NEW YORK TO CALIFORNIA ROAD TRIP
AURORA FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER
ROUTE 66
fort smith - 160 miles 3 hours
oaklahoma city -188 miles 3 hours
amarillo -262 miles 4 hours
moriarity- 250 miles 4 hours
When we left Little Rock we made a brief stop at Fort Smith, AR. From there we went on to Oaklahoma City. We then joined historic route 66 to Amarillo, Texas where we stayed at an Airbnb. This is where the journey really became beautiful. Up until this point there had been scenic parts to the road trip. But Route 66 to Texas was incredible. We had planned to visit Cadillac Ranch but unfortunately we didn't have enough time because we was trying to get to New Mexico early to surprise our family. If you are ever in Amarillo you should certainly try to fit Cadillac Ranch into your itinerary.
On the way to our family's house in Moriarty, New Mexico we stopped in Tucumcari, NM. We found a really cool store/restaurant at Watsons BBQ / Tucamari Ranch Supply store. Not only was the food great and the staff friendly but it was fascinating looking around. Check out the video below.
NEW MEXICO
When then spent 10 days in New Mexico with family. If you're a fan of Breaking Bad you'll likely know that it was filmed and set in Albuquerque. My husband and I are huge fans of Breaking Bad, but we still haven't managed to do one of the tours yet. But there is more to Albuquerque than Breaking Bad. Be sure to visit the historic Old Town Center. Founded in 1706, and home to the oldest building in the city (the San Felipe de Neri Church, dating from 1793), today the historic old town is the heart of this beautiful city. It's full of shops, restaurants, and museums, housed in beautiful old adobe buildings.
ABQ BioPark Zoo is a medium sized zoo with a lot to explore. We spent the whole afternoon there. It was a very hot day when we visited. If it's cooler I think you could quite easily spend all day there. Healthy food options are limited though and it's expensive. So I'd suggest going right after lunch or breakfast, or timing it to leave in time for dinner! Bear in mind that COVID protocols may impact how long you can stay too.
We also visited the aquarium. It is on the smaller side but entrance includes admission to the Botanical Gardens. I forgot my battery for my camera this day and I was SO disappointed. The ABQ Biopark Botanic Garden is a 36-acre botanical garden. Exhibits include Mediterranean and Desert Conservatories, 1920's farm, Japanese and formal gardens and BUGarium. We visited the gardens after the aquarium, so our group was getting hungry for dinner and it started to rain. So we didn't get to explore all of the gardens. But you could easily spend a day there if you take your own food. If I lived in Albuquerque, it would be a regular spot to visit for me!