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An easy day today. Just 170 miles of the old pre 1937 route up and through Santa Fe along part of the Santa Fe Trail. When Route 66 was originally commissioned this circuitous route was necessary because it was the only way through the mountains but by 1937 it was possible to cut and open a more direct route from Santa Rosa to Albuquerque and Santa Fe was bypassed.
However, because Santa Fe had some 400 years of “modern”
history, its status as a capital dates back to 1610, it was not dependent on
passing trade and that is obvious today. It is not what I expected having
passed so many neglected and abandoned communities but a thriving bustling City
- the stock in the Lexus dealers lot
vouched for that - that is the State Capital and a vacation resort for winter
and summer activities. Shows what I know.
The ride up was beautiful but again it was exciting to be
following such an old route – here not only Route 66 but The Santa Fe Trail – I
won’t go off on another anorak session but read about it, our forebears really
were tough weren’t they. My journey by comparison was a doddle, but not without
incident. One as a result of a Pick-up truck driver with one tail light out –
for some reason the Americans haven’t grasped the idea of amber indicators –
their brake lights flash so if the left one is out they can totally screw up
your day with left turns whilst braking! Another due to this chap on the road.
My resident herpetologist, ok Gary, tells me it’s a gopher
snake which is a constrictor and not poisonous but that information came after
my discussions as to the right of way with it so I let it
take its time.
The views from the road as I climbed up to Santa Fe – it sits
at 7000ft - were magnificent but my camera - and my lack of skills – don’t do
it justice. The stubby shrub land gave way to evergreen forests yet the grass
still had the look of raffia.
The route went past Las Vegas - The New Mexico one – and it
was only a short detour to ride through there. Again the feel of this town was
so totally different to places I’d recently passed through.
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| Las Vegas, New Mexico |
And as the local website tells me that at this altitude 1
drink has the effect of 3 at sea level it will be a cheap night...
