Albuquerque
As A child, I first became aware of Albuquerque, New Mexico, from Bugs Bunny cartoons. Generally, when Bugs would become lost, he would mention that he should have taken a left at Albuquerque. I was probably seven or eight years old. The joke likely refers to the fact that Route 66 passes through the city, and that if you were leaving California, this is the road you would take, to get just about anywhere. The old road is still here, and is still pretty busy, inside of the town. It is the old business district, in the middle of town, and passes through the Old Town area, to become a sort of a strip mall haven on the outskirts. The area is hot, and dry, and should be desolate; but there is a thriving community here. There is Route 66, Sandia Peak, the Sandia Labs, Old Town, and the old plaza. |
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My home away from home, in Albuquerque, was the Rodeway
Inn. The city itself is in what ought to be the middle of nowhere. There
is a considerable university here, as well as one of the worlds great experimental
labs, Sandia. The top of Sandia Peak is a federal preserve, and the town
itself has what amounts to three business districts. |
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Downtown Albuquerque, is pretty much like the downtown
area of any large city, though hotter than most. |
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Left: A look up, towards the business district. Below: The civil plaza, and municipal buildings. This is the center of local government. |
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This is the green way, a sort of a plaza connecting the
business district to Central Avenue, the commercial area of old Route 66. |
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Central Avenue, just off of downtown Albuquerque. This
is the commercial heart of old Route 66. It is restored; but most of the
old buildings are intact. Before the tourist resurrection of Route 66, this
area, like many along the old road, had become a bit seedy and run down.
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New signs and newly restored store fronts mark the gentrification
of this section of the old road. Though purists will hate this, it is far
better than permitting the continued decay which marked much of the old
road after the coming of the interstate. |
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Above: Get your kicks on newly restored Route 66. Left: The big clock, and the green way to Albuquerque's other downtown. |
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A look down Central Avenue, Route 66, shows foot and street
traffic. It almost makes one think of the old road in it's prime, before
strip malls, and suburbs. |
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Department stores, specialty shops, and restaurants give
the area the feeling of an old fashioned downtown. |
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A look up towards Central, from a side street |
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Many stores have signs out over the sidewalk, like old
time merchants setting out their shingles. |
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This big clock, tells you your time and place in the world.
A mile marker, on the body of the clock indicates that you are on Route
66, 1345 miles from Chicago, and 790 miles from Los Angeles. |
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A look back at Central Avenue, and old Route 66. The decorated
building, off to the left, is the KiMo Theater. |
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