Day
5
We hit the road for Amarillo on Day 5 - first stop was Clinton, Oklahoma
with a themed Route 66 museum - each room dedicated to a decade with appropriate
music, starting with the building of the road in the twenties. For a laugh and
because Preacher had told us that it was a tour tradition, we all stuck our entry
stickers onto Martin's ample frame - he took it well and sported them for the
rest of the day. Martin also became the star for a busload of Japanese tourists
- he couldn't stop smiling as a procession of nubile young women climbed onto
his bike and hugged him as the cameras 
clicked
away. We all posed at the Texas state line before arriving at the Devils' Rope
Museum in Mclean. Only in America would you find a museum dedicated entirely to
barbed wire and yes, there is an American Association of Barbed Wire Collectors.
A slightly dipsy lady manned the front desk and I picked up a very nice Route
66 buckle. Today was the only day on the entire trip when it rained - a shower
after lunch but a more sustained downpour later in the afternoon. However it quickly
passed and we rode out into 
fine
weather.
Some
great riding today and I had begun to really appreciate that this was a motorcyclist's
dream holiday - long days in the saddle on greatcruising roads with mostly brief
but interesting stops. Wherever we did stop, there were always good facilities.
No worries about being caught short! Another thing that caught my eye - they have
signs near all the prisons, recommending that you don't pick up hitchhikers -
good advice I thought.
Hauled into the Ambassador Inn in Amarillo about 6pm - very quick turnaround
time as the guides had booked us dinner at the Big Texan Steak Ranch and we were
being picked at 7 by limos which had horns offthe famous Texan Long Horn cattle
mounted on the bonnets and driven by old guys with Texan drawls and cowboy hats.
The Big Texan is one of those places where if you can eat an enormous 72oz steak
and twosides within a certain time, it's free - none of us were game but 3 foolish
young Englishmen were giving it a go. Judy from Florida had a birthday so we embarrassed
her by singing "Happy Birthday' to her accompanied by a wandering string
trio - most of the restaurant joined in, unfortunately as off-key as we were.
The steaks were excellent!
Day
6
Weather
was good - the rain had gone and we were headed for Sante Fe - we were climbing
up into the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) Mountains - Sante Fe is at about
5000 feet so it was starting to get colder as we climbed. We refueled at a gas
station somewhere and a random local grabbed my hand and shook it furiously as
he quizzed me about where we were from and where we were going etc - very friendly
but quite weird.
The bikes often created a buzz of interest whenever we stopped. First stop was the Cadillac Ranch - really muddy underfoot and I must admit I was rather underwhelmed by the 10 Caddies stuck nose first in the dirt. Still it was fun to tag them with spray paint before heading onto the Midpoint Café for coffee and pie. Fran, the owner of this café - at the original midpoint of Route 66 (my speedo read 1200 miles) - was the inspiration for Flo from the movie "Cars". She and her girls made us most welcome and the pie was really good! Just south of the Cadillac Ranch was an abattoir and that was the only place I remember seeing any livestock. We rode through huge tracts of prairie and open country and the absence of cattle or sheep was striking. Also the only place I saw gardens of any size was near the Acoma Pueblo where the locals were clearly growing their own produce.
Glenrio
is a real ghost town on Route 66, standing on the Texas-New Mexico border - abandoned
after it was bypassed by the Interstate. It feels as
though everyone just walked out one day, leaving everything behind - the motel
had the remains of beds and tables - even a cot, the old post office still has
filing cabinets and the detritus of human inhabitation is all around. Glenrio
has a sad and forlorn air about it but unfortunately it was not the only town
to suffer this fate when the realignment of the road took the traffic, the cars
and their lifeline away. We lunched in Tucumcari - the Blue Swallow Motel has
been restored and is famous for his garage murals. It was ironic that we had parked
right next door to the Swallow in the ruins of yet another abandoned motel. We
stopped again in Santa Rosa to admire some really fine restored '50s and '60s
cars in their auto museum.
Sirda
and I tended to ride near the front of the group - in the first 6-7 bikes - and
I was impressed with the riding of certain people. That is not to say that the
others were not good riders but Lloyd and Neil handled their machines really well.
Both had pillions and I never saw Lloyd put a foot wrong on the whole tour - very
steady and with effortless control. Neil was the same; only time he almost came
to grief was at a fuel stop when Pinky went to give Michelle a hug and almost
tipped them both off. David and Stephen both from Australia were also good steady
riders.
We headed on down the highway and at some point we had to take an underpass
onto the old Route 66 - the recent rain had washed mud into the underpass and
we took a careful approach although the two vehicle tracks were clearly dry. Unfortunately
one of the Russians decided to go into the very muddy centre - his front wheel
stuck, he accelerated and the bike spun 180 degrees, throwing him and his wife
off, only narrowly missing the tunnel walls. No broken bones but plenty of red
sticky mud! Following that, the second Russian very nearly rear-ended the trike
- he didn't see a stop sign and when the trike slowed down he had to swerve and
only missed by inches. One then did their signature slow speed topple at the next
group stop and his mate did the same at the following fuel stop. Preacher then
decided that they should both ride behind him and Lala so the rest of us could
keep an eye on them!
The scenery had been changing as we rode along - we
were really getting into cowboy country now. The road signs pointed to the Pecos,
San Rio,
Sante Fe, Eldorado and there were deserts and mesas and buttes in the distance.
The weather had been good except for a constant wind blowing from our right. It
was gusting quite badly in places and required some skill and concentration to
stay on course. had a little while there. There were the remains of an adobe mission
church built in 1717. It reminded me of Tintern Abbey in the UK - both had been
stunning examples of man's dedication to God. And like Tintern Abbey, there had
been a thriving community here for many years before declining into almost oblivion
(in Tintern's case, Henry XVIII disestablished and stripped it for its riches).
Fortunately this building (and Tintern) was robust enough to survive as adobe
often just crumbles away and there is an extensive restoration programme going
on. Pulled into Sante Fe - the hotel rooms were like furnaces, the heating had
been left on and the adobe walls had absorbed the heat - took ages for them to
cool down. Some of the group took advantage of this and caught up on their washing,
using the heat in their rooms for drying.
Day
7
Day 7
was
a rest day - the trip so far had been such an exhilarating event - every day presented
new and exciting places to go and roads to ride. The company was great - everyone
got on with everyone although language sometimes made it difficult. People came
together in different groups at different times and I don't remember 'cliques'
forming at all. Although the same people did tend to congregate, they did not
become exclusive. Every night as we arrived, there would be beer and wine to celebrate
the day as we unloaded the van. After showers and a change of clothes, we would
find somewhere to eat - Lala always suggested some places to go and we would often
meet 
up
again randomly in restaurants and bars. Sirda was enjoying the ride and found
the Harley really comfortable. Like me, she loved the interaction with our riding
companions (on and off the bikes), including our guides and everyone had really
become friends.
This was shaping up to be the best holiday ever and we were only half way through!
The hotel was exactly in keeping with the style of Sante Fe with a heavy Spanish
influence. Sirda and I had a really good meal in house that night - Paul from
Canada joined us. Paul was from Winnipeg and was doing this trip on his own -
he runs a business selling security equipment to prisons. The next morning at
breakfast we were served by a woman who had an interesting history - she is Tahitian,
adopted by a French couple and was brought up in Paris. She then married a Frenchman
and they moved to San Diego, Unfortunately the marriage ended
and she is now living in Sante Fe.
The
day was rather cold and windy but we decided to brave the open bus tour, which
was chilly but very good. Our driver was also a sculptor and bit part actor -
his most recent film was "Cowboys and Aliens" in which he was the cook
and got to fricassee an alien. He was however very knowledgeable about Sante Fe
and has lived there for many years. There is a thriving art market here - second
only to New York in size. The art district is centred on Canyon Road where there
are more than 100 art galleries and studios, specialty shops and top restaurants.
There are two superb bronze sculptures on display - both by Dave McGary - Long
Soldier and Walks Among the Stars - the detail is just 
amazing.
Sante Fe has been occupied since about 900AD when a group of Native Americans
built a cluster of homes that centred around the site of today's Plaza; the village
was called Ogapoge. The Spanish established the town in 1608, which they called
La Villa Real de la Santa Fé de San Francisco de Asís, (the Royal
Town of the Holy Faith of Saint Francis of Assisi) - Sante Fe for short. It is
the capital of New Mexico and has been so since 1610. Along one side of the Plaza
is a special market for Native Americans. Every day there is a ballot for spaces
- only the locals are eligible and then only if the goods they are selling are
made by themselves or members of their family.
The
city has kept its character by ensuring building codes and regulations reflect
the use of adobe in varying styles. The cathedral, built around 1870 is impressive
but the real religious secret of Sante
Fe
is in the Loretto Chapel in which the Miraculous Stair shouldn't stand but it
does. The unusual helix shaped spiral staircase built in 1877 is an impressive
work of carpentry. It ascends twenty feet, making two complete revolutions up
to the choir loft without the use of nails or any apparent centre support. The
nuns of the day credited its construction to St Joseph.
A group had decided
to visit the local Harley shop and led by Neil and Michelle they ventured out
on their own. Although they did get there in the end, I understand that it was
a circuitous route with just a few wrong turns. However I hear that the shop was
well worth the effort. The barman at the hotel had recommended a restaurant nearby
and a group of us went there for dinner. The meal was superb but the prices were
exorbitant - in future we will check the menu and prices before sitting down to
eat!
Day
8
We
were up bright and early on Day 8 - it was very cold as we set out and there was
snow on the sides of the road and more was clearly visible on the hills and mountains.
It had rained heavily the night before but fortunately had cleared before we left
Sante Fe. Out first stop was Madrid (pronounced Mad-Rid in US English) - where
some of the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed. They built Maggie's Diner
especially for the movie and most of the action in "Wild Hogs" in Madrid
takes place in or outside the diner, including the iconic scene when Damien Blade
(founder of the Del Fuegos) aka Peter Fonda makes his appearance. Maggie's Diner
still stands and we took a group photo in front it - Stephen from Australia grabbed
a bright orange t-shirt from the display to emphasise his part in the photo -
it read 'Can you see me now asshole?"
Unfortunately the diner has been
turned into a souvenir shop, absolutely over-crowded with stuff, which is plied
on the tables and into the seating booths. 
The
place is lost under it all. Madrid was a mining town settled back in 1850 and
I am sure that "Wild Hogs" has given it a huge boost, judging by the
number of gift shops etc that are there. The main road is narrow with no footpaths
so it can be a bit unnerving parking up and then wandering around the town as
the traffic drives by. We were heading down from the mountains now and we made
a stop in Albuquerque in the old town where Route 66 used to go straight through.
We found the Library Bar and Grill which had imaginatively named novels as its
façade - my favourites: Tequilla Mockingbird and Lord of the Onion Rings.
It was still a bit chilly so some took the opportunity to warm up in Nick's Route
66 Café in a beautifully restored period building. Some of the architecture
here is outstanding - there was a wonderful art deco office building around the
corner - the Prudential Life Building. A signpost on the street told us that we
were 1345 miles from Chicago with only 790 miles to LA - a sombre thought as we
realised that we were into the last leg of our journey. After Albuquerque, we
were headed for the Acoma Pueblo - where the Acoma Sky City is atop a 367 foot
high mesa and having been used for nearly one thousand years, is the oldest continuously
inhabited community in the US. We were really looking forward to seeing this ancient
village when we were stopped by Native American Police at a crossroads near the
mesa and they advised us that the Pueblo 
was
closed to the public as a traditional ceremony was taking place. It was a blow
but beyond our guides' control. Never mind, something to do next time and there
will be a next time!
We
travelled on through some stunning scenery - straight out of the wild west of
the movies. We went through Cuba (the town, not the country) and I think, through
the Chaco Culture Historical Park where we 
stopped
among the desolate countryside for photos. The Chaco Canyon Trading Company offered
some very tempting souvenirs! We had the opportunity to ride independently of
the tour today. So for about 35 miles we cruised at our own pace. Some really
cranked on the speed - I know I was going quite quickly when Ralph passed me and
I didn't catch anyone who had gone ahead. The road had some gentle bends, which
could be taken at speed and we regrouped at the next T-junction. This would happen
occasionally when the road ahead made it unlikely that any of us would get lost.
Ralph is from the UK and a classic example of how appearances can be deceiving.
At first sight Ralph comes across visually as a "hard man' - cropped haircut,
tattoos and bulging muscles under the t-shirt, but he is an intelligent and successful
self-made man. Sirda and I had some great chats with him as he is quite spiritual
and has an interesting take on life. He lives in an Airstream caravan and seems
quite content with his dogs, motorcycles and other vehicles.
Our next stop
was the Continental Divide - the place where the water to the east flows to the
Atlantic and the water to the west goes to the Pacific. It runs from the westernmost
point of the US in Alaska and zig-zags its way to Tierra del Fuego, an island
at the southernmost point of South America. We stood on the viewing platform but
it just looked like a gully to me - I couldn't see anything that seemed to represent
a division of the continent. Still it must be important! We were still quite high
up at 7275 feet above sea level. The American freight trains are amazing - they
seem to be miles long with hundreds of cars pulled by 3 or more engines.
The
cars either have containers (often double stacked) or articulated trailer units
on them. Given the huge distances in this country it makes perfect sense to use
the railways in this way - they can be easily unloaded and can be delivered by
truck to their 
final
destinations. Our overnight stop was in Gallup, New Mexico and before going to
our hotel, we stopped at Hotel El Rancho, an olde world place right on old Route
66 and much favoured by movie stars as the place to stay when they were filming
movies in the area. The mezzanine has hundreds of photographs of John Wayne, Katherine
Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Errol Flynn, Kirk Douglas, Gregory Peck, Humphrey Bogart
and many others and the décor is in keeping with the era of the hotel.
Built in 1937, El Rancho was linked to Hollywood and the movie industry from 1940
through to 1964 when the allure of the western hero was starting to fade and the
mysteriouswest was by that time readily available by car along Route 66 and the
almost completed Interstate 40.
Dinner that night was interesting - the
meal was good but the poor waitress was overwhelmed by the numbers. On top of
that, one of the guests (not one of ours) burnt a pizza in the microwave in their
room and that caused a full-scale emergency services callout, which really disrupted
things. Fortunately Sirda and I had gone down early and we were finishing up when
all the drama occurred - others weren't so lucky, having to wait ages for their
food and then even longer for their bills. Mind you, we did enjoy our merlot -
with the emphasis on the "t" - it is not a silent one in Gallup New
Mexico!
