Route 66 View, New Mexico. There is a part of me that yearns to live this way. Close to the land, with the wilderness in my backyard. In fact, this appeals to me more than wealth. I have the nagging sense that this simple New Mexico vista is closer to what life should be. This image was captured near Budville, New Mexico (if my memory serves me well) along the old Route 66. It is a Native American community on the outskirts of one of the pueblos in the area. One of my favorite weekend pastimes (during my years spent in Albuquerque, NM) was to trace the old Route 66 from Albuquerque to Grants, looking for interesting subjects to photograph. This photos was captured near sunset on a February afternoon.

Camera: Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit lens. All photos by Donald Peterson, Newark1 Web Design Portfolio

Antique Car, Route 66, New Mexico. This photo shows an antique Ford in front of an equally decrepit gas pump in Moriarty, New Mexico. This view is seen along a stretch of Route 66 that cuts through this small town. I remember two things about Moriarty. One is great old vehicles (like this one) and the other is snakes. I got out of my car to get closer to an old abandoned barn for a photo and saw three to four snakes in the tall wet grass as I approached the barn. That was more than I’ve seen in all of New Mexico during my three years here. Not knowing much about snakes, that was my cue to get back to the car . . . speedily. Like much of New Mexico, the people of Moriarty were very friendly, and will share a bit of Route 66 tall tales at the drop of a hat.

This photo was tweaked and edited with Photoshop filters.

Route 66 Shack In Blue. This scene was captured along the old Route 66 near Acoma (Sky City), New Mexico. I had spent the afternoon tracing Old Route 66 from Albuquerque to Grants. It was just after a brief rainstorm. The sky was clearing rapidly, leaving behind cleanly scented air, and this wonderful blue/cyan sky. This old shack, a remnant of the old Route 66, was awash with the gentle watercolors of this delightful early evening. If you take away the casinos, these rural stretches of New Mexico remain timeless. I still smile when I reflect on the amazing experiences I enjoyed during my three years of residence in New Mexico. For a hopelessly urbane New Yorker, this was a living dream. Being in this place, at this moment, was better than any movie!

Camera: Nikon D40, 18-55mm kit lens.

Route 66 Roadster. This photo shows a highly stylized depiction of a group of parked classic roadsters found along the old Route 66 that courses through downtown Albuquerque, New Mexico. Now known as Central Avenue, this portion of Route 66, especially in the Nob Hill district, retains much of the architectural style that was popular during the era of “The Mother Road.”

Original photo was captured with a Pentaz *ist DS, and edited using a variety of effect plugins in Photoshop.

Route 66, New Mexico. My friend, this is when driving becomes adventure, tracing the remnants of old Route 66 in New Mexico between Albuquerque and Grants. What wonderful memories I have of stunningly beautiful big New Mexico skies, and a countryside filled with quiet pockets of history and cultural antiquities. Tracing Route 66 can be a bit of a challenge because it is not clearly marked and some parts are now dirt roads that wash out during storms. However, the small towns are humble and charming with remnants of the old Mother Road culture sprinkled throughout. I do miss this!

Getting lost in New Mexico is fun! Except when you’re driving alone, in the middle of wilderness that goes on as far as the eye can see, and darkness is fast approaching. I captured this image of a wild horse during one such escapade while trying to follow the old Route 66 between Albuquerque and Grants, New Mexico. I was on what I thought was Route 66 for about ten miles when it suddenly turned into a dusty dirt road in the middle of a flat expanse of land with no discernible landmarks. There were no signs or lights, and it was getting dark. It gets pitch black out here, and this is snake country I began to tell myself. However, no fear is so great that it stops me from whipping out my camera when a photo opp occurs! Ar first, I thought that this may be a wild horse, but I am not sure. I could have been on private property for all I know. It may have been ranch land, given the fact that a cow was wandering free in the background (and looking at me like he knows I’m lost). Anyhow, I took the shot, kept driving and found a crossroad about 5 miles down that lead me to the Interstate. Yea! Good times!

This was captured handheld with a Pentax K100d with Shake Reduction (SR) and the Pentax 55-200mm lens.