2019 EB Day 8 - On and Off Route 66

One of the special attractions about Route 66 is the breadth and depth of history that exists on and off the old road and today our group discovered the wonders of the Petrified Forest and Painted Desert.

It's hard to imagine solid rock formations were once tall forests... but that's exactly what they were doing millions of years ago before the land was flooded with water and silica washed through the trees.

In a landscape that looks so baron yet picturesque there are still bright signs of life...

...and evidence of pre European civilisation.

The i40 divides the forest from the Painted Desert and there lies another reminder of the road that once was the first link between east and west.

A solitary line of disused power poles and a rusted out four door sedan shell marks a previous alignment

We're entering Adobe country now, New Mexico and our destination tonight, Santa Fe is considered the Adobe capital of America.

The Painted Desert Inn, home to all things information and overlooking the exquisite coloured formations in the valley below, is built of Petrified Wood, plastered over in the style that fits into the landscape so easily.

The girls drove today, enjoying the slower pace of the National Park before moving back out on to the to a combination of the freeway and R66 as it wove it's way under and over the i40.

In Gallup we find the El Rancho Hotel, an historic listed premise dating far enough back that they're not sure exactly when it was built but it's certainly had notoriety being home to stars of a previous era when the big screen movies found new Mexico so attractive.

Next stop was Swap Meet 66, once a place to find anything and everything, and only fallen into disrepair since the departure of Sunny who looked after it after the death of its owner. It's a sad state but is one of the things that makes Route 66 so attractive... an aspect of her history being created as the years roll by

More evidence straddles the roadside of a bygone era, some old neon signs deliberately remain as witness to their former glory.

The road lunch was in Grants today, another new experience for most... a drive through Sonic Diner!

Road works prevented the use of Grants R66 Arch so we moved on toward Albuquerque and a tribute to a special America racing family - the Unsers.

The museum is beautifully laid out and showcases the family's story of racing through several generations. Interestingly the original garage workshop was on the Mother Road. Speaking of which our road is the alignment used for only a few short years in the 1920s when it stretched up the Santa Fe and that will end Day 8.