CTombu

I heartily agree with an earlier post that you should take Route 14 from Santa Fe to ABQ.it beats the Interstate hands down.

The start is not that promising as you go past a large one star all-inclusive resort that specialises in long stays (OK - it's a jail) but then you come to the almost ghost town of Cerrillos with a great museum and shop.(one of the rattlesnake eggs would be a great stocking filler).Not to be missed.turn right after a railway bridge).See www.loscerillosnm.com

Then there is Madrid and a fun final descent into ABQ.

Rgds

Stuart

From Roswell I would recommend heading NW towards Carrizozo and then on to Mountainair which is a town waiting for a Western to happen. Here you can have a seriously cheap meal at Jerrys Ancient Cities Cafe and get ready for the last bit of the journey into ABQ. From Mountainair, it is worth taking routes 55 and then 337 as you will see everything from small villages to open spaces to pine forests as you ascend and then start to descend. Once at Tijeras you can take Interstate 40 downhill into ABQ and then leave it at Exit 167 or 166 and take Central Avenue which is what remains of Route 66. The car will probably break down at this point unless you have early Stones or Chuck Berry on the stereo.....!!

Once in town head to either of the breweries (Marble or La Cumbre) I mentioned in an earlier post and let the Indian Pale Ale do its work....

Stuart Downie

PS

The speed and volume of the traffic on I-40 may come as a bit of a shock after the tranquility of the last few days so don't file any copy until you leave the car!

At some point on this trip you will have to stop at a level crossing while a freight train rumbles past.They are so long they take forever to pass by so you can knock off quite a few chapters while you wait!

If the train is heading east the containers or trailers you are likely to see will be full.If it is heading west then most will be empty such is the imbalance of global trade these days

After a long day in the saddle (or Ford Focus) you have to slake your thirst. ABQ has two very good microbreweries both located in light industrial areas and the beer is very good.

Marble Brewery

www.marblebrewery.com

La Cumbre

www.lacumbrebrewing.com

The clientele are a fun crowd of locals with a smattering of tourists and most nights there is music.Food comes from food trucks parked outside. Best beers are the Pale Ales,IPA and Hefe.

Try them both !!