Art City, Here We Come
DAWN LIGHT BATHES ART CITY in pastels. Mauves and pinks unfurl over the desert plains, lending a gauzy morning majesty to the giant sculpture of a poppy-red mouth that sits outside my trailer. I open…
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Tag: Route 66
The 24th Annual New Mexico Magazine Photos of the Year
GRAND PRIZE WINNER Surprise, Andy Jones "Shooting landscapes at night is something I get excited about. There are many things to love about being out in the dark with your camera. And adding the…
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Barelas Is for the Gente
A CALICO CAT LOUNGES ON THE PATIO in front of La Mexicana Tortilla Co. Cleo and her two cohorts are street cats in their golden years that the crew of the historic Albuquerque establishment treat with…
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Five Things to Do This Weekend
1 Heat up Nob Hill. The biggest block party of the season happens when Nob Hill hosts the Route 66 Summerfest on Saturday from 5 to 10 p.m. Central Avenue shuts down between Girard Boulevard and…
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Datebook: July 2024
A KALEIDOSCOPE OF ART from around the world takes over the Santa Fe Railyard during the 20th annual International Folk Art Market (IFAM) July 11–14. Featuring more than 160 artists, including 41 first…
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El Rancho Lights Up the Mother Road
THE LETTERS ON THE NEON SIGNS framing the route into Gallup follow a familiar pattern. A large blocky word beside one or two tilted script words—all written in gas-filled phosphorescent tubes—proclaim…
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Go Retro on Route 66
WEARY MOTORISTS TRAVELING the Southwest might feel a sudden onset of déjà vu when they glance up at the Sands Motel sign written in neon light, as though the hotel had been duplicated at every exit…
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Motels Making a Comeback
Monterey Motel. Originally built in 1946, this restored sister property to El Vado reopened in 2021. “Rooms at the Monterey have a bit more of a contemporary, chic aesthetic,” says Nate Valdez…
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Gather Round at El Vado Motel
AS YOU CRUISE DOWN Albuquerque’s Central Avenue, the remnants of Route 66’s once-thriving motel culture often fade into the background—boarded windows, weed-covered entryways, a dark neon sign in an…
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These Motels Take You Back in Time
HUMANS HAVE BEEN TRAVELING through the area known today as Tucumcari for at least 10,000 years. With the establishment of Route 66, Tucumcari’s motels have offered visitors a warm, welcoming place to…
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