Folks, I am going to be doing a cross country RV vacation with my 5th wheel this year culminating in a visit to the Albuquerque NM ballon fest. Are there some places between NC and NM that have museums (car and other) hot rod shops, vendors, or anything car related that a hot rod person might enjoy while on this trip. I'll be hitting the touristy parts anyway (wife insists on that!) but just wondered what other car related things you guys may have enjoyed. Making my own schedule so I am open to short side trips or diversions off the normal route. I expect to be traveling a southern route. Suggestions appreciated. Gordon
My wife and I took a trip to Chattanooga, TN in November of 2019. I enjoyed walking through Honest Charley's Speed-shop and Museum.
The balloon fiesta is October 1 - 9 this year. https://www.visitalbuquerque.org/event/albuquerque-international-balloon-fiesta®-2022/39751/
Hey G, While in Albuquerque NM, a must stop over and sight seeing is the Old Town section of the city. It is still in a different era from the hustle and bustle of modern Albuquerque. The buildings look as if they were built to last and here they are still around. photo by Vnak San Felipe de Neri Church in Old Town My wife and I did a driving tour of the whole Southwest ending up in the OKC to see her old birthplace and homes they lived in back in those days. It was hot, dry and, well, very hot. We were glad to be in an A/C car/hotel room when we were depleted from walking around and dining in old town. Remember, it was not the pandemic era and we were all doing what most traveling couples do, visiting shops, old, historic structures, experiencing great food in the various dining establishments. No fast food outlets for us… the local dining scene was pretty good on its own. There were plenty of old cars and again, the most seen were old trucks that looked as if they are still in the daily "working phase" of their lives. Jnaki The main attraction was the Old Town and weather. It was nice just to sit in the shade and watch the movement and shadows that are created from the hot sun. Cold drinks and shade were important for us. Down in the wooded dry river area, the Rio Grande, that winds through Western areas of Albuquerque, the sun created its own power by setting some dry brush on fire. It could be seen from the tall hotels in any part of city. Just remember that these days, it is the pandemic and all that is restricted. So, be safe and stay safe. Perhaps, another later date is necessary. Those events and places have been around for ages and will still be there when this pandemic is officially over. My wife and I had plans to go back to the OKC one more time with specific addresses and locations that we found in some new/old files. They were not with us back when we visited the area the first time. But, we know those old houses are still there and have been around since my wife was a little girl growing up in the OKC. They will still be there when it is safe to travel. Even the NM great balloon event will still be the big attraction back then, and into the future. By the way, it is a 3 plus hour drive South to Roswell, NM through the normal dry brush area. Roswell has its followers, but had it not been for the Military Institute located there (my wife’s dad’s old school), we would not have ventured there. Despite the notoriety, the place is not for all of us to visit. YRMV
It looks like all the "reasonable" routes pass thru Amarillo, TX and put you on I-40 the rest of the way into Albuquerque. Old route 66 runs parallel to I-40 thru western OK, the Texas panhandle and into Albuquerque. Actually, some parts of old route 66 were swallowed up by I-40. Consider a few diversions to follow old Rt-66. Get a good tour book, there are parts of old Rt-66 that I would not want to navigate with a 5th wheel RV dangling behind. The traditional photo opportunity, Shamrock, TX (east of Amarillo) between Exits 164 and 161 (easy access and straight through town). My name sake, McLean, TX between Exits 143 and 141. A rather depressing view of what happens when the railroads jobs go away (passing of the steam train era) and then the Interstate bypasses the town. Lewis Antique Auto and Toy Museum, Moriarty, NM at Exit 197 No website - a Link: https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/49658 Note: The Model A belongs to @winduptoy And another note: My trip to Lead Ain't Dead was just after Labor Day 2020. It snowed in Albuquerque. Russ
Go by and see Bob Owens in Wellington, TX. Ask for the grand tour, you won’t be sorry. https://www.owenssalvage.com/ Tell @FLAT-TOP BOB Roothawg sent you. it’s just a few miles south of the filling station in Shamrock,TX.
Russels truck stop east of Albuquerque on I40 has a neat little auto museum and a collection of lots o other shtuff. Ifin ya gotta get fuel, its worth the stop.
I will make one suggestion. Stay in the campground at the balloon festival. I went one time and we watched the festival from the interstate. It’s over in like an hour. Don’t be like me and have to watch it from the shoulder with 100k other people. After the balloon festival, you’ll be thinking “what can we do now, it’s only 8 am?” Go check out Santa Fe. Try and figure this one out. It’s an engineering marvel. https://journeymapped.com/2020/06/m...-staircase-at-the-loretto-chapel-in-santa-fe/
IF (and that's a big if) the HR Hill Climb is on this year, I don't think you could find a better hot rod related thing/event you could go to. It's always towards the end of September, so before the Balloon Fiesta. Would be a lot more than a short side trip and you'd have to work your way North from 40 at Amarillo to 25.....but getting back to Albuquerque is 25 straight back down from Denver. If you're out here in the area, in September, you owe it to yourself. If you haven't been to the Fiesta before, traffic is a monster....especially for the morning mass ascensions. You don't want to be on 25 north of town to get to the park, if you can avoid it. Of course it depends on where your campsite is. You'll love it....one of those things that pics don't do it justice....you have to be there. Been going to it for over 30 years....never gets old.
This is great guys! I am leaving NC the 18th or 19th of Sept. I planned on heading through the Dallas area. I have been to Chattanooga and to Cokers and Honest Charlies. I wanted to do Bonneville but we have reservations for the whole month of August up in New England so I will have to work on that but the other stuff looks like a possible. The wife and I like to wander around small town centers and see things. Looks like Balloon Fest and the Shades of the Past are the same time period so that won't work but a good idea anyway. Did some of 66 last time we were at the Balloon Fest. I'll be towing a 41 foot RV and another couple is coming with their 28 foot trailer so things like access are important. Salvage companies would work out just fine for both of us! Even campgrounds that you think would be worth stopping at would help. Keep em coming. I can build up a hit list from this info. Thanks! Roothawg we have reservations at the campground right at the field!
I see you are headed through the Dallas area. Although maybe not the easiest to maneuver with an RV AND a couple hundred miles north of Dallas, but we will have a couple hundred pre-73 cars driving around the central Oklahoma two lanes the weekend after you head out on September 24th. We don’t have any final plans at all yet where we are headed, but if that interests you at all, you could check out www.hotrodhundred.com for more details when it gets closer. We may try to hit some cool hot rod related stops this year such as a shop or collection as well. Not sure yet...
Sounds like a fun trip. IMHO the best trips are the unplanned ones. Trying catch a bunch of places in between can be hectic and can make it seem like a business trip. If ya have to be some where on a specific day leave a few days early or see if the destination arrangements are flexible. I found out the best part of the trip is the journey and the little surprises along the way. I realize this probably won’t work with another trailer going along but your post brought back some fond memories. We had to lay over for a night in a VERY small town in Canada for a day because we had time to kill. It was one of the highlights of the trip.
LOL….I do like the occasional highway when on the bike. Around our way the back roads can be a bit sluggish.
Heading west out in Midland Texas is the Permian Basin Oil Museum that has ALL of the Jim Hall Chapparel cars in it. All but one are still in race ready condition (it was wrecked). A few miles south of the museum is Rattlesnake Raceway, a track Hall built to test his cars on and his shops. Monohans State Park is nearby if you need a place to park for a day or two. Lots of sand dunes and rattle snakes !!
More cool stuff guys thanks! My schedule is my own and the other couple with us is retired as well so side trips or delaying if worth it is definitely doable. We really don't have a commitment other than to be at the Balloon Fest RV park on time. I love back roads as well but probably not going to venture too far off main roads as I need a football field to turn this rig around and I have a 13' 6" clearance overhead.
Museum of Automobiles, Morrilton Arkansas, not far off I-40 on Petit Jean Mountain. Petit Jean State Park is also there on the mountain (All kinds of RV hookups, etc). https://www.museumofautos.com/ https://www.arkansasstateparks.com/parks/petit-jean-state-park
if you come through peoria il. there is the "wheels o time" museum. they have a decent old car collection along with a steam locomotive and attendant cars , fire trucks and farm/earthmoving eqpt. and a couple planes.
I'll probably get "burnt at the stake" for suggesting this................... Forget Hotrods while on vacation, and step out of your comfort zone. Learn to stop and savoir the moment with the scenery, meet some of the locals etc. [America is a beautiful place if you're looking for it] Hotrods will always be there when you vacation is over.
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