Gallup is a long, thin town squeezed between red sandstone cliffs and the railroad tracks, on the old line of Route 66 in northwestern New Mexico. It sits at about 2,000 metres, with a dry, high-desert climate and a landscape of mesas and pale grassland, and it is known as the Indian Capital of the World, since it serves as a trading centre for the Navajo, Zuni and Hopi nations. Galleries and trading posts in town sell turquoise jewellery, woven rugs and pottery, and the quality of the work is high, though prices reflect that.
Route 66 runs straight through the middle of Gallup, along the main street, past neon signs and old motels, one of which, the El Rancho, was built in the 1930s and hosted movie stars during the days when Westerns were filmed in the red rock country. The hotel's lobby is full of signed photographs and a wide staircase. The town is also famous for the Navajo code talkers, who used their language as an unbreakable code in the Pacific in the Second World War, and a memorial in town honours them.
For riders, the old highway is the attraction, between Santa Fe in the east and Winslow, Arizona, in the west. The stretch around Gallup is high desert, with long straights, big skies and the occasional sweeping bend where the road slips between mesas. Interstate 40 now carries most of the traffic, and the old road survives in segments, some well paved and some rough. Wind is a regular feature, and storms, with hail and flash floods, appear quickly in July and August. Winter nights are cold, and snow and ice are possible, but daytime skies are usually clear.
Gallup is a town of more than twenty thousand, so fuel, food and repairs are readily available, and you will find plenty of motels. Services between towns can be far apart, with Church Rock and Twin Lakes small and limited, so fill the tank whenever you are in a large place. Navajo tacos, fry bread topped with beans, meat and cheese, are a local favourite and a filling lunch.
Take time to look at the Native American arts, buy only from reputable sellers, and consider an evening at one of the old motels, with its neon glow.