West to Albuquerque

Tuesday morning, we headed Westward again, traveling thru Amarillo, Texas and finally stopping in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Close your eyes, picture this, a town set in the 1950's. This is what Tucumcari is. A place which grew because of Route 66. This town never grew past 1950 so what you see is motel after decrepit motel and little boarded up roadside restaurants. Like what you see on old postcards from that time frame. The town that never advanced. When I-40 was built it went in south of town but the old motels and such are not needed at all. So this town remained set back in time. The dis-repair of buildings and boarded up parts of town are just something else to see. 

We stayed for 2 night enjoying a little old RV park in town. We found a couple of areas like the old train station that someone has tried to refurbish and make something in the old town. Very interesting, but they still have a long way to go.

 Thursday morning we left little back woods Tucumcari and headed for the metropolitan area known as Albuquerque, ABQ as the locals call it. Wow back to modern. Nancy awoke this morning and thought she had low blood sugar so she tried to eat some. Not to happen by 11:00 she was ill. Not sure if it was flu, food poisoning or what. But we found the campground and was it ever nice. Long cement pads with water, electric and sewer. The campground is really nice. The campground hosts escorted us to our campsite and then Tom had to do all the setting up of camp. Nancy was terribly ill!!!!

Friday was the day to find a Costco. Yup this is the first time since leaving Estero that we did find a Costco. Then it was back to the RV to put groceries away. By this time Nancy still did not feel good so she rested. Then we thought maybe we should head to Old Town and see what's still there from our last visit. We drove Route 66 all the way into town and found our way right to Old Town. Still looked just the same and we even managed to find a parking spot right around the old town square. In the courtyard there was a concert with a folk band playing and singing. 

We sat and listened awhile then decided we should go eat. Nancy remembered the restaurant we ate at the last time we were here so she led the way to Church Street Cafe. It is an old home which historians can trace back 300 years all the time belonging to the same family, the Ruis family. About 1991 the last member to live in the family home passed away and sometime after that it was turned into a restaurant. Delightful meal then we returned home. Big day.

Saturday found us going once again, this time to Santa Fe. Last time we were here Nancy got all the way to the Georgia O'Keefe museum to find out it was closed. This time she had made phone calls and knew it was opened. We drove to Santa Fe and parked then toured the museum. Absolutely no photos allowed in the museum. Georgia was certainly a different woman. She was married for 22 years and lived in NYC. She painted much more than the large flowers she was well known for. Interesting and we learned a lot. Then there was an art fair across the street and so we had to go look. Then lunch before heading back to ABQ.

We took a side trip to a Corp of Engineers park, Cochiti Lake, on our way back home.

 Glad we decided not to stay there. Out in the sticks and not very appealing to Nancy. That evening we both felt ill....now I think it must be a flu bug.