Todays journey began with a pre-dawn alarm, followed by a cup of coffee before we headed out the door in our winter clothes (it is COLD up here) to see the sunrise over the south rim of the Grand Canyon. A small crowd was already at the Mather outlook so we wandered along the path to get away from the noise and soak in the incredible 30 minutes that followed. I hope you enjoy the photos – they do not capture the grandeur of the place (but will give you an idea) it is a place you have to be to fully appreciate.
Following breakfast and a good run for the dogs we set out east for Santa Rosa NM along the route originally called US 66, now known as IS-40.
Hwy 66 or Route 66 (as it was called in the popular 60’s TV show and theme song of the same name) is one of the original highways in the US Highways system. It was also one of the major routes for migrants escaping the dust bowl, immortalized by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. It was established in 1926, becoming one of the most famous roadways in the United States. Beginning in Chicago, it ran through ran from Chicago, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona, ending up in California.
Route 66 was a major support of the communities it passed through, whose members opposed the growing interstate highway system which appeared in the 1960’s and 70’s. Unfortunately, the modernization of the US highway system continued, resulting in the bypassing of many communities along the original US highway 66 with the official removing of the hughway from the US highway system in 1985. It is now known as Historic Route 66.
The highway we followed today – IS-40 – is one of the hwys that replaced route 66. The effect of the removal of highway traffic on the communities that depended on it for their livelihood did not strike home until a blocked on ramp confronted us. This forced us to drive a section of the original route 66 through Gallup New Mexico in order to get back on IS-40 after picking up fuel. The portion of Gallup that surrounds the old 66 is a ghost town, shuttered restaurants, closed hotels, boarded up stores and small businesses.
Our arrival in Santa Rosa NM was similar. Traffic must leave the road to pick up historic 66. The south part of Santa Rosa around 66 is a ghost town, hardly any traffic on the roads, shuttered restaurants and stores. The route is being developed as Historic Route 66, with buildings being renovated along its route. Hopefully the popularity of the route to tourists will result in economic improvements to the areas.
Dogs have been run, we are headed to bed and getting ready for the final run through to Bonham TX tomorrow.
