On Saturday, February 21, 2026, the BMW Car Club of America New Mexico Chapter celebrated the Route 66 Centennial with a memorable drive along the pre-1937 alignment of America’s Mother Road south of Albuquerque. Before 1937, Route 66 followed a sweeping Santa Fe Loop that carried travelers north from Santa Rosa to Santa Fe, down La Bajada Hill into Albuquerque, and then south toward Los Lunas following the Santa Fe Railroad tracks and crossing the Rio Puerco before turning northeast toward Laguna. That changed when NM Governor Arthur Hannett championed a more direct route through Tijeras Canyon, and with the creation of the steel truss bridge over the Rio Puerco near what is now the Route 66 Casino, reshaped Route 66 and the communities along it.
Thirty eight participants gathered at the historic Gutierrez Hubbell House on old Route 66 (NM 313) in Albuquerque’s South Valley. Built in the mid 1850s and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the adobe hacienda once welcomed Route 66 travelers to their store and now serves as a museum and cultural center. As we arrived, we were greeted with warm hospitality, the soft sound of live banjo music drifting through the courtyard, and the anticipation of a day spent exploring New Mexico history from behind the wheel of our BMWs. A volunteer from the Gutierrez Hubbell House Alliance led an engaging tour that brought the property’s stories to life.
From there, the line of BMWs set out along old Route 66 toward Teofilo’s Restaurante, a registered State Landmark located across from the Luna Mansion in Los Lunas, NM. Built in 1899 by Dr. W. F. Wittwer, Los Lunas’ first doctor, the restaurant welcomed our group with generous hospitality and plates of traditional New Mexican cuisine that quickly disappeared amid lively conversation.
After lunch, we enjoyed a spirited drive along the quiet stretch of former Route 66 (NM 6), heading toward the historic Rio Puerco bridge. With open road ahead and the Sandias in the distance, it was easy to imagine yourself in another era while still enjoying the precision and performance of your BMW. The bridge stands as a reminder of the engineering and political decisions that ended the pre-1937 Route 66 alignment south of Albuquerque and ushered in a new chapter for the Mother Road.
The day blended scenic driving, local history, and genuine camaraderie. It was the kind of experience that defines our Chapter: sharing the road, discovering hidden stories, and creating new memories together. If you have not yet joined us for a drive, picture yourself in the driver’s seat of your BMW on the next one. There is always another stretch of road waiting to be explored.
