Route 66 by Amtrak: Albuquerque

Want to visit historic Route 66?

 

Hop aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief. The train has several stops with preserved sections of America's Main Street.

 

The Southwest Chief's main service stop is Albuquerque. The city has some of the longest remaining sections of Route 66 motels and storefronts in the country. The pre-1938 alignment traveled north to south through town on what is now Fourth Street. The later re-alignment ran from east to west on Central Avenue.

 

The train station was built to resemble the former Alvarado Hotel and now serves as Albuquerque's transportation hub. While the city's center declined through the second half of the twentieth century, revitalization is under way. The Rail Yards to the south are being redeveloped, and an innovation corridor has started by the station.

 

 



 

Train Stop

A couple of hours during the Amtrak service stop is enough to explore Route 66. Exit the platform on the far north end, past the Rail Runner stop, to Central Avenue. You are now on The Mother Road.

Route 66 Crossroads

Walk four blocks west (away from the mountains) to reach the crossroads of the two alignments of Route 66.

Food

Lindy's Diner, at Fifth and Central, has been a family-owned restaurant since the 1920s. Want a taste of New Mexico? Order your food with green chile on top. Breakfast is served all day.

Shopping

Skip Maisel's is a landmark on Route 66, on the same block as Lindy's Diner. They claim to have the largest selection of Native American jewelry in the Southwest.

Must See

The city-owned KiMo Theater, across the street from Lindy's Diner, is one of the best examples of Pueblo Deco architecture in the country. If you arrive during business hours for the box office, step inside.

Self-guided tours of the interior are available for free. The theater only requests you stay away from the stage area. Be sure to look up to find the lighted cow skulls and painted details on the ceilings.

 

Historic Lodging

Want to stay a couple days?

Nearby the Hotel Andaluz was opened as a Hilton in 1939. It's only one of two historic GOLD Leed certified hotels in the USA.

 

Budget Lodging

the Hotel Blue

Route 66 Hostel

Getting Around

If you don't mind travel by city bus, the Route 66 runs the entire length of Central Avenue from one end of the city to the other. The most scenic section of The Mother Road is Nob Hill. Taxi service and car rentals are available in town.

Getting around Downtown is easiest by walking or bicycle. Routes Rentals & Tours will deliver bikes to your location.

Side Trips

 

Old Town

Want a quick taste of Santa Fe without having to travel north? The Hotel Albuquerque is 1.7 miles from the train station in historic Old Town. Nearby attractions include the Albuquerque BioPark gardens, aquarium and zoo. Bicycle rentals are available in the neighborhood to cruise the shade of the Bosque Trail or take a guided tour.

Santa Fe

The Rail Runner provides daily service to Santa Fe from the Alvarado station.

ABQ: Picnic at Tingley Beach

ALBUQUERQUE

Picnic at Tingley Beach


Fall is the perfect time to head to Downtown ABQ's Tingley Beach. While I don't care to fish in the ponds, I'm a huge fan of packing a picnic lunch. Just beware feeding the ducks and geese from the table. They'll surround you and beg worse than a dog.

The train connecting the zoo with the BioPark stops at Tingley Beach. The stores sells some snacks and paddle boats are available for rent in the summer. One pond is available for model boat racing.

The bike path and hiking trails connect to the beach.

Info about Tingley Beach.

ABQ: Postcard Copper Ave Homes

ALBUQUERQUE

Postcard: Copper Avenue Homes 1940


This postcard is Copper Avenue in Downtown Albuquerque. The house in the foreground is now used by MRCOG, the Mid-Region Council of Governments.

I can't read the postcard clearly, but it may say that the homes were located in the Roundhouse District. I have never heard this reference to a Downtown Albuquerque neighborhood. Usually when people talk about the Roundhouse, they are referring to state government in Santa Fe.

The Wheels Museum has records about the Albuquerque Roundhouse that was used to service trains at the Rail Yards in Barelas.


AT&SF Albuquerque, NM Roundhouse

According to the Wheels Museum:

"The 32-stall Albuquerque roundhouse was built in 1914-15. It included four "long" stalls on the east side that could accommodate Mallets and other large engines. The turntable was an 85-foot through plate girder table that was extended to 120 feet.

MRCOG:

The Mid-Region Council of Governments is a multi-county governmental agency that is helping our region plan responsibly for the future, in light of anticipated growth in New Mexico's mid-region.  Representing the counties of Bernalillo, Valencia, Torrance, and Sandoval, we provide planning services in the areas of transportation, agriculture, workforce development, employment growth, land-use, water, and economic development. We also manage the popular commuter rail service: the New Mexico Rail Runner Express. Our regional water planning effort addresses a fundamental concern of local governments: how will we meet future water needs? Likewise, the Agriculture Collaborative focuses on another scarce resource: local farmland, which as a result of urban encroachment, is dwindling.

ABQ: Conservatories

ALBUQUERQUE

Conservatories

View the photo journal of conservatories in Albuquerque, the Bonsai Museum at the Steinhardt Conservatory in Brooklyn, and the orchids at the Lincoln Park Conservatory in Chicago.


The ABQ BioPark Botanic Garden, located in Greater Downtown on Central Ave. (Route 66) and the Rio Grande, features one and half miles of paths through a variety of gardens on 36 acres and two conservatories.


Mediterranean Conservatory

The Mediterranean Conservatory shows off a variety of plants native to coastal areas with hot dry summers and mild rainy winters, such as the Mediterranean Sea coast, the California coast, southwestern Australia, South Africa and coastal Chile.

This conservatory is also the locale for several flower shows, including Bulbs in Bloom and the Orchid Show.

Desert Conservatory

Its hot, dry climate supports a collection of plant life from deserts of the American Southwest.

Saguaro cactus and palo verde trees from the Sonoran Desert, creosote and yucca from the Chihuahuan Desert and elephant trees from Baja are just some of the incredible xeric-adapted plants on display.

ABQ: SEFT 1

ALBUQUERQUE

SEFT 1

In the late 1990s Mexico privatized its national rail system. The system was reorganized to allow private companies to set up freight shipping connecting with the United States and Canada under NAFTA. It's too early to know whether the new arrangement is working well for rail shipments. The northern part of the country has had better success, while the hurricane damaged south is lagging behind.

However, the greatest impact of the privatization has been to end rail passenger service for most of the country. In 1997, except for some small tourist lines, such as viewing Copper Canyon, service for people ended. In 2008 a commuter rail was established running into Mexico City. But the rest of the country remains without.

Two artists decided to travel the abandoned railways to document the new ruins, isolated towns and villages, and collect artifacts. A pickup truck was created that could travel on roads or railroad tracks.

Information about the project is downloaded to their website SEFT 1.

They drove the SEFT 1 vehicle recently across the border to where it is currently on display at the Albuquerque museum. The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) also participated in the museum project.



From UTEP:

The SEFT -1 (SEFT is an acronym for the Spanish Sonda de Exploración Ferroviaria Tripulada or Manned Railway Exploration Probe) is a trans-disciplinary project by artists Ivan Puig and Andrés Padilla Domene. Its core object is a futuristic, artist-designed vehicle that is equipped to move on both land and rail. Puig and Padilla Domene traveled abandoned railways throughout Mexico in this exploratory probe, using photography, video, audio and text to record contemporary landscapes, infrastructure and inhabitants to create a futuristic exploration of Mexico’s past. The information recorded is continuously uploaded to the project´s web page www.seft1.com, where the public can follow the trajectory of the probe and view the images, videos and artifacts collected on its journey.

The exhibition of the SEFT-1 at UTEP will encompass two museums, the Stanlee and Gerald Rubin Center for the Visual Arts and UTEP’s Centennial Museum. ForISEA2012 (see below), Puig and Padilla Domene will make a historic journey in the SEFT-1 that takes them from the U.S.-Mexico border to the city of Albuquerque where the car itself will be exhibited at the Albuquerque Museum of Art and History, with a complementary exhibition at 516 Gallery in downtown Albuquerque.

The exhibition of SEFT-1 at UTEP is in conjunction with the Desert Initiative (DI) and with the annual meeting of International for Society for Electronic Arts (ISEA).

 

DI is a consortium of art museums in the Southwest that are coordinating new, interdisciplinary explorations of the desert to take place in the Fall2012-Spring 2013. The partnering museums include Phoenix Art Museum, University of Arizona Museum of Art, Santa Fe Art Institute, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art and Arizona State University Art Museum, which is the administrative and coordinating hub of the DI, amongst many others. ISEA is an international nonprofit organization fostering interdisciplinary academic discourse and exchange among culturally diverse organizations and individuals working with art, science and technology, and draws scores of emerging and established international artists to its annual conference. In 2011 it was held in Istanbul and in 2010 near Berlin. In 2012 University of New Mexico in Albuquerque will host the conference from September 17-22. UTEP is the only venue in Texas invited to participate in either of these initiatives, both of which will generate additional opportunities to expand our audience, and to connect with both the border and the world.

ABQ: Alvarado

ALBUQUERQUE

Alvarado Transportation Center

See the Photo Journal of Downtown Drawings.


Wikipedia:

Albuquerque's first train station, a small railroad depot, opened on the site of the current ATC in the 1880s. With increasing demand for a larger facility, the Alvarado Hotel, a Mission Revival-style building which served as one of the many Harvey Houses along the train route, was constructed on the site in the 1902. Santa Fe Railroad architect Charles Whittlesey designed the building, and Mary Colter designed the interior of the hotel. The hotel was named for Hernando de Alvarado of the 1540 Francisco Vázquez de Coronado Expedition. Just south of the hotel a train station was constructed, also in the Mission Revival style and with a large, distinctive tower.

The Alvarado Hotel was renowned for its luxury, but by the mid-20th century, with the decline in railroad travel in the United States, the hotel fell on hard times and was demolished in 1970. The site remained a dirt parking lot for many years. In 1993, the Albuquerque train station burned down, and Amtrak used a small facility on the site as the train station.

The current ATC complex was constructed in the 2000s. The first phase of the project was completed in 2002 to serve ABQRide. The second phase, completed in 2006, added facilities for Amtrak, Greyhound Lines, and the New Mexico Rail Runner Express commuter rail line. The ATC was designed to be reminiscent of the old buildings, with many architectural elements borrowed from the Alvarado Hotel and the former train station.
 

 

AMTRAK: The Alvarado Station is served by the Southwest Chief.

Take in the Grandeur of the American West on an Adventure.

The Amtrak Southwest Chief runs daily between Chicago and Los Angeles, through the vast expanse of the fabled American West.

You'll be mesmerized by this region's beauty and allure. We'll take you across the mighty Mississippi through eight states—past wheat fields and ranches, missions and pueblos, mountains and deserts. Carving through curving canyon passages only a few feet wider than the train itself, you'll see spectacular landscapes and pristine vistas not visible from interstate highways.

 

RAIL RUNNER: The Rail Runner is passenger train service between the Albuquerque Greater Metro Area and Santa Fe. They are working on continuing to expand links to other transportation options, like high capacity bus routes.
 

Bus Connections from the Downtown Albuquerque Alvarado station:

 

ABQ RIDE Route 766 - Rapid Ride Red Line 
Use this express bus route located in the front of the building to access Old Town, the ABQ BioPark, UNM, Nob Hill and Uptown 

 

ABQ RIDE Route 40 - The D-RIDE
This is a free downtown circulator that runs every 7 minutes.

 

ABQ RIDE Route 53 - Isleta
Use this route to access the Albuquerque Zoo

 

ABQ RIDE Route 350 - Airport Express

Use this route to access the Albuquerque International Sunport 

 

Other ABQ RIDE Routes
There are more than 20 other ABQ RIDE bus routes that get you just about anywhere in the city!

 

Show your Rail Runner ticket to get on the bus for free!

 

UNM Hospital and UNM Campus: Free shuttle service to UNM Hospital and UNM Campus is available. More information.

 

Park and Ride: take the NMDOT's Park and Ride bus to travel between the Downtown Albuquerque Rail Runner Station and East Mountains/Moriarty.  Read all about theTurquoise Route.

 

STYLE: Train Travel

STYLE

Train Travel

My favorite mode of vacation travel is by train. I like choosing a travel destination where I'm not going to need a car. There is something gratifying about railroad time, watching the countryside go by, and arriving at a new place gradually. Desert gives way to flat fields and ranches, which slowly builds into a city.

From the Albuquerque Amtrak station it's an overnight trip on the Southwest Chief to either Chicago or Los Angeles. Albuquerqueans are lucky to have a stop that boards in the middle of the day, unlike some stations, which pick up passengers at night. I would be less enthusiastic if I had to get on the train at 3 AM in the morning.

Going east, all mid-country trains head to Chicago. Unfortunately, there are no north/south Amtrak connections between Denver and El Paso. The local commuter train, the Rail Runner, does connect Albuquerque with Santa Fe, as the Amtrak train stops at Lamy, rather than Santa Fe proper.

I've been told the route through Denver, the California Zephyr, is one of the most beautiful trips.

Union Station, at the end of the line in Chicago, is located by a block just across the river from the Loop. It's a short walk to connect to the 'L' subway line. For some reason, Chicago's trains, subways, and commuter rails don't quite connect as seamlessly as most other major cities. However, it's still possible to get around, particularly when buses are added in.

The only Amtrak connection I have done in Chicago is Cleveland. When a four hour layover at the Chicago station is added in, Cleveland is more like a two day trip from Albuquerque. Some city connections, like Milwaukee, are much shorter. If you ever find yourself at the station with hours to spare, I recommend locking up your luggage and spending time walking around Chicago's Downtown. There are a bunch of great restaurants nearby.

Los Angeles, going west from Albuquerque, is a particularly notorious city for being spread out. I haven't tried to get around most of the city, preferring to stay in the Downtown area, where there are plenty of amenities and tourist attractions. The Amtrak stop, Union Station, is the regional transportation hub and connects with the commuter lines. It also links with the Amtrak west coast routes.

I particularly enjoy taking the train up the coast to Santa Barbara. A free trolley runs up and down their tourist row of restaurants and shops, with access near the train stop.

Bicycles are allowed on the Pacific Surfliner from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara, and some other routes, but not the Southwest Chief, unless crated like the airlines require.

Travelers are permitted a couple pieces of luggage, which can be checked, without any additional fees I'm aware of, as long as they meet size and weight restrictions. The train is a little more generous on size than the airlines.

So far, all of the stations I've traveled to have been located in decent neighborhoods close to amenities. Albuquerque may be one of the dicier stops, as it shares facilities with the Greyhound bus, and south of the station is an abandoned rail yard that's rather rough. (If you're a fan of Breaking Bad, however, walk just outside of the station and gawk. But don't wander too far.)