"Albuquerque" or ABQ for those Who Can't Spell It
Albuquerque, NM Albuquerque KOA Sept. 6-7. 2020
We just missed the Here It is Sign,
Thanks to twin 6 1/2 year old boys practicing riding their bikes around the campsite, there was no sleeping in.
Continuing west, the old road passes through the Painted Desert
and the Petrified Forest, and then into Holbrook. M & D have been to both before and really enjoyed them, but aren't stopping this time.
We don’t have many stops before Albuquerque. Just a quick drive through Holbrook, AZ to photograph the Wigwam Motel and a couple other sites.
Today, it is a city steeped in Native American culture, Hispanic roots and pioneers from all walks of life. Holbrook began as a town of railroaders and cattlemen, outlaws and rugged lawmen.
The National Old Trails Road reached Holbrook in 1913, and Route 66 was aligned through town in 1926.
The city, located in Navajo County, has a population of about 5,000 residents.
"Indian Capital of the World" Gallup where Indians meet Route 66 (Not politically correct these days, their website, not mine!)
Mom found this information when she was researching this trip...They have been here and loved visiting some of their major sites ...We didn't realize that Neil Young wrote and sang, "Albuquerque"
"EXPERIENCE HISTORIC ROUTE 66
from the MOTHER ROAD TO CENTRAL AVENUE
Central Avenue, Albuquerque’s “Main Street,” comes with quite a past. Today, this road serves as Albuquerque’s central street, taking passengers east to west through the city’s most notable neighborhoods—Old Town, Downtown and Nob Hill.
EARLY HISTORY OF ROUTE 66 IN ALBUQUERQUE
Route 66 was first commissioned in 1926, picking up as many bits and pieces of existing road as possible. The first route (1926-1937) ran north to south through Albuquerque, part of a giant S-curve that linked Santa Rosa, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Los Lunas and several Indian reservations. This original section was 506 miles of mostly unpaved road.
EAST TO WEST DEVELOPMENT
In 1931, federal money was designated to realign the road to a more east-west direction. By 1937, Route 66 had straightened out and headed directly west across the state, reducing the previous years’ journey across New Mexico by 107 miles. With Route 66 as the only paved road crossing New Mexico, development began to spread east and west along its path. This new road carried thousands of people longing for a better look at America and yearning to see what the country held in store. Route 66 was fixed in the memory of many by John Steinbeck's novel, “The Grapes of Wrath” and Bobby Troup's lyric "Get Your Kicks on Route 66," as well as CBS TV's "Route 66." Today, I-40 runs over much of the original roadbed, but many parts of the old highway can be seen today just beside I-40.
ROUTE 66 AND CENTRAL AVENUE
Central Avenue underwent several transformations that have molded it into the main Albuquerque street that it is today. Present-day Central Avenue connects locals and visitors to the city’s diverse neighborhoods, each offering unique and authentic Albuquerque experiences.
Old Town is the historic heart of Albuquerque, featuring San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in the city.
"The original church of San Felipe de Neri was started in 1706 under the direction of Fray Manuel Moreno, a Franciscan priest who came to Alburquerque [the spelling was later changed to Albuquerque] with 30 families from Bernalillo in 1704 or 1705. The church was initially named San Francisco Xavier by Don Francisco Cuervo y Valdez, who founded the city of Alburquerque and named it after the Viceroy of New Spain. The Duke of Alburquerque ordered that the titular saint be changed to San Felipe de Neri in honor of King Philip of Spain..." You can find unique museums, and more than 100 stores and 24 galleries.
The Plaza across from the church is typical of most Spanish colonial style towns. It reminded M & D of Santa Fe, another one of our favorite New Mexico towns.
Comments
Post a Comment