August 18th, 2021 … Summer of Fun continues! Day 22 Route 66 Caravan – Gallup, NM

Today, we caravanned from Route 66 RV Resort in Albuquerque to USA RV Park in Gallup. We did eat at the Casino, but no gambling for us! The sign and the casino can be seen for miles along Interstate 40 and is not too far from an historic Route 66 bridge. The Route 66 Casino opened almost twenty years ago in September of 2003. Route 66 highway is well represented inside the casino. The 80-foot marquee replicates old fuel pumps that travelers might have seen along the route during the 1940s and 1950s. The sign is topped with the old-fashioned highway shield and the largest license plates in New Mexico. The theme extends to the casino with hand-painted murals, interior facades, furniture and even the rug is designed to look like a highway. The Route 66 Casino, New Mexico's first themed casino, is owned and operated by Laguna Development Corporation, a subsidiary of the Pueblo of Laguna. The Pueblo of Laguna are familiar with the highway's history as it has contributed much to the growth of their community.

We drove thru a large portion of the Pueblos of Laguna Reservation. Laguna is surrounded by enchanting mesas and is situated at the foothills of the beautiful mountains of Mount Taylor.  Laguna is located west of Albuquerque on Interstate 40. The reservation consists of approximately 500,000 acres of land situated in Cibola, Valencia, Bernalillo and Sandoval counties.  The residents of Laguna Pueblo live in six villages which are Laguna, Mesita, Paguate, Seama, Paraje, and Encinal.  The Tribal administration building is located in the village of Laguna. You can experience the uniqueness of our Pueblo by visiting in person. 

Just a few months ago, Interstate 40, Exit 131 was officially named PFC Raymond Platero Memorial Bridge. The Late Raymond Platero was a Vietnam Veteran who was listed as KIA in 1970.  He served with D CO, 3rd BN 187th Infantry Airborne Division. He was awarded the following, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal, Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal w/3 Bronze service stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Ribbon w/ Device, and the Purple Heart. PFC Platero was killed in action at the age of 26. This has been an ongoing project initiated by the To'Hajiilee Navajo Veterans Organization. Mr. Harry Garcia, NM State Representative worked with them to make this possible. 

We passed many buttes or was it a mesa? Wait, what is the difference? Buttes are tall, flat-topped, steep-sided towers of rock. In fact, the only difference between a mesa and a butte is its size. Most geographers say a butte is taller than it is wide, while a mesa is a much larger, slightly less elevated feature. Buttes are created as streams slowly cut through a mesa or plateau.

For those of you that follow my blog, you know how I love my “crossing” signs … here is an ELK crossing on I-40!

Are those Lava Rocks, in New Mexico? Yes, the lava flow east of Grants, New Mexico, which can easily be seen while driving on Interstate 40, is the product of the youngest volcanic eruption in New Mexico. This flow, known as the McCartys lava flow. The primeval black basalt terrain of El Malpais was created by volcanic forces over the past million years. Molten lava spread out over the high desert from dozens of eruptions to create cinder cones, shield volcanos, collapses, trenches, caves, and other eerie formations.

The Continental Divide is where the waters flow east or west. It is located on the original 1926 alignment of Route 66. It marks the spot where Route 66 crosses the watershed that divides North America; known as the Great Divide. To the west, the water flows to the Pacific Ocean, to the east, into the Atlantic Ocean. The road’s climb out of the Rio San Jose drainage toward Continental Divide takes motorists out of an area that was known for its irrigated agriculture, especially carrots, in the 1940s. As the road continues to climb toward the Continental Divide, the highest point on Route 66 with an elevation of 7,228 feet. Pastures give way to a landscape of pinyon and juniper with Navajo homesteads, trading posts, and other businesses periodically dotting the roadside. 

From Prewitt, Entrada sandstone cliffs parallel the road to the north, offering a stretch of spectacular unbroken red sandstone extending to the Arizona border. This roadbed remained gravel until the 1930s when Federal funding resulted in projects to realign and pave the highway. Among these improvements was the elimination of two grade crossings by realigning the highway entirely south of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway line. As a result, Thoreau and other villages, which prospered with roadside commerce in the 1920s, saw businesses disappear or relocate in the late 1930s when Route 66 no longer passed along the towns’ main streets. The discovery of uranium and development of nearby mines in the 1950s is evident in distant tailing piles and settling ponds near Bluewater.

Several archeological sites near Gallup record the presence of Ancestral Puebloans, a prehistoric farming culture that developed and persisted in the area from 300 to 1200 CE. From 1700 to the present, members of the Navajo tribe have sparsely inhabited the region. Gallup was founded in 1881 as a headquarters for the southern transcontinental rail route, the town draws its name from David L. Gallup, a paymaster for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad (later part of the Santa Fe Railroad). Known as the Indian Capital of the World, modern Gallup features a diverse culture with a significant portion of the local population being Native American. The predominant local tribes are Navajo, Hopi, and Zuni. The Gallup Cultural Center showcases some of these significant achievements.

Gallup has earned the title of America’s Most Patriotic Small Town in Rand McNally’s Best of the Road contest. From the Navajo code talkers to Medal of Honor winner Hiroshi 'Hershey' Miyamura and the many young people from Gallup who choose to enter the armed forces, Gallup epitomizes American patriotism. Gallup residents care so much about their community, their state and their country. The McNally judges said Gallup’s submissions into the contest acknowledged heroic contributions of diverse cultures that see patriotism in small, everyday acts as well as in monumental, historic deeds. They noted the town’s overall patriotic philosophy of its own, “Gallup Strong”.

One of the most iconic hotels on Route 66 in New Mexico is located in Gallup. The El Rancho Hotel was built in 1936 along US Route 66. El Rancho Hotel is a large, rambling, rustic style building that still feeds the fantasy of the Old West in Gallup. From the very start, El Rancho was the center of the movie industry in Gallup.  Both Griff and his brother encouraged moviemakers to use El Rancho as a base for crews and stars on location because of its proximity to striking western landscapes and the hotel’s rustic elegance. When it opened in 1936, the El Rancho boasted superior service and accommodations for roughing it in comfort. Its employees were trained by the famous Fred Harvey Company hotel and restaurant chain. The rambling hotel revolves around a central three-story building containing the main lobby and early rooms.  It has a pitched wood shake roof with several brick and stone chimneys. The main entry has a large portico and a second floor balcony supported by six square wood posts with lathed and rounded tops. This section is reminiscent of the southern Plantation style. El Rancho continued to be linked to Hollywood and the movie industry until the mid-1960s. Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, and Humphrey Bogart are only a few of the film stars who stayed at the hotel while making movies in the vicinity. By 1964, however, the lure of the western hero was fading, and brilliant Technicolor vistas were replacing dramatic, stark images in black and white. The mysterious West was no longer mysterious but readily available by automobile along Route 66 and the almost completed Interstate-40. 

     

I noticed paintings popping up in an unexpected places as we drove through Gallup. It’s a downtown trash can painting project. The goal of the project is to beautify all of the trashcans and planters in the downtown area by inviting local artists to paint them.  Not only does this project make Gallup’s downtown more attractive and delightful, it also showcases the community’s unparalleled wealth of talent. It involves artists of all backgrounds and styles in sharing their unique visions. The project began by reaching out to local artists. Actually, the project began when local business owner Archie Baca decided that something needed to be done about the one-note turquoise trashcans that litter the streets of Gallup. Archie’s idea to revamp the City’s drab and dreary receptacles was set into motion. Over forty artists responded to the initial call. Those artists were invited to submit specific trashcan design proposals. The committee selected proposals and moved forward. Any picture perfect trash can art was born!

We arrived at USA RV Park, our home for the night. We were welcomed by our diligent dawn patrol! 

The park had a BBQ dinner that we could purchase and enjoy, which many of us did! Who wants to cook on a travel day! The park is very military friendly! Active Military can stay for free. The amenities focus on their love of the military too! 

I have never seen an American flag on the bottom of a pool!

I have never seen a complete set of the military carved out of wood, either! 

Another great day on our #Route66RVcaravan with #YankeeRVtours