Though it’s not exactly scenic, Gallup (pop. 20,209) is a fascinating place. Founded in 1881 when the Santa Fe Railroad first rumbled through, and calling itself “The Gateway to Indian Country” because it’s the largest town near the huge Navajo and other Native American reservations of the Four Corners region, Gallup has some of the Southwest’s largest trading posts and one of the best strips of neon signs you’ll see anywhere on old Route 66.
For travelers intent on experiencing a little of the charms of old Route 66, Gallup also has El Rancho ($50 and up; 505/863-9311), at 1000 E. Route 66, a delightful old hotel lovingly restored to its 1930s glory. Built by a brother of movie director D. W. Griffiths, El Rancho feels like a national park lodge, with a large but welcoming lobby dominated by a huge stone fireplace. All the rooms in the old wing are named for the movie stars who have stayed here over the years—the W. C. Fields Room, the John Wayne Room, the Marx Brothers Room (which sleeps six), even the Ronald Reagan Room—and signed glossies of these and many more actors and actresses adorn the halls. El Rancho also has a good restaurant serving regional food, and a gift shop selling souvenirs and locally crafted jewelry, pottery, and rugs.
In the heart of historic downtown, the old Santa Fe train depot (still in use by Amtrak), houses the Gallup Cultural Center (505/863-4131) at 201 E. Route 66; free dance shows are staged here nightly in summer, next to a statue of a WW II Navajo “Code Talker.” Another place worth spending some time is Richardson’s Cash Pawn and Trading Post (505/722-4762), at 222 W. Route 66. Family-run since 1913, this busy but friendly space is crammed to the rafters with arts, crafts, and pawned goods—Navajo rugs and jewelry, ornately tooled leather saddles, pearl-inlaid guitars, and more—that give a better sense of local lifestyles (and all their ups and downs) than any museum ever could. For a taste of this real-life Wild West, stop by the Eagle Cafe next door.
