Day 5: Tucumcari, NM to Gallup, NM via Albuquerque – 320.8 Miles of Nostalgia, Crosswinds, and Hollywood Secrets
We woke up to another spectacular New Mexico sunrise. The air was crisp and dry, without a drop of rain in sight. After packing up the gear, we headed into the Blue Swallow office for morning coffee and had some great conversation with the owner, Robert, and our photographer friend from last night, Lisa. Before we officially hit the asphalt, Lisa gathered us outside and snapped a perfect group picture of the four of us in front of the legendary blue neon sign, followed by a few of our own personal selfies to mark the moment.
With kickstands up, we pointed the front tires west.
Sunken Roads, Famous Holes, and Childhood Memories
Our first stretch took us past Cuervo, home to a famously treacherous, unpaved section of the old road. Back in the day, if it rained even a little, cars would slide off and get hopelessly stuck in the thick mud.
We rolled down into Santa Rosa hoping to catch a glimpse of their Blue Hole—the world-famous, crystal-clear artesian spring and scuba diving hotspot. Unfortunately, the area has been so built up with surrounding buildings and mature trees that you couldn’t see a thing from the bikes.
We kept pushing west toward Cline’s Corners, and the second the sign crept up on the horizon, the childhood memories came flooding back. Growing up, my family stopped here every single summer on our way to camp in New Mexico and Colorado. Established in 1934, this massive, quirky rest stop has been an iconic rite of passage for Route 66 travelers for nearly a century.
Continuing through Moriarty—a legendary hub for glider aviation—we scanned the clear blue skies but didn’t spot any gliders in the air today. In town, we did pass their massive glider museum and spotted a few weathered, standing Whiting Bros. gas stations. Established in 1926, Whiting Bros. once had over 40 stations lining Route 66. They began to decline during the 1970s fuel shortages and were entirely sold off by the ’80s. Today, they stand along the highway like vacant, beautiful statues of a bygone era.
Layered Mountains and the Duke City
We roared past the historic Edgewood Midway Trading Post, and the terrain began to shift dramatically. The landscape here is absolutely stunning—massive, layered mesas, Cibola Hill, and the winding asphalt of Tijeras Canyon framing the horizon.
Right as you roll into Albuquerque, the city welcomes you with a beautiful, brand-new welcome sign bursting with vibrant neon colors. Parts of the route felt a little urban sketchy. Things cleaned up significantly once we got closer to the University of New Mexico, though. The campus area was beautiful. We parked the bikes downtown and grabbed lunch at the classic Route 66 Diner, which hit the spot. Further down 66, the road was decorated with all kinds of colorful, uniquely shaped Native American-style animal statues.
Time Warps, Rain Covers, and 40-MPH Dust
Leaving the city behind, we were able to ride some iconic spots on Route 66 in New Mexico, including Owl Rock and Dead Man’s Curve that we weren’t able to hit in 2020 due to Covid restrictions. We stopped at the historic Villa de Cubero trading post for a fillup and a break. Walking inside felt like stepping into a time warp—masks and hanging plexiglass made us feel like COVID-19 was still in full swing. When we asked to use the restroom, the clerk told us we couldn’t, so we decided to try our luck further up the road.
As we got back on the highway, the sky turned a bruised purple. Realizing rain was imminent, we pulled over to throw the weather covers over our bags. What followed was easily the wildest riding weather of the trip so far. We got hit with a fierce, howling crosswind blowing dust and sand everywhere at about 35 to 40 miles an hour—all while a steady rain was coming down. It was a chaotic mix, but it did a wonderful job of instantly cooling down the afternoon heat.
We pushed through the dust and made it to the Continental Divide. We pulled off to gas up, get snacks and look for the giant, yellow, vintage “Route 66” and “Dead End” combo shield sign that we had proudly taken a group photo by back in 2020. To our disappointment, the iconic and ironic old sign was gone, seemingly replaced by a newer Route 66 highway marker.
Checking into El Rancho & Finding the Secret Room
We chased the fading daylight west into Gallup and rolled up to our home for the night: the historic El Rancho Hotel & Motel.
At night, the legendary neon sign out front is a beauty, blinking playfully between “Motel” and “Hotel” because it serves as both. We checked in and unloaded our gear. The lobby of this place is spectacular, featuring a grand rustic design with double wooden staircases sweeping up both sides. They also have an incredibly old-school, vintage elevator. To use it, you have to manually open the heavy outer door, step inside, close the outer door, slide the inner security gate shut, and only then can you press your floor button.
El Rancho is steeped in Hollywood history, having hosted countless movie stars and federal dignitaries during the Golden Age of Western films. After walking around to admire the historic photos on the walls, we sat down for dinner at the hotel’s Silver Screen restaurant to discuss tomorrow’s route.
With dinner cleared, we headed upstairs with a mission: find the Secret Room.
Back in the day, Hollywood stars used this hidden room to escape the public eye, have a private drink, or just get away from the cameras. After a bit of hunting around the upper floors, we finally figured out the trick to the hidden door. Inside, it was styled with a vintage couch, classic chairs, and an old record player. We took a quick video showing how the door opens, shot a quick tour of the inside, and sent it off to the grandkids so they could see what we were up to.
300,000 Miles and 302 In-N-Outs
We walked back out to the parking lot to double-check the bikes and lock them down for the night. While we were sorting the gear, we struck up a conversation with a fellow rider named Steve.
Steve is a fellow rider with a Honda Gold Wing with—no joke—over 300,000 miles on the odometer. He was on his way to Las Vegas to play in a world poker tournament, but he also shared his incredible personal quest: he is working on a project to eat at every single In-N-Out Burger location in the United States. He was currently on his 302nd location. Talk about dedication to a road trip!
I’m back in the room now, writing down the day’s memories before hitting the rack.
320.8 miles of incredible landscapes, wild weather, and deep history in the books. Tomorrow, we kick the stands up at 7:00 AM sharp. Next stop: Arizona!
For an interactive 360 degree view of the El Rancho lobby, click here https://cloud-va.insta360.com/share/va/4Y0Z77477V9j7c5R2773865472
