There is nothing like beginning your day by waking up at 3:16 in the morning and watching the start of a Twilight Zone marathon. The anticipation of the next day caused my nerves to become unsettled so I watched television until the sun came up.
Yesterday was a travel day, it was now time to explore the Mother Road. I drove to W. Coal Street, parked my truck and began exploring. As one may or may not know, Gallup has a plethora of trading posts. One that caught my eye was Richardson's Trading Post. As I entered, I saw various rugs made by different Natives and some belt buckles. Shortly after, I spoke with the owner's wife and found out she is from another 66 town, Elk City, Oklahoma. After flirting with some jewelry I left and headed west to the Rex Museum. (By the way, right next to it you can see one of the best parking signs) A gentleman of Navajo descent explained the history of the museum as well as various tidbits of the area. To the left is the entrance of the museum where you will see items from yesteryear such as a film projector from the 1920s.
At this juncture my stomach was notifying me that it was time to eat, so I strolled back to W. Coal. I saw a neon sign that caught my attention.
As Dayton Duncan states in his road rules, if the place has a first name and has more than three calendars then it is worth going to. When I walked in, it felt like the heart of town was dining in the morning. I picked up a menu, ordered hash browns, bacon and orange juice. All over one can sense the spirit of this 66 community, blue collar, hard working and genuine.
After I filled up my tank, it was time to explore some more in the area and what way to find out then going to the Chamber of Commerce. A dark blonde lady in her early 50's provided me with some brochures and directions to the Gallup Cultural Center. Just over one hundred yards to the east, the Cultural Center offered a look into life on 66 when people took passinger trains through town. Additionally, on display was an interesting exhibit on Native American "Storytellers."
It was time to drive down the Mother Road, so I stayed on 66 aka New Mexico Highway 118 and went east for a bit before hitting the infamous Interstate 40 for a spell. I got off at exit 47; it was time to reach the Continental Divide. The first thing I thought, finally a clear moment considering how bad the smoke has been. The other, let me soak this in, I am at the Continental Divide on the Mother Road in 66 mile-in-hour winds!
I went in to the "Shop of a Navajo Hogan". As I looked at the various souvenirs and beautiful pottery in the back, I began to wonder, what is the story of the cashier. I rarely talk to the people off these various places, but on this trip I got the nerve to do things I did not think possible. I digress, as I checked out I asked the young lady in her thirties why she worked there. The obvious, "to pay the bills" was the response, but continued to add that one time she was running with a hood and was so into the music that she almost ran into an elk that ran across the Mother Road. (Take that chickens, your not the only thing to run across the road)
It was time to hit the road, so I cruised down 118 and NM 122 past Thoreau, which has a really cool beer joint that has seen its better days and Bluewater which had a beautiful motel. After an hour of driving I reached Grants, one of the biggest depots for uranium in the world. What better way to learn about uranium then by visiting the New Mexico Mining Museum. After an optional video explaining the history of the community and mining, it was time to hit the elevator. It brought me to an old mine. Looking at the various instruments enabled me to appreciate the difficulty and hard work that went into the uranium mining industry.
Some photo opportunities presented themselves in the east end of town, then it was time to visit El Malpais National Monument. I got back onto the Interstate and after making two u-turns I got to NM 53 and traveled southwest. I parked the truck and went into the visitor's center to see how much of the park I could visit. As it turns out, El Malpais is huge and would take days to complete the hike, so I just went to the Sandstone Bluffs. Again strolling the interstate for a couple of exits, I exited onto NM 117. About eight miles later, it was time to make the right turn and drive up. My goodness, it was bumpy and rockin, I felt like I was creating my own earthquake at a speedy 16 miles-per-hour. Elvis would be all shook up. Finally, after my nerves reached its limit, I got to the top and saw this.
It was real beautiful, but the thought of having to drive down was not in my book of things to look forward to. Nonetheless, I trucked on. As I got back to highway 117, I looked up thanked God and screamed "woooohooo", as if I became the first person to drive that rocky road.
My stomach once again reminded me it was time for fuel, so I went back towards the El Rancho and parked at a restaurant that was recommended, Earl's Cafe. When one enters the establishment, they will encounter various Native Americans selling various items including necklaces and bracelets. As for the food, the burgers were top-notch and the service was very good. Now, it was time to relax, as I have been up for several hours. I got a brew then watched baseball and went to sleep.
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