Day 7: November 7, 2016 Big Globe, Small World Comment via blog

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Ground hugging fog was waiting for me this morning. I spent the night at the recently reopened Fabulous 40 Motel in Adrian, Texas. The first two photos are of the motel. My room is here. The next two are of the next door Mid-Point Cafe and Sunflower Station neither of which is currently operating. The sign in the last shot is just across the road.

I drove through Glen Rio and even stopped to take a few pictures on the way but the three posted were all taken during the east bound drive back through town. I suspect the critters in the last picture may be planning to hole up in the ghost town until Thanksgiving blows over.

Tucumcari Mountain prefaces my drive through its namesake town. Although it has been there several years, I've either failed to notice or forgotten a motel and coffee shop on the east edge of town. The Motel Safari sign was a drive-by. The sign at the Blue Swallow was a walk-by. I stopped and poked my nose into the office but found it empty. I did see Kevin as I walked behind the office to photograph the Glassboy Studios made sign but he was busy directing some workmen on a project. The last picture shows one of several defunct gas stations that have been cleaned up and brightly painted in recent years.

It looks like the rotosphere in Moriaty has lost one of its spikes but it's still an eye-catcher.

Back in 2007, a co-worker and I were on our way to a customer site when we spotted a giant globe being rolled along US-22 northeast of Cincinnati. It was World Guy Erik Bendl on his first long distance walk for diabetes. We stopped, chatted with Erick, and took some pictures for an item that subsequently appeared in American Road Magazine. I encountered Erick again today. He was rolling his much patched rubber globe along Old Route 66 at the east edge of Albuquerque. Erick has walked more than 6,000 miles since I saw him last and is currently completing a walk to Albuquerque that was interrupted three years ago by a pinched nerve. This meeting fits every definition of a small world moment I can think of.

According to RoadsideAmerica, Albuquerque's Fidel lost his hands in a 2014 storm. For several miles, Route 66 travels in the company of a road that I didn't think was half bad though others might. On the other hand, I completely agree with those describing the disruptive Central Avenue construction for the controversial Albuquerque Rapid Transit as beastly.

My second opportunity to visit one of the breweries in the MSN.FourSquare was a good excuse for avoiding some of the construction. I'm sure the view from the rooftop deck helped with the rating but the great beer and nice taproom would probably be enough to have me agree with the pick. An added bonus is that New Mexico's Madonna of the Trail statue is just a couple of blocks away. The full frontal was taken after turning the corner to return to Route 66.

Mixed in with drive-bys of Owl Rock, Budville, and Villa de Cubero, was a stop at the Midway Bar and Grill. Having a beer here has been a tradition for me since that first time John and I stopped in 1999.

The day ended in Grants, New Mexico, where I stayed at one of these motels.

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