Wait what? If it seems like this post is a day or two after the last one, that’s because it is. By now you probably recognize my pattern. I post on Facebook when we arrive at a new site, then I build the Post Cards 2021 Page as we discover new experiences, and lastly I create the new post the day after we leave, which is what you receive as a follower.
Stop Twenty Eight was the USA RV Park in Gallup, New Mexico for two nights. There was no reason to stop here except to break up the drive from Flagstaff to Albuquerque, and “that’s all I have to say about that!” The campground was a gravel parking lot, perfect for getting off I-40 for the night. Ratings: Kathryn 3, Paul 3, out of 10.
Gallup is mostly known for the nightly Indian Dances, but those are summer only and were cancelled in 2021 for public health and safety reason.
It is also known for the bull riding championships, but those were in July.
They also host a hot air balloon rally, but that is the first week of December.
The Rex Museum was closed temporarily.
That didn’t leave much to do even if we wanted to. And to be kind, I would describe the area as in need of repair or a facelift.
We did manage to find one historic remnant of Route 66, The El Rancho Hotel. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this landmark hotel was where movie stars stayed when they performed in the classic Western movies. You can still stay today in rooms named for famous actors like Howard Newsome, Humphrey Bogart or John Wayne. The lobby walls are lined with famous celebrity photos and memorabilia. This hotel is also where most travelers stayed as they travelled West on Route 66 looking for a better life.
Traveling – it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller. Ibn Battuta
In the past, we always said to each other “Cousin Vinny, Cousin Vinny,” whenever a freight train was passing close by. At this stop we found ourselves saying, “The Plane, The Plane.” The small Gallup Airport was just across the field from our windshield and the planes came in low and fast right over us! And I do mean low and fast.
On to Albuquerque, the next stop on Route 66.
RVTourUSA 