Saturday, September 11, 2021 Day 14 of our Route 66 Journey
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Panorama of the Valles Caldera.
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Continuing my “catch up” for our time on Route 66 since El
Reno, TX: While we were in Santa Fe we did a few day trips around the area. Our
first exploration was to Bandelier National Monument, Los Alamos, Valles Caldera
National Preserve, and a little bit of Route 66 south of Santa Fe. We tried to
go to Puye Cliffs pueblo but we found that, like every other pueblo we saw, it
was closed to outsiders.
So you don't have to strain to read the sign, “Near here the Rio Grande Valley closes into a narrow pass
(angostura). Control of this pass was critical to the safety of the trade along
the Camino Real, so this area has been the focus of fortifications since the
early 17th century. The 18th century settlement of
Algodones developed as a result of continuing Spanish efforts to control the
pass and nearby fords of the Rio Grande.” You can read an
interesting explanation of Angostura Bitters history .
The next day we went to Las Vegas. No, not that one, the one
in New Mexico. It has a long history and over 900 buildings on the
National
Registry of Historic Places. The most historic block was, unfortunately,
under major construction so we could not drive through it (nor even walk if we
valued our hearing!).
Just outside Las Vegas is Montezuma’s
Castle which is not the same as Montezuma Castle National Monument in
Arizona.
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Montezuma's Castle in Las Vegas
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Public art in Las Vegas
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One of the many historic buildings
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And another
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Public art in the town square
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More in the town square
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The town square
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We just can't help trying out dirt roads, this one to Bandelier NP.
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Like all the pueblos, Puye was closed.
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On September 9 we left Santa Fe, via Albuquerque and the
longest main street in America, Central Ave., for Gallup, NM. Except, although
that is the claim in several of the books we have, it is NOT the longest.
Several cities/towns claim that honor, Denver (Colfax Ave, 26 miles) and arguably
Island Park, ID (US 20, 38 miles). Central is only 18 miles long. But
interesting!
Some random photos from our drive through Albuquerque.
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There is a single lane for busses! Both directions use it, cars may not enter. It's what we called a Suicide Lane in Tucson.
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One of 12 Madonna of the Trail statues along Route 66. Note our car. Then look at the next picture and the sign above it.
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Randy parked in a spot reserved for Federal Law Enforcement!
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We went to a National Monument I had never heard of before,
El Malpais, and got the Corvette very, very dirty driving on a dirt, washboard
road to the Sandstone Bluffs. I would definitely come back here!
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Had to see, but there are tadpoles in this temporary pool. Where did they come from??
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More
about after Albuquerque later.
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