Day 7: Tucumcari NM to Santa Fe NM
Postcard from Santa Fe, New Mexico
“That day I was stranded in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico for hours after my car broke down and partly flooded during another impromptu heavy storm. In July.”
A true story to tell laughing around a dry, warm table, drinking wine with friends one day.
The tow truck guy that brought me to Albuquerque told me he has never seen so much rain in New Mexico. I believe him. Even the desert is greener than normal.
Not many of today’s 236 miles were on the historical route. I’ll make up for it tomorrow driving back a few miles on the Santa Fe loop with the replacement car. Not orthodox but who cares.
From now on it should be dry ( famous last words from the guy that just got drenched with rain walking back to the motel).
Driving from Tucumcari to Santa Fe Cheat Sheet
Accommodation in Santa Fe, NM
- Motel 6 Santa Fe, NM – Downtown, Cerrillos Road,646, Santa Fe, NM, 87505 an honest premises, walking distance from the city center.
Where to eat and what to see between Tucumcari, NM and Santa Fe, NM
- Tucumcari Trading Post sign, 1900 W Rte 66 Blvd, Tucumcari, NM 88401 Another iconic sign to remind you, you are not dreaming but you are actually driving the historic Route 66.
Driving from Tucumcari to Santa Fe FAQ
It depends on what route you take. The shortest way is 194 miles. The recommended route via the US 84 and the I-25 is 206 miles long. Due to the problem with my car I had to get a car replacement at Albuquerque airport meaning my route was 236 miles long.
it might take as little as 2 and half hours to drive from Tucumcari to Santa Fe. Given I was stranded for several hours, despite leaving early in the morning, I got to Santa Fe only pretty late at night.
The best thing about driving from Tucumcari to Santa Fe is that you are driving through the desert and all its incredible landscapes. It feels like being in one of these Breaking Bad episodes.
Santa Fe itself felt like being a pretty nice town, worth visiting. Due to my early morning incident I wasn’t really in the mood for exploring tho.
You can drive any car. That said the weather can be very unpredictable. The summer I drove the route 66 the New Mexico desert was flooded with rain.
Route 66 pictures: photos taken from Tucumcari to Santa Fe
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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