Skipping in the Desert – June 29, 2022, Albuquerque, NM, USA

We waved goodbye to the Cadillac Ranch and welcomed Pistatioland.  Yep – we are in New Mexico.  We didn’t get to stop for a snack there but decided to hit Russell’s Travel Center and Café instead.  It is supposedly one of the nostalgic gas stations & diners.  The bonus is it also has a car museum, so we took a quick stroll.  By the way, Elvis has entered the building.

I have to say the views during our ride today were stunning.  The landscape is really changing as we rode through the Sandia Mountains, which include the Cibola National Forest, we could see why it was being preserved.  There are 14 mountain ranges in New Mexico in total.  There was also evidence of the recent wildfires with charred trees but the landscape was making a comeback, especially since now was monsoon season.

Lastly is the dilapidated buildings on Route 66 which as actually iconic but have fallen into despair over the years.  You can still see the neon signs, which no longer light, but some have been long since boarded up and abandoned.  It is a bit of a ghost town at times.