so we could get to our next stop.
It was such a beautiful day, and the scenery was spectacular. Every so often we would pass a sign warning us that there was elk or deer on the road, and that there could be ice on bridges, because that's where ice forms first.
It felt like everytime we went around a curve or bend in the road, we were in a new post card picture.
At times it seemed that there was as much traffic in the sky as there was on the road! We headed through Albuquerque with no stops. I'm so glad we had the time to visit Laurence and Celia, and see the other little bits of Route 66, because there was no time to stop on this part of the journey. Before we knew it, we were back on the open road of the Interstate Highway, with trains running parallel to the road ...
Through valleys and towards mountains ...
... the convoy sporting Australian flags rolled on ...
... the scenery was ever changing, and always picturesque...
Sometimes small stones were flicked up from the road surface, and many of the cars got cracks in their windscreens.
Just west of Mesita we slowed down to enjoy Owl Rock followed shortly after by the infamous Route 66 corner "Dead Man's Curve" - a long left hander.
Then we drove past the pueblo (settlement) of Laguna ... which like many small communities had had a strong and self-sufficient agricultural system well into the twentieth century. After World War II, farming and sheep herding started to decline, although some families continue these agricultural traditions today. Route 66, and later Interstate 40 (I-40) impacted farming and livestock production in several ways. The highways divided their fields and limited access to traditional farming areas. Families had to herd their sheep across Route 66 twice a year, to move them from summer pastures to more protected areas at the base of the nearby mountains. In later years when the traffic was heavier, especially after the construction of I-40, they had to use the few available underpasses.
Post World War II, the people of Laguna experienced an increase in local wage-labour jobs which impacted agricultural practices by drawing some community members away from family groups and agricultural work. In the 1960's, the Pueblo of Laguna Council successfully negotiated with the New Mexico State Highway Department for the realignment of I-40 to avoid impacts to tribal communities along its path.
Mining operations that were facilitated or accelerated by highway transportation created some of the greatest socio-economic impacts in Laguna Pueblo. The largest open pit uranium mine in North America was located just north of the area. It employed hundreds of workers, many from Laguna, Acoma (which were on our way to visit after our refuelling stop) and neighbouring communities.
The influx of wage-labour jobs provided many families with enough income to purchase automobiles.
Over the years, the design of Route 66 changed to meet the transportation needs and community goals by incorporating new engineering options. Initially, I-40 negatively impacted the small businesses along Route 66. Laguna Pueblo, however, responded by creating new businesses such as Route 66 Casino complexes and 66 Pit Stop convenience centres (such as this one that we visited) that address the changing needs of motorists.
As in previous roadside stops, I saw some interesting snacks that you can't get in Australia ...
Pickles A large variety of coffee drinks
After stocking up on all the things we needed to either take home to our loved ones as souvenirs from the road, or use for ourselves to continue to make the journey pleasant, we headed out to Acoma Mesa and "Sky City" site of the San Esteban Del Ray Mission built between 1629 and 1640. as with our travels earlier in the day, the road was enthroned by spectacular scenery.
We were getting closer to "Sky City", the physical and spiritual homeland of the Acoma People which sits atop a sandstone mesa 370 feet above the desert floor. The historical land ownership of Acoma Pueblo totaled roughly 5,000,000 acres (2,000,000 ha). The community retains only 10% of this land, making up the Acoma Indian Reservation. It is more than just a tourist destination, it is part of New Mexico's cultural heritage. It is the 28th Historic Site designated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
The Acoma people have the unique historical distinction of being the oldest continuously inhabited community in North America. Despite facing some awful historical events including the Acoma massacre in 1599 the Spanish dragged a cannon through the streets toppling adobe walls and burning most of the village killing 800 people (decimating 13% of the 6,000 population) and imprisoning approximately 500 others. The Spanish also amputated the right feet of men over 25 years old and forced them into slavery for 20 years. They also took males aged 12–25 and females over 12 away from their parents putting most of them in slavery for 20 years. The enslaved Acoma were given to government officials and various missions. Two other Indian men visiting Acoma at the time had their right hands cut off and were sent back to their respective Pueblos as a warning of the consequences for resisting the Spanish. On the north side of the mesa, a row of houses still retain marks from the fire started by a cannon during this Acoma War. As a result of this terrible event, the Acoma elders were forced to speak Spanish.
A modern adobe style cultural centre is located at the bottom of the mesa. The isolation and location of the Pueblo has sheltered the community for more than 1,200 years. They are Hopi people who sought to avoid conflict with the neighboring Navajo and Apache peoples.The original idea was that we would have some lunch at the cafe in the visitor's centre, but they had had a malfunction in the their kitchen and it would take much longer than anticipated to serve everyone. Here is the menu on offer. Apparently their stews were pretty good.
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None of us were starving hungry, so instead we chose to take a wander around the community until it was time for us to leave on our guided tour.   Fortunately it was not an extremely hot day, but the air was dry and I found myself drinking quite a lot of water just to stay hydrated. As we were paying for our entry to Acoma, we had to obtain permission to take photos when we were at the top of the mesa. A sticker was attached to my phone case and I had to agree to the conditions of the use of my camera. No photography was permitted within the mission church or at the cemetery. Before photographing any Acoma people or their art work we had to ask their permission, and no digital videoing or audio recording was permitted. This all seemed very fair to me. Time passed quickly, and before we knew it, it was time to board a bus that drove us to the top of the mesa. Here's what it looked like at the top. |
The view was incredible! And we were all snap happy!
Alan taking picture of the desert below A typical Sky City home.e.
Our tour guide explaining how these A traditional wooden ladder leads to the second story entrance of a kiva, mounds are used to make bread. a religious contemplation chamber. No one but Acoma people are allowed to climb these ladders. Spending time on the roof of their homes is one of the Acoma's spiritual practices.
According to the 2010 United States Census, 4,989 people identified as Acoma with homes for some 500 inhabitants at the top of the mesa. The people come and go at free will. Some also have homes at the bottom of the mesa so they can be closer to their various forms of employment. The Acoma have continuously occupied the area for over 2000 years. In contemporary Acoma Pueblo culture, most people speak both Acoma and English.
a home
Mica windows in the homes to An up close view of the window
provide light
It felt like we were on top of the world. We were taken to see the church which was simply constructed and beautifully but simply adorned. The floor was a mixture of mud and straw. Our tour guide was happy to share about their Catholic practices as influenced by the Spanish missionaries, but they would never divulge their own traditional spiritual practices. No one could ever be converted into their culture. You can only be born into it. According to the 2000 United States census, 4,989 people identify themselves as Acoma.
Along the way we met various artisans. I bought a figurine of a turtle (which represents long life) from one. She told me that they did have turtles in the pools of water from which they drew their drinking supplies. I bought a black, red and white necklace from another ... this is my favourite colour combination. And from yet another, I bought some intricately woven beads. He asked me to take a photo of the information sheet.
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| The workmanship in these beads was of the highest quality. |
It was time to descend the mesa. We had a choice of walking down or catching the bus. I bused ...mainly because of my dicky ankle. We saw some of the Men In Black (as they have been dubbed) as we were descending.
Then it was time to get back on the road again to head to our next destination ... The Continental Divide.
We drove out the way we had come in ... and the scenery was still spectacular!
Through wide open spaces .... past small settlements ...
... with ever increasing vegetation cover ...
Until at last we came to another stop ... this time at the Continental Divide.
Everyone was keen to get to our hotel for some rest. It was probably the effect of the altitude (afterall we were at 6468 feet!) that was making everyone so tired and thirsty.
We saw more railway lines and observed the trains toing and froing with massive loads of freight.
Our hotel for the night was the El Rancho in Gallup. Each of the rooms were named after famous movie stars. Our room was the Marx Brothers.
We had every intention of having an early night. Jenny and I headed to the dining room to have a quick and light meal. As we entered the room we met a lovely lady called Cree, who we later found out was a retired teacher. She was sitting on her own, and invited us to sit down and enjoy a meal with her. We hit it off like a house on fire, and had a wonderful and robust discussion with her about all sorts of things. At one point we told Cree how we were trying to make a list of all 50 American States. We asked her if she would help us solve the mystery of the 6 states we had not yet listed. She was eager to help, so jenny went back to our room and got the now crumpled piece of paper and showed it to her. Out waitress wanted to help us too. She told us she new all the names of the states in alphabetical order! Impressive! So after more discussion and lots of help we had a list of all 50 states. We certainly had a lot of fun.
If that wasn't enough, Cree insisted on paying for our meals. We insisted on providing the tip for the waitress. We felt happy, satisfied and blessed to have finished off a wonderful day in such fashion.
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