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The words “Land of Enchantment” adorns automobile license. Before Land of Enchantment became the state slogan, New Mexico went by the nickname The Sunshine State, based on the fact that every part of New Mexico receives at least 70 percent sunshine year-round.
Route 66 between Glenrio and San Jon is not recommended driven by motorcycle, so we take I-40 to San Jon where we will again join Route 66. The landscape in New Mexico is stunning, majestic mountains and mesas in the distance. Over the next three days we will gradually be climbing to an altitude of above 7000ft, the elevation of the Continental Divide.
We head into Tucumcari (in its heyday this town had more than 2000 motel rooms). It is still a thriving and friendly town and we can visit the famous Route 66 motel “Blue Swallow” that is owned and run by Dale and Hilda Bakke. Unfortunately, the motel is not large enough to accommodate our group. The “Tee-Pee Curio Shop” is another well-known Route 66 landmark and worth a visit.
Our destination today is Santa Rosa and the Best Western Courtyard. There are several restaurants in Santa Rosa, but not within walking distance of the hotel, we can recommend Joe’s Bar & Grill, which is owned by the town mayor. Within walking distance you will find a couple of fast food outlets.
The hotel serves a complimentary continental breakfast after which we head out at 08:30am. We stay on I-40 out of Santa Rosa before heading north towards Santa Fe. It is a steady climb to Santa Fe, and we suggest you put on some warm clothing, as the morning air is quite cool. About an hour up the road we find an intersection with a gas station to refuel. We continue on Route 66 through remarkably beautiful terrain riding through Pecos National Historic Park bringing us closer to Santa Fe where we discover the Old Pecos Trail that takes us straight into the heart of the city. Santa Fe is a charismatic city where most of the buildings are built in the Adobe style. Downtown it is, in fact, mandatory that all architecture adheres to the Adobe style and that none is built taller than the Francis of Assisi Cathedral found in the center of the city. We take a couple of hours to explore – then continue to our hotel for the night. If you would like to spend more time in Santa Fe, it is possible to stay behind, as the hotel tonight is only about an hour away and easy to find. Just remember to inform the guide of your intentions. We leave Santa Fe via Highway 14 and make a stop at the Hippie town of Madrid. On offer are charming trinkets and souvenirs; their homemade old fashion milkshakes are divine.  Albuquerque Central Avenue is the original Route 66 and runs straight through Albuquerque. This city is a magnificent vision at night – from a distance Albuquerque becomes fairytale-like, illuminated in the vast darkness by its neon lights. Get on your iron horse, and see for yourself! – It is well worth the effort.
The hotel we are staying at has a restaurant; within walking distance there are several other restaurants and a small shopping mall. On receiving your room key you are also given breakfast coupons (there are 4-5 breakfast menus to choose from). We are ready to roll at 8:30am a new day that surely holds amazing adventures. Leaving Albuquerque, we take the Nine Mile Hill towards the Mesita plateau. We cross over the Rio Grande and are presently right in the middle of Indian country (Laguna Indian Reservation). Our surroundings make us feel as though we are right in the middle of an old western movie – the weather is hopefully glorious and the temperature is perfect. Route 66 takes us through several ghost towns, but you can still sense the grandeur of days gone by. We breeze through Mesita, Laguna and Cubero, before coming across the larger and vibrant towns of Grants and Milan.
Large quantities of uranium were mined in Grants during and after World War 2, one of the cafes proudly wears the name “Uranium Café”. At the Continental Divide we have reached the highest point of our journey (now referring to altitude!). This is the watershed between east and west and lays at 7500ft. We will remain at this height for the next couple days – with a few exceptions. This is the best leg of the journey on Route 66, to purchase Indian arts and crafts. There are three shops here that have a great selection at competitive prices. Route 66 has been lost between the Continental Divide and Gallup (where we will again reunite with the Mother Road). 
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