Next Time on Route 66: Places We Ran Out of Time For

🏨 La Posada, Winslow

We had lunch at the Turquoise Room and fell in love with La Posada, the 1930 Fred Harvey hotel. Next time we want to stay overnight and explore Winslow properly, including the Old Trails Museum and Homolovi State Park.

Photo: Cullen328, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

🏺 Gallup and Red Rock Park

We passed through Gallup ahead of a storm and missed the Gallup Cultural Center with its Navajo Code Talkers exhibit, and the sandstone walks at Red Rock Park.

🌋 El Malpais and Grants

We drove past the McCartys lava flow at El Malpais National Monument and the Cibola County History Museum in Grants. Both deserve a proper visit.

🛣️ The Los Lunas Loop

The original 1926–37 alignment of Route 66 loops south through Los Lunas. We planned it but didn't get there.

💙 The Blue Hole, Santa Rosa

The crystal-clear Blue Hole in Santa Rosa is famous with divers and swimmers. We drove right past on a cool day, so next time we're bringing swimsuits.

One thing to note: Route 66 rewards slow travel. We'd add at least two extra nights next time.

📋 Our Next-Time Tips

• 🛏️ Book at least one historic hotel night.
• 📅 Check museum opening days, as many close early in the week.
• 🩱 Pack swimwear for the Blue Hole.
• 🗺️ Map the old alignments before you go.

What would be on your Route 66 'next time' list? Let us know in the comments!