Travels on the Mother Road, Route 66: Part 8b, Gallup, New Mexico (2019)

Route66 view east, Gallup, New Mexico (Hasselblad 501CM, 250mm ƒ/5.6 Sonnar lens)

Gallup was the "big town" on Route 66 in western New Mexico. It was a popular stopover for Hollywood film starts in the era of Western movies. Today, it is a hub for people from remote stretches of the Navajo Nation and from lonely ranches to stock up on household supplies, liquor, and drinking water (and probably drugs). The town is pretty rough, with liquor stores, payday loan shops, and detox centers. Homelessness is a big problem.

The old Route 66 parallels the railroad tracks and still features old motels, gas stations, fast food dives, payday loan shops, and other establishments that cater to travelers. I-40 is on the north side of the tracks, and many travelers just rush by, skipping Gallup entirely.

Many of these old motels are still in business. During two previous visits to Gallup, I stayed in the famous El Rancho Hotel, which formerly hosted Hollywood stars, who came to Gallup during filming of Western movies. But this trip, the El Ranch was rather expensive and I opted to enjoy authentic Route 66 ambience (and save $$) by staying in a old-time motel. I found one, the El Capitan, which looked a bit less dive-like than the ones in the photographs above. My room was clean and the proprietor friendly. My co-travelers were a mixed bunch: many oil field workers, some tourists, and some bums.

The El Rancho, where I stayed in 2016 (Fuji X-E1 digital file)

If you stop in Gallup, you really need to enjoy the hospitality and ambience of the El Rancho, unless you really prefer a dive motel.

The El Morro theater, on Coal Avenue, is still in business. According to Wikipedia, "The El Morro Theater in Gallup, New Mexico was built in 1928. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. It was deemed notable as "the only example of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in Gallup." It was designed by Carl Boller, of the Boller Brothers architectural firm."

4th Street, Gallup, New Mexico (Kodak Ektar 25 film, Yashica Electro 35CC camera)

This one belongs in color: a garage on 4th Street with murals. I saw a number of buildings like this - well done!

I only spent one night in Gallup and did not look around too much. It looks like the city is trying, but most of the town is dumpy. A friend of my daughter taught school in Gallup as part of the Teach for America program. She reported that it was very difficult because the poverty was horrifying, coupled with deep-seated drug and alcohol issues. That sounds like so much of rural America on our race to the bottom.

The square photographs are from Kodak Tri-X 400 film and my Hasselblad 501CM camera. The color frame of the garage on 4th Street is from the long-discontinued Kodak Ektar 25 film in a 35mm Yashica Electro 35CC camera.

May 6, 2020 update: Gallup and the Navajo Nation have suffered severely from the Coronavirus. The State of New Mexico had to invoked the Riot aw to lock down the city. "The lockdown comes as state and local authorities grapple with one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in the United States on the nearby Navajo Nation, the country’s largest Indian reservation, and a surge in detected cases in places near the reservation." (from NY Times)