NEW MEXICO – DISCOVER NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE
The first stop in 'The Land of Enchantment' is Tucumcari, where there are at least two roadside landmarks that will tempt you to overnight – the 1939 Blue Swallow Motel, with its individual garages for each guest room, and the 1959 Motel Safari, its quirky 'Do Wop' facade crowned by a neon sign topped by a camel. Hungry? Then consider Del's 1956 restaurant.
On along the Mother Road, Santa Rosa is home to the Route 66 Auto Museum, filled with vintage cars, motorcycles and gas stations, and then comes Albuquerque, with around 565,000 residents the state's largest city. Founded by the Spanish in 1706 as an outpost of Mexico City – to which it was linked by the historic Camino Real – its historic buildings include colourful Old Town's San Felipe de Neri, built in 1793.
After passing through this neighbourhood, Historic Route 66 continues along Central Avenue into the heart of downtown, with its range of restaurants, shops selling stunning Native American jewellery and pottery, entertainment spots – notably the opulent, 1927 Pueblo Deco style KiMo Theatre – and unique museums. Among them is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center, which introduces visitors to the 19 pueblos in the surrounding areas as well as to native foods in its cafe and ceremonial dances on weekends.
OVERNIGHT AT THE 1939 BLUE SWALLOW MOTEL, WITH ITS INDIVIDUAL GARAGES FOR EACH GUEST ROOM, OR AT THE 1959 MOTEL SAFARI, ITS QUIRKY 'DO WOP' FACADE CROWNED BY A NEON SIGN TOPPED BY A CAMEL.
Continuing west, you can drop by the Laguna Pueblo, site of a 17thcentury Spanish mission and the Route 66 Resort and Casino, and/ or, just off the route, fascinating mesa-top Acoma, which dates back to around 1140AD and is thus the oldest continuously-occupied place in America. Visit San Estevan del Rey Mission Church, constructed between 1629 and 1641, perhaps purchase a piece of unique black-and-white pottery from a local artist and then visit the museum at the base of the mesa.
Passing through Grants, where the New Mexico Mining Museum chronicles the finding of uranium in the area, you arrive in Gallup, known for its numerous shops selling Native American jewellery and pottery, and the Gallup Inter-Tribal Ceremonial in August, featuring culture and dance from local and other indigenous people.
Before continuing on into Arizona, you might be tempted to overnight at the landmark El Rancho Hotel where the guest rooms are named after such former guests as Hollywood stars John Wayne, Roy Rogers and Ronald Reagan, later the President of the USA.