Route 66 In Gallup, NM

Beautiful Rocky Mountains On Our Way To Gallup, NM On I-40

After the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert we made our way along I-40 eastbound to Gallup, NM. As you may or may not know, I-40 is the interstate highway that bypassed what is now the old Route 66. So many towns along route 66 have died off because people are just to busy passing them by.

On our travels we are not only taking time to break outside our bubble by doing things that we normally would not do, but we are also taking the time to notice the scenery outside our window as we drive to our next destination.

Rock Formations Along I-40 Heading To Gallup, NM

On our way to Gallup, NM we saw these beautiful rock formations along the highway. I know I use the word beautiful a lot, but I don’t think you can fault me here. The US is simply full of many wonderful, awe inspiring and beautiful things.

Once we got into the rv park, USA RV Park, in Gallup, NM it was dinner time. I had made pizza dough the night before so we knew exactly what we were doing. Making pizza!

Yummy is all I have to say about that.

So back to exploring route 66. In Gallup, NM. Their is a handful of establishments that are still surviving due to Gallup’s size. Gallup, NM is a small town but it seems to be one of the bigger towns on the route 66 line. Gallup also is known for their large Native American population. Sometimes referred to as the “Indian Capital Of The World”. In fact, every August, the surrounding tribes have a large gathering in the local state park. On a side note, this seems to be the mecca of turquoise. It’s every where! If your in the market for jewelery, especially turquoise jewelery, their seems to be an abundance of it here.

Pizza Attempt Number Two…YUM!

One of the more famous attractions in Gallup is the El Rancho Hotel. Made famous by such guests as John Wayne, Spencer Tracy, Ronald Reagan and Errol Flynn to name just a few. Many westerns and other films were made in and around Gallup in the 40’s and 50’s.