11-February-2024. Albuquerque Route 66

Today I got my kicks on Route 66!

I headed out from my cat sitting house and was surprised at the landscape here. It's definitely high desert- very arid and a dusting of snow still visible from last night. Unlike the desert I had seen in Texas, here the shrubs are much bigger giving the landscape a polkadot appearance. The mountains are off to the east and it is flat and wide open to the west. Everything here appears to be beige – sometimes with a hint of pink. The buildings, roads, walls, dirt .... it's all "southwest beige". How different from Maine - and how beautiful to be able to see so far!

My destination today was the Route 66 Diner - I figured it would be a good place to park so that I could walk my daily mile up the iconic road. Route 66 runs nearly 2,500 miles through 8 states from Chicago to LA. The Route 66 diner pays tribute to all the diners that used to exist along this corridor. The decor is vintage and the shakes are incredibly good. I treated myself to the mud pie: chocolate ice cream, espresso, Oreos and caramel. It was served in a tall thin glass with the widest straw I've ever seen (so you can suck up all the good chunks) with a side car of another full serving of shake. Holy cow was it good - I finished every drop!

The Route 66 diner has a massive Pez Dispenser collection that runs across the top of the walls in every room. They are all different shapes, colors, designs and sizes. What a fun place to explore and enjoy a treat.

Came back to the house and made myself some nachos to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl. Weird that it starts here at 4:30 PM .... and sad that the 49ers lost.