I want to move along Route 66 (Albuquerque, Santa Fe: hotel, employment, college)

[terra nova]

I am hoping to move to a Route 66 town. Any advice on good towns with jobs? I want to live in a small town. How is Tucumcari? Being bored isnt a problem for me. I have lots of pets to entertain me... Finding affordable housing and a job is what worries me. Id love a historical or Route 66 related job. Give me some pointers. Thanks bunches!

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by terra nova

I am hoping to move to a Route 66 town. Any advice on good towns with jobs? I want to live in a small town. How is Tucumcari? Being bored isnt a problem for me. I have lots of pets to entertain me... Finding affordable housing and a job is what worries me. Id love a historical or Route 66 related job. Give me some pointers. Thanks bunches!

Oh, what a great question. However, i can't help you much. The old Route 66 went through Santa Fe before it was rerouted in 1930 what? 38? But we can't call Santa Fe a small town.

The stretch to the east of Santa Fe is interesting (IMO) because it is also pretty much the route of the Santa Fe Trail and the Railroad as well as Route 66. I like Las Vegas -- but a Route 66 related job? There is a Santa Fe trail museum -- I think? And a Super Chief coffee shop - bookstore?? People driving through probably stopped at the Plaza Hotel -- but it predates Route 66.

Other people can tell you more about other towns out that way. Springer has a great old hotel. Not much else.

[GregW]

What kind of work are you looking for? That will be a major factor in teh town you choose.

Devin - hate to argue but I-40 and Rt 66 share the same route and the interstate has either buried or bypassed Rt 66 in most places. The places you mentioned are on I-25.

Larger Rt 66 towns from west to east:
Gallup, Grants, Albuquerque, Moriarty, Santa Rosa, Tucumcari

I suggest looking at these places. Check with Chamber of Commerce and find copies or online editions of the local newspapers. Good luck with your search.

[Devin Bent]

Originally Posted by GregW

Devin - hate to argue but I-40 and Rt 66 share the same route and the interstate has either buried or bypassed Rt 66 in most places. The places you mentioned are on I-25.

I could argue about the route that I was right for Santa Fe and Las Vegas (but definitely not Springer), but essentially I was wrong.

I was talking (and not thinking clearly) about the pre 1938(?) route 66 that goes through Santa Fe and just south of Las Vegas. It comes up from ABQ along the old 85 to Santa Fe, then through Pecos and over to just south of Las Vegas and then cuts down to Santa Rosa. It skips Moriarity.

I've got an old map that shows it this way. Not sure of the date, but it lists the gas stations and tire dealers and auto dealers and tourist camps (auto courts). The populations of Santa Fe and Las Vegas and Roswell are identical (10,000) so that is definitely pre WWII. (ABQ is 40 K.) And stretches of route 66 east of Las Vegas were dirt.

But when most people think of Route 66 -- they are thinking of a later time -- post WWII and the boom in auto travel and you are correct about the route.

Once, however, I was in Las Vegas, and a fair sized auto tour came through of people retracing 66??? Maybe they just wanted to stay at the Plaza Hotel???

I believe -- but my map doesn't have the detail -- that old, old 66 in Santa Fe came up Cerrillos to the Plaza and then down College Street (now the Santa Fe Trail). I think somewhere I have a postcard of the Plaza with a route 66 sign on it. It is difficult to imagine today -- a highway routed through the Plaza -- but clearly fewer cars then.

Also I suspect that people driving through on 66 would have gone up to Las Vegas for lodging, food, and auto service.

Apparently, the Governor got mad at Santa Fe and rerouted 66 south and Santa Fe got really serious about being the City Different.

[6 FOOT 3]

Originally Posted by terra nova

How is Tucumcari? .. Finding affordable housing and a job is what worries me.

It's a catch 22 as there are lots of small towns along route 66 and yet just too small to have much for employment.

Tucumcari has mainly motels and resturaunts as main employment along with ranching and wind farms in the area.

Maybe if Clovis resident Clairz sees this thread she could tell you more about tucumcari.

Remember the towns on route 66 east of albuquerque are very flat and the towns west of albuquerque have mountains and mesa's. Some like the western mountains and others like the openess of the eastern plains.

6/3

[mortimer]

Pre-1938 Route 66 La Bajada hill switchbacks:

Pre-1938 Route 66 Switchbacks on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
The Old Road Up La Bajada Hill on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Read the caption below:
Route 66 Revisited on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

one for Towanda:
Old Route 66 near Towanda on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

GregW -- if you do a [Route 66] search you'll see quite a few pictures that will make you want to get on that bike you keep talking about. Like so:
"Route 66" on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
(I know that spot!)

[mortimer]

terra nova wants to move along Route 66:

That's a cool idea.

> ... hoping to move to a Route 66 town. ... I want to live in a small town.
> ... Tucumcari? Being bored isnt a problem ... Finding affordable housing
> and a job is what worries me. Id love a historical or Route 66 related job.

Why not just drive the route and put in job applications at locations that you like the look and feel of?

Places like Gallup, Grants, Tucumcari in New Mexico are not likely to be very expensive places to live which is good because you are not likely to make much money.

[Devin Bent]

GregW, (or anybody else)

Do you know the stretches of 66 in New Mexico that are still authentic -- that have not been obliterated by an Interstate and that still have some of the old buildings or businesses surviving? Are there any?

Funny but La Fonda in Santa Fe would seem to be a surviving business still on the old pre1938 Route 66. But again, that is certainly not what most people think as Route 66.

[GregW]

I sit corrected. I was thinking of the post WW2 rt 66. for "authentic" rt 66 get a road map and check out towns where I-40 bypasses and the old road is still main street.

[domino]

[quote=Devin Bent;3467358]

Do you know the stretches of 66 in New Mexico that are still authentic -- that have not been obliterated by an Interstate and that still have some of the old buildings or businesses surviving? Are there any?


You need look no further than Central Avenue in Albuquerque. I believe that's the old route. Lots of motels and old neon signs.