Day 10: Side trip: Taos, NM
No, Taos is not on Route 66. I grew up there, though, and had some business to take care of. There are quite a few things along SR 68 that are reminiscent of Route 66. There is an amazing old gas station with over 20 old gas pumps near Velarde, and some nice motels in Espaņola.
Mimi and her Rock Box
The Tooth Fairy did find us on the Internet, apparently. Isn't the Internet amazing? Mimi, the budding rockhound, has been collecting rocks for the whole trip, so this box was a wonderful present. She was very happy.
Abandoned Bridge
With an eye trained by a couple weeks on Route 66, I noticed this abandoned stretch of road along the side of SR 68 at the northern edge of Espaņola. The bridge was crumbling, and there were a few dozen yards of abandoned pavement at either end.
Another View of the Abandoned Bridge
This bridge must have been part of an old alignment of SR 68. I looked for some identifying marks, but there were none. There had been plaques of some sort at both ends, but they have been long since removed.
Arrow Motel Sign in Espaņola.
This is as nice a sign as I've seen on this trip. I don't know how old it is, or the history of the motel, but the sign is fantastic. It must be somewhat old, because political correctness would probably prohibit its use today.