The new Society for Commercial Archeology Journal (which I design) highlights the American Southwest in anticipation of two conferences set for in September. Both events are the same weekend in Albuquerque, New Mexico, near the historic intersection of the 17th-century El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro and US Route 66.
Preserving the Historic Road 2008
September 11-14
www.historicroads.org
The 6th Preserving the Historic Road conference offers a choice of 3 tours or a field session on the 11th, sessions at the historic Kimo Theatre and Hotel Albuquerque on the 12th such as “Reality and Myth-Building on Historic Highways,” “Lodging Challenges Along Historic Highways,” and “Before the Interstate: The Perpetuation of Indigenous Roads.” The 13th will have more sessions on bridges, trail traces, and historic corridors.
Click the logo to enlarge.
Southwest Detours
September 10-13, 2008
www.sca-roadside.org
The SCA’s conference will explore automobile tourism in the southwest, with paper sessions and tours:
Thursday, Sept. 11
Bus Tour along Route 66 to Gallup, NM
The tour to Gallup along Route 66 includes Dead Man’s Curve, neon signs in Grants (“Uranium City USA”), the Continental Divide, trading posts in Gallup, and lunch at the famous 1937 El Rancho Hotel (“Home of the Movie Stars”), built by the brother of movie mogul D.W. Griffith. (includes tour book and lunch)
Friday, Sept. 12
Symposium and Paper Sessions
Saturday, Sept. 13
Bus Tour to Mountainair and Socorro, New Mexico
The old Route 60 tour will include sites spanning over three centuries. It will take us along some of the oldest alignments of Route 66 in south Albuquerque, and include lunch in Mountainair at the Pop Shafer Hotel, Restaurant and Curio Shop, with a tour of Shaffer’s Rancho Bonito. Socorro highlights will include stops at a southwestern trading post, the old plaza, and a roadside produce stand during chili season!
Here are some roadside highlights in town that I snapped early one morning:
Though centered around Route 66, you’ll meet many Lincoln Highway fans and historians, and see amazing roadside attractions, trading posts, and restaurants (the Frontier is a must-stop).
Lincoln Highway News 