Albuquerque NM

Albuquerque, New Mexico – A Sweet & Savory Stop

Our stop in Albuquerque brought us face to face with the Lumberjack Man—yes, a giant one! From there, we headed to the iconic 66 Diner, a retro-style diner that used to be an old gas station. It's now a tribute to classic Americana and Route 66 nostalgia.

We split a juicy, all-beef, old-fashioned American hamburger with fries—absolutely delicious. But the real mission? The banana split. We split the burger just to save room for it… but turns out, our eyes were bigger than our stomachs. We couldn’t finish it, and with the desert heat, taking leftover ice cream wasn’t exactly an option.

The diner itself was full of character—over 1,000 PEZ dispensers lined the place, bringing a colorful blast from the past.On the back wall was a huge Route 66 map showing all the states the road winds through, complete with time zone clocks. After crossing three time zones so far, we’ve only got one left to go. The clocks definitely came in handy to keep in touch with friends and family back home.

There was even a hopscotch in the middle of the restaurant, it was fun watching the kids, they all had to hop a little.

While in Albuquerque, we witnessed one of the most breathtaking sunsets of the trip — a golden sky framing the futuristic silhouette of the Aluminum Yucca sculpture, crafted from salvaged F-14 military parts. It was a surreal and beautiful tribute to resilience and creativity. But just a short distance away, we found hordes of homeless people sleeping everywhere.The shift in scenery was jarring and heartbreaking. It was a moment that reminded us that beauty and hardship often live side by side — and that every stop on this journey tells more than one story.

Another memorable stop on the Mother Road. Let’s see what’s next.