ALBUQUERQUE - Day 6

You know how you can tell a good day coming?     Leaving the hotel in Albuquerque for Santa Fe, I hit 7 miles of green lights through the city,  Wahoo!!!!   That got us out onto the backroads of NM and onto the Turquoise Trail,  so named because there have been turquoise mines here for 1000 years.   Beautiful western country drive.

 

Fun stop at Madrid at the Mine Shaft Bar.    Madrid was at one time the biggest ghost town in the U.S.  They mined coal here until 1954, then shut down and everybody walked away.   Now recovered as an artsy town.    With a great coal mine museum, just the way it was left in 1954.   I like locomotives.

 

 

   Several movies have been made here. 

 

 

This is Maggies Diner in Wild Hogs.

 

 

 

I liked this artifact.

 

 

We did find a dirt road to go down to another museum.

 

 

The on to Santa Fe,  bunch of troublemakers blocking the street.

 

 

 

Got a good shot of a large chunk of the T’s attending.    Look close and you can see Pat and Ray’s white wheels.

 

 

One more picture of the day,   yard art…….

 

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 5

First touring day!   157 miles,  good workout for the T's.  Our plan, leave early, get in early.  Sun just peeking and lots of activity in the back lot.

Headed south out of Albuquerque, on the secondary roads and crossed the Rio Grande,,,,

Which is actually pretty big here.

Donut stop at a Ford dealer,,,,,

Okay, just how many people will a T carry????

Albuquerque Host Larry Azevedo, grandson and Pat.

And then more country road,,,,,,,    on and on,,,,,,

Lunch in Mountainair, try to find that one on the map.

Stopped at some ancient pueblo ruins, from Spanish Friars time,,,,

But most importantly, found ice cream at this tiny country store,  the tour made their day, for sure.

Are we out in the country?  Check out these signs.

Tonight, pizza party and T adjustments, getting ready for tomorrow.

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 4

Gallup to Albuquerque.    Leaving Gallup on old 66, we passed by this.

It is obviously needed here in Gallup because when I walked down the road towards this tent, I noticed these little bottles, airline size, everywhere, one every 3 or 4 feet lying in the weeds beside the road.   So I started a collection.

 Crossed the continental divide at 7300 feet, definitely picked up a few mph on the downhill side.  Stopped at a nice new rest stop, with an unusual feature.  They had a set of buttons to vote whether you liked the stop or not.  We debated what would happen if you voted no, decided maybe it would give you give you a shock if it did not like your answer,,,,,,

In Albuquerque, trying to find the right exit, the GPS took us through a maze of freeway, I think more complicated than LA.

Found it, the Elegante Hotel,,,,,

And promptly unloaded the cars.   Here is a riddle, how do you make a too tall Fordor fit in a Touring trailer?  Answer:   Put smaller wheels on it, right Jim??

Rooms are nice, view is questionable,  2 Rms, Riv Vu,   remember that movie?

Anyway, had a welcoming party and we are ready to rumble.

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 3

Williams, AZ; to Gallup, NM.  Easy day, not too many miles.  All above 5000 ft altitude.   You know what happens to a bag of chips when you bring it from sea level to 5000 ft?   Do we look like that also?????

 This begs the question, if we go to 10000 ft, are we in danger of a major explosion?

At a rest stop, we found Ray's new glass truck, takes nice big panes.

We had to try one tourist trap.

Click to make bigger picture,,,














Are we on Route 66???    Then you have to find the "Standing on the Corner" Statue in Winslow, AZ.   Does the younger generation even know this song?  

I think it is interesting that Winslow has a 9/11 memorial, a couple Trade Center standing beams in a little park.   They may be a long way from NY, but they remember.

Gotta stop at every little town on 66, in Holbrook found a VW lover, who loves to modify them,,,,,  Guys loved this, ladies finally dragged them away.

 And remember the Wigwam Motel, right out of the fifties.

 While the ladies investigate the accommodations, Bob found his new truck.  Love at first sight.

But soon forgotten with his newest love,,,,,

Overnighting in Gallup, Zimmermans western store and Richardsons Trading post were a big hit with our traveling group.   Western shirts, moccasins, hats, who do you think bought what?    Tomorrow, ALBUQUERQUE.............

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 2

Only 80 degrees when we got up this morning in Barstow,   formed up a convoy and hightailed it out of town.

We've got a convoy!!!!

Barstow to Needles was incredibly smoky, amazing how far the fire smoke carries from southern CA.    Crossed the Colorado into AZ and the price of gas dropped 40 cents per gallon. And our speed limit went from 55 to 75.   And 75 is what the big rigs do.

Pressed on and found this is our day for trailer tires.    Peder blew one by Needles, put the also.  Hot weather, bumpy roads, tires need to be in really good shape to survive.

Anyway, visited the Mohave and Route 66 Museums in Kingman, and then lunch in a retro diner,,,

and then,,,,,,,

Okay, Bob, where are we?

Right on, Snow Cap Drive-In in Seligman.

With its righteous facilities out back.  Alberta, be careful, I think that is the men's.

Also found rust, you know how that is.

Had to lock the ladies up while we negotiated that one.     (to no avail)

Ended the day in Williams, 7000 ft and cool.   So nice.

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 1

San Jose to Barstow, sea level to 4000 ft to 2000 ft, 75 degrees to 108 degrees.  Knocked off a bunch of miles today with minimal stopping.   The stop we did do was for apple pie ala mode in Tehachapi at the Apple Barn.  Just can't get by Tehachapi without stopping there.

Did find an interesting artifact for the rust engineers to look at.   Turned out to be a Chevy chassis farm wagon.

I would like you to know that the Bronco has a bud vase.   With some anniversary roses in it.   They did real well until we arrived in Barstow and locked up the car.

Tomorrow, the race across the desert before it gets too hot,  reminiscent of the Route 66 trip to Marquette in the Model A's.         Here is a headline, Pat saw a bald eagle at the little pond just east of Casa de Fruta,   wow!!!!

ALBUQUERQUE - Day 0
Bronco ready, runabout ready, trailer hooked and ready.  Tomorrow we hit the road for the 2016 National Model T Tour in Albuquerque. Our club has 11 T’s going.  Should be fun, new sights to see.   Keep you posted.

ARIZONA SPEEDSTER RUN - 2016

ARIZONA SPEEDSTER RUN - May 3, 2016

Two Santa Clara Model T Club members made the trek to Arizona this year to attend the Sun Country Speedster Run which was held in Tucson this year.  Meneelys and Fontaines formed up the expedition to the Sunshine State.  Click on any pic for a full size version.

Speedster Row outside the host hotel.

It was a good run, about 150 miles in, out and around Tucson.  The desert around Tucson was in bloom just for the occasion, the Palo Verde trees were brilliant yellow everywhere we went.

We had some city boulevard driving, climbed some mountains (went partway up 9000 foot Mt. Lemmon), explored lots of back roads and even had a few dirt stretches through the dry washes.

The roads are interesting, lots of up and down dips following the natural terrain, and rather than build bridges over all the dry washes, just warning signs to not enter if flooded.  And do you think the wind blows there?    Look for the clues in the picture below.

It actually rains there sometimes, but our weekend was blue sky, about 70 degrees, visibility unlimited.

Who said "Get a horse?"   Next time, for sure.

27 cars started, 23 cars finished.  Our own Ray and Linda Fontaine took home the 3rd place trophy.  Congratulations.  This was a first time exploring the Tucson area for us and I think we need to go back to explore all the things that we did not have time for this trip.  Pima Air Museum, Colossal Cave, Kartchner Caverns, Titan Missile Museum, Copper Mine Tour, Saguaro National Park,  the top of Mt. Lemmon, and a little farther out the town of Tombstone.

Sunburned, wind-blown, bug spattered, would you do it again?    YES!!

Good trip, although my trailer and contents took a beating on the CA roads.  I think I need an air ride trailer.   Bob m

PS:   We got to visit with Bob and Jane in Phoenix both ways.  Hows this for a selfie?