Santa Fe's Stretch of Route 66
Today, travelers can follow the legacy of the Mother Road through wide-open landscapes dotted with piñon and juniper trees ending up on on the same adobe lined streets that carried those early road trippers into New Mexico’s capital city. Exit the interstate and take the “Santa Fe Loop.” Cruise the 1926-1937 alignment through Santa Fe beginning on Old Santa Fe Trail, known as College Street back then. Soon you’ll pass the San Miguel Chapel, the oldest church in the U.S. and the Loretto Chapel before motoring on to explore the Santa Fe Plaza and beyond.
In Santa Fe, it's easy to imagine what car travel was like 100 years ago as you marvel at how many Santa Fe businesses and buildings withstood the test of time. Stay at a historic 1920s hotel or 1930s motor court near the Santa Fe Plaza, purchase a souvenir from Native American artists at the Palace of the Governors and enjoy a chile-laden meal at one of the city's locally-owned New Mexican diners.
