1. Introduction - Denise Lett

Evening was quickly approaching. Purposefully, I entered into my GPS the address of the famed El Rancho Hotel, a historic landmark in the town of Gallup, New Mexico. My husband and I were traveling by car from Washington State to Texas. We decided to experience along the way New Mexico’s stretch of old Route 66 between Gallup near New Mexico’s western terminus of this legendary road and the town of San Jon (pronounced San Hone) near New Mexico’s eastern terminus.

El Rancho Hotel from Across Street Night Gallup NM

Without reservations, we were fortunate (unlike the couple behind us) to grab the last available room and to be able to check into the El Rancho. From 1937 to 1964, this hotel, self-proclaimed the “Home of the Movie Stars,” temporarily played host to Ronald Reagan, John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Katharine Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas, and many other famous actors while they were on location in the area. The western landscapes surrounding Gallup provided the iconic settings for Westerns filmed during that era, and the El Rancho, allegedly built for the brother of the famous movie director D.W. Griffith, assumed the role of hub of the movie industry in Gallup. The hotel maintains an ambiance of the Old West with its decor, and basking in the “rustic elegance” of a hotel steeped in such rich history was enough to make my stop in Gallup memorable. Before unpacking our car and lugging our bags to the room, I grabbed my camera, my tripod, and my husband, Bill. I was on the hunt for subjects to shoot. Twilight was descending, the moon already out. To take advantage of this magic hour–a photographer’s lighting of choice–I set my sights first on neon signs for which Gallup, and the towns along Historic Route 66 in general, are so well known. My camera was loaded, my trigger finger, happy. Game on!

Though the day was fleeting, I was not to be denied. Before the sunlight completely disappeared, I managed to capture the unlit signs not only of the El Rancho Hotel but also of the historic Lariat, Blue Spruce, and Arrowhead lodges huddled diagonally across the intersection from the El Rancho. As the natural light gradually faded, the neon and other artificial lights began to glow, transforming the landscape. At the risk of sounding syrupy, and with the realization that my perceptions of the past were to a degree a romanticized version of reality, I dare say I felt transported back in time, to an earlier era of automobile travel along America’s Main Street or Mother Road, with all the alluring signs of the hotel and lodges summoning the weary traveler.

Historic 66 HWY and Ford Intersection Gallup NM

Lariat Lodge Sign and Building Gallup NM

Arrowhead Lodge & Uptown Plaza Neon Signs Gallup NM

I was hooked.

In the morning, I shot images of the hotel’s at once rustic and luxurious lobby and of Ortega’s Indian Store, located off the lobby.

El Rancho Hotel Lobby from Left Staircase Side Gallup NM

That evening, we would stay at another historic lodging, the Motel Safari in Tucumcari, also on Historic Route 66, but near the New Mexico’s eastern border.

Motel Safari w/Trailways Mural & Sign Night, Tucumcari NM

There and in between, I tried to capture as much of the architectural landscape as possible in the limited time. But I wanted more.

After being superseded by limited-access interstate highways, suffering the indignity of being officially decommissioned in 1985, and decaying for decades, Route 66 is on the rise again. And I couldn’t wait to be part of its resurrection!

So I planned a more extensive and intensive trip. I made reservations at 10 unique hotels and motels in 10 different towns along the southwest portion of Historic Route 66 in three states: California, Arizona, and New Mexico.

“I’m going to sleep in a wigwam in an Indian village!” I proclaimed to anyone who would listen. And on a round bed in an auto court with garages separating guest rooms! And in a grand Spanish hacienda in America’s desert Southwest! And in a hotel where the likes of the King of Siam and the Vanderbilts, one of the richest families in America, have stayed! I’m going to drive through the California Mojave Desert with wildflowers in bloom and take a ride up to the Grand Canyon, down to the Red Rocks of Sedona, and through the Painted Desert in Arizona. I’m going to feed feral burros, survey a mining boomtown, witness a gunfight, and explore a ghost town. I’m going to shop at Indian trading posts, eat in roadside diners, and visit sites where movies were filmed and celebrities have stayed. And I’m going to be dazzled by urban streetscapes of neon lighting up the night. In other words…, I was going on a real classic American road trip!

On this second road trip I sought to gain insight into what it was like for the typical motorist in this legendary road’s heyday in the mid-20th century and to uncover what such a trip offers the adventurer today. My intent was to experience Route 66 more fully, to document its architectural and natural landscapes, and to create a photo journal to share my experience with others and to encourage them to visit this special heritage of America not only to experience Route 66 for themselves, but in so doing to aid in its preservation. I invite you to join me on my journey….

(to be continued….) Subscribe to my Blog at the very bottom of the page!

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