Yes, there is, and we'll get there shortly. But first, I must admit to being quite concerned about riding across the plains, mainly because of the potential for being hammered to pieces yet again by the weather. I went through Oklahoma City on the Interstates, then made it as far as Hinton, about 40 miles west of Oklahoma City, before I got sick of being beaten up by the trucks, and being buffeted by the strengthening late afternoon winds. The overnight weather report indicated thunderstorm activity coming in from the west, right through the area I was aiming at. So I decided an early start was the way to go. I was on the road at 7 am, (hey, that's early for me these days) with the intention of getting as far west as I possibly could before the weather turned nasty. That meant the I-40 and cruise control set on 120kph indefinitely. At one stage, all I could see in any direction were wind turbines, and you know where they put those! Push on with all haste. This took me into that narrow rectangular bit at the top of Texas, through Amarillo and on to Tucumcari, New Mexico, where blue sky suggested the tactic had paid off. Here is some of the vibe from one of the small towns.
Getting a little distance, man. Getting a little distance. Thanks for the memories guys.
Close enough.
Tucumcari is Route 66 Central. Big crowds of Harley riders, lots of dilapidated motels and gas stations and other buildings. In most places this would be a sad by-product of progress. Here, its the whole point, or so it seems to me. Decay has become a mantra, and Route 66 is now famous for just being famous. Like Paris Hilton! There is no inherent value here as far as I can see. But whatever floats your boat.
Enchantment. And Chillies. And Bullet Holes. Welcome to New Mexico. Although the locals will tell you it ain't new and it ain't Mexico.
It's like Havana along Main St. Lots of the motels have old clunkers like this parked out the front.
Yeah, right! When he was a baby.
Got the idea? Right then. Route 66. Tick.
Now that I had blue sky, I decided to head south on some very minor roads. I had noticed a small note on the map pertaining to the grave of Billy the Kid, at Fort Sumner. Righto, why not. More wind turbines, and hardly any other traffic, and quite good roads too. On the way, I was actually rewarded with the sight of a road runner, as it ran across in front of me. Meep meep. And speaking of dilapidated, this really is a ghost town. Not much is left in Taiban, NM.
Meanwhile, just outside Fort Sumner, in a small cemetery lies one William Bonney, aka Billy the Kid.
Apparently, the headstone kept getting pinched, so now the whole lot has been caged up.
Again, not much of a reason for being famous, is it? Like Ned Kelly. Just another crim. And who knows if he's really down there anyway? But it got me there, didn't it? Not much to see, but least it was free. So onwards to the State Capital of La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis. That's Santa Fe to most people. Fortunately.
Santa Fe is really different. In fact its called the City Different. For a start its 406 years old. I enjoy the fact that while the British and French were squabbling over the East coast, (well before it became a seabord) the Spanish had already conquered most of South and Central America and Mexico, and were already well established in this part of the country. And it shows.
Particularly in relation to the buildings. There are strict controls on development here, including height limits. Buildings have to conform to strict standards, with little scope for variation. As a result, there is no discernible downtown area because there is no high rise construction to divulge its whereabouts. Most dwellings look the same and are of uniform colour. This in itself has social implications, as there is no possibility for wealthy people to outdo their neighbours by building McMansions. And there is no forest of advertising signage that blights the landscape of just about every other city or town in the entire country either. Some could argue that its bland and boring as a result. A lifeless, beige town run by dictatorial bureaucrats. Possibly. But being a bit of a contrarian, I like the place because its different. And if you don't go for that, then go somewhere else. You have plenty of choices.
There is also quite a different vibe here, a laid back and relaxed feel. Lots of galleries, restaurants, nature trails, all drawing on the Spanish, Indian and the old West heritage. Very refreshing, I thought. There is more to life than rows of fast food joints, motels and gas stations stretching to infinity.
Getting a little distance, man. Getting a little distance. Thanks for the memories guys.
Close enough.
Tucumcari is Route 66 Central. Big crowds of Harley riders, lots of dilapidated motels and gas stations and other buildings. In most places this would be a sad by-product of progress. Here, its the whole point, or so it seems to me. Decay has become a mantra, and Route 66 is now famous for just being famous. Like Paris Hilton! There is no inherent value here as far as I can see. But whatever floats your boat.
Enchantment. And Chillies. And Bullet Holes. Welcome to New Mexico. Although the locals will tell you it ain't new and it ain't Mexico.
It's like Havana along Main St. Lots of the motels have old clunkers like this parked out the front.
Yeah, right! When he was a baby.
Got the idea? Right then. Route 66. Tick.
Now that I had blue sky, I decided to head south on some very minor roads. I had noticed a small note on the map pertaining to the grave of Billy the Kid, at Fort Sumner. Righto, why not. More wind turbines, and hardly any other traffic, and quite good roads too. On the way, I was actually rewarded with the sight of a road runner, as it ran across in front of me. Meep meep. And speaking of dilapidated, this really is a ghost town. Not much is left in Taiban, NM.
Apparently, the headstone kept getting pinched, so now the whole lot has been caged up.
Again, not much of a reason for being famous, is it? Like Ned Kelly. Just another crim. And who knows if he's really down there anyway? But it got me there, didn't it? Not much to see, but least it was free. So onwards to the State Capital of La Villa Real de la Santa Fe de San Francisco de Asis. That's Santa Fe to most people. Fortunately.
Santa Fe is really different. In fact its called the City Different. For a start its 406 years old. I enjoy the fact that while the British and French were squabbling over the East coast, (well before it became a seabord) the Spanish had already conquered most of South and Central America and Mexico, and were already well established in this part of the country. And it shows.
Particularly in relation to the buildings. There are strict controls on development here, including height limits. Buildings have to conform to strict standards, with little scope for variation. As a result, there is no discernible downtown area because there is no high rise construction to divulge its whereabouts. Most dwellings look the same and are of uniform colour. This in itself has social implications, as there is no possibility for wealthy people to outdo their neighbours by building McMansions. And there is no forest of advertising signage that blights the landscape of just about every other city or town in the entire country either. Some could argue that its bland and boring as a result. A lifeless, beige town run by dictatorial bureaucrats. Possibly. But being a bit of a contrarian, I like the place because its different. And if you don't go for that, then go somewhere else. You have plenty of choices.
There is also quite a different vibe here, a laid back and relaxed feel. Lots of galleries, restaurants, nature trails, all drawing on the Spanish, Indian and the old West heritage. Very refreshing, I thought. There is more to life than rows of fast food joints, motels and gas stations stretching to infinity.
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