Los Angeles to Joplin – Porsche Style, Day 2

Leaving Phoenix eastbound, US 60 becomes the 12 lane Superstition Freeway.

But lanes soon disappear over several eastbound miles. Old US 60 emerges from the sprawl, intact and well marked, just past Apache Junction, east of Phoenix.

US 60 from Phoenix to Miami and Globe is 4 lane divided highway until Florence Junction where it narrows to a well maintained two lane highway. The mountains ahead were looming larger as greater Phoenix simultaneously faded in my rear view mirror.

Miami and Globe are mining towns. Massive mine tailings and slag heaps spoke silent volumes about how Miami and Globe helped build America.

Miami and Globe are also, at over 6,000 feet, mountain towns. The thin air took its toll on my trip-loaded 912. So I just slowed down, drove up most grades in 3d or 2nd (a couple of times) gear and enjoyed the spectacular scenery.

US 60 east of Globe climbs into some spectacular canyon vistas highlighted by the Black River Gorge and Cerro Montoso Pass at 7,550 feet elevation just west of Springerville.

Snow from a few days before was still heavy on the north sides of the mountains and highway cuts. The weather was threatening that more snow could be on the way in a few hours.

High altitude driving continued eastbound over the AZ/NM state line about 14 miles east of Springerville and to the Continental Divide. The tiny community of Pie Town NM hosts this geographical landmark at 7,796 feet elevation. Light snow flurries had begun but the highway was safe and the scenery was spectacular.

Continuing eastbound, a spectacular sight (better seen in the Jodie Foster movie “Contact”) just south of US 60 between the tiny communities of Datil and Magdalena NM is the Very Large Array Radio Telescope Complex (VLA) . VLA was designed as a single unit consisting of 27 individual radio antenna disks, each 82 feet (25 meters) in diameter, making VLA the largest and most powerful radio telescope in the world. VLA has a Visitor Center and Museum, helping make it a stop worth making.

From Socorro NM US 60 and I-25 are co-signed for about 28 miles traveling north toward Albuquerque. There were no heavy truck lane restrictions. I felt safer on US 60.

I soon left I-25 and continued eastward on US 60 south of Albuquerque. My stop that night was the tiny community of Mountainair NM, one of the highlights of my trip.

Mountainair is home to the Shaffer Hotel , only one block off US 60. The Shaffer was built in 1923, is on the National Registry of Historical Hotels of the 1920’s and has been recently remodeled and modernized. It was a treasure worth seeing.

When I arrived at about 7:00 p.m. it was very dark, very cold and snowing outside. But there was a large leather couch in front of a warming fire in the lobby’s huge fireplace. Managers John and Karen Cate, aided by April and Norma at the Front Desk, helped me feel instantly at home. I slept well that cold, snowy night at the historic Shaffer Hotel in Mountainair, New Mexico.