Day 8: Santa Fe NM to Gallup NM
Postcard from Gallup, New Mexico
As planned I took the Route 66 eastbound to catch up with what I missed yesterday (not much in reality) before heading back west towards Albuquerque for a Breaking Bad nostalgia stop and from there further west to Gallup on the external border of the Navajo Nation. It added up to a monster 429 miles. Too much in one day.
From Albuquerque onwards, right after the city borders, the landscape became that familiar, wild, fierce, uninhabited desert, seen in uncountable films and tv series: burned ground, sparse, scattered vegetation, long never-ending roads and an unreal spectacular sky. Like a movie.
Remind to self: sunscreen. Ouch.
Driving from Santa Fe to Gallup Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Gallup, NM
- Red Roof Inn Gallup, 3304 West Highway 66, Gallup, NM, 87301 A clean and safe option whenever in Gallup.
Where to eat and what to see between Santa Fe, NM and Gallup, NM
- Walter White house, 3828 Piermont Dr NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111. A must-go place if like me you are a Breaking Bad fan. Fun fact: the current owner had to build a fence to avoid tourists reliving that famous scene where Walter throws a pizza on his roof. Lol.
- Virgie’s Restaurant & Lounge, 2720 W Historic Highway 66 Gallup, NM 87301 a couple of minutes off the highway decent place with friendly service and fresh Mexican food.
Driving from Santa Fe to Gallup FAQ
From Santa Fe to Gallup there are 200 miles. I took the Route 66 eastbound to catch up w ending up driving 429 miles
You can get from Santa Fe to Gallup in 3 hours. Due to a large detour and a few stops for pictures and such, it took me almost 9 hours.
The best thing about driving from Gallup to Bluff is that you are driving through the desert and all its incredible landscapes. It feels like being in one of these Breaking Bad episodes.
I know it might sound stupid but (aside from the incredible experience of driving in the desert), visiting these Breaking Bad locations, including Walter White house, was pretty cool and probably the highlight of this leg.
Any car would do it. The roads are 100% paved and in great conditions.
Route 66 pictures: photos taken from Santa Fe to Gallup
My itinerary on the Route 66
- Route 66 the ultimate American road trip
- Day 1: Chicago to Springfield
- Day 2: Springfield to Cuba
- Day 3: Cuba to Carthage
- Day 4: Carthage to Oklahoma City
- Day 5: Oklahoma City to Amarillo
- Day 6: Amarillo to Tucumcari
- Day 7: Tucumcari to Santa Fe
- Day 8: Santa Fe to Gallup
- Day 9: Gallup to Bluff
- Day 10: Bluff to Chambers
- Day 11: Chambers to Sedona
- Day 12: Sedona to Kingman
- Day 13: Kingman to Barstow
- Day 14: Barstow to Santa Monica
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