Historic Pre-1937 Route 66 Drive South of Albuquerque

In 2026, Route 66 turns 100, and the New Mexico Chapter of the BMW CCA will mark the Centennial with a special drive tracing one of the Mother Road’s earliest alignments south of Albuquerque. This tour follows the pre-1937 Route 66, highlighting a chapter of New Mexico highway history that was largely bypassed when the road was realigned.

We will meet at the historic Gutierrez Hubbell House (6029 Isleta Blvd SW, Albuquerque) on old Route 66 at 10:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to arrive early and enjoy time at the museum as we gather. From there, we’ll depart as a group and follow Historic Route 66 south to Los Lunas, traveling the same roadway motorists used during Route 66’s earliest years.

Our first leg takes us along Historic Route 66 (NM 314) to Los Lunas, where we’ll stop for lunch at Teofilo’s Restaurante, a registered State Landmark on old Route 66.  After lunch, we’ll continue west, following the original Route 66 alignment (NM 6) toward the Rio Puerco bridge. This bridge opened the Laguna Cutoff to transcontinental traffic thereby enabling the realignment of Route 66 and effectively ended the use of the older southern route. We’ll conclude the drive with a group photo opportunity near the original bridge before heading home.

Because lunch arrangements require a headcount, please RSVP below by Thursday, February 19, 2026.