Home on the Road

Community Storytelling on Route 66

With 18 miles of wonder and countless angles to explore, Route 66 is a treasure trove of stories, thanks to the hardworking storytellers, dreamers and doers that call the Mother Road “home”. Here in Albuquerque, the magic of Route 66 weaves together tales across time, beautifully intertwined with the lives of everyone who lives along this storied highway. Each personal story adds a unique chapter to Albuquerque’s rich heritage, inviting us to celebrate the community of Albuquerque’s Route 66 one page at a time. Join us as we spotlight some perspectives that make Albuquerque’s Route 66 unforgettable, as told by the people who cherish it most.

How will you write your Route 66 story?

Meet Shelle Sanchez

City of Albuquerque, Arts & Culture

As director of the City of Albuquerque’s Department of Arts and Culture, Dr. Shelle Sanchez has had an integral role in preparing the city for the Route 66 Centennial and planning exciting events and activations to mark the milestone. In this interview, Shelle shares her personal thoughts on the Mother Road and its impact on her life.

Continued →

Meet T im Keller

Mayor of Albuquerque

Born and raised in Albuquerque, Tim Keller is Albuquerque’s 30th mayor. Previously serving as the state auditor for New Mexico and representing the 17th district in the New Mexico State Senate, Keller became mayor in 2017.

Continued →

Meet Alicia Romero

Albuquerque Museum

Dr. Alicia Romero, curator of history at the Albuquerque Museum since 2023, was born and raised in Albuquerque, but her ancestral roots trace back to northern New Mexico.

She graduated from the University of New Mexico with bachelor’s and master’s degrees and journeyed off to the Golden State to write her Ph.D. dissertation on Barelas – the storied neighborhood south of Downtown Albuquerque. Afterward, Alicia served as Head Curator at the New Mexico History Museum in Santa Fe before joining the Albuquerque Museum team.

Continued →

Meet Mona Ghattas

Duran Central Pharmacy

Mona Ghattas, RPh., President of Duran Central Pharmacy since 2010.

Duran Central Pharmacy (known by locals as “Duran’s”) opened in 1942 as a drugstore and soda fountain by Old Town resident Pete Duran, a pharmacist. In 1965, Pete Duran retired and sold the pharmacy to his staff pharmacist, Robert Ghattas.

Since then, Duran’s has moved up and down Route 66 in West Downtown, landing in its current location at 1815 Central Ave NW in 1975 – as Mona puts it:

“Duran’s starts on Central and will end on Central”.

Continued →

Meet Kei Tsuzuki

Kei & Molly Textiles

Kei Tsuzuki is the owner of Kei & Molly Textiles, a socially-minded business dedicated to creating high-quality, ethical kitchen goods. The studio was co-founded with Molly Luethi in 2010, and while Molly has since retired, the duo’s shared creative vision lives on. Their most popular products are their screen-printed dish towels, practical and colorful gifts that you can pack in your suitcase for any adventure.

“Our gift shop is top-notch. We get visitors from all over to see our Mothership – that’s what we call the studio where you can see and buy all of our designs in one place!”

Continued →

Meet Dan Mourning

EXPO New Mexico

Dan Mourning is the General Manager of Expo New Mexico and the New Mexico State Fair. The New Mexico State Fair is the only State Fair in the country to take place directly on Route 66. Each year, Expo New Mexico welcomes nearly 2 million visitors with over 500,000 of those attending the Fair.

Continued →

Meet Georgia Michael

KiMo Theatre

Georgia Michael is the current manager of the historic KiMo Theatre, a Pueblo Deco performing arts theater established in 1926 by Italian entrepreneur Oreste Bachechi.

Continued →

Meet Audra Bellmore

UNM Center for Southwest Research

Dr. Bellmore is a professor at the Center for Southwest Research (CSWR), affiliated with Museum Studies. She is the Endowed Curator of the John Gaw Meem Archives of Southwestern Architecture at the CSWR. The Center is home to numerous Route 66 archival materials, from the J.B. Jackson Pictorial Collection to the original Zeon Files Collection.

Continued →

days

hours

minutes

seconds

Until the

Home on the Road

Community Storytelling on Route 66

City of Albuquerque, Arts & Culture

Mayor of Albuquerque

Albuquerque Museum

Duran Central Pharmacy

Kei & Molly Textiles

EXPO New Mexico

KiMo Theatre

UNM Center for Southwest Research

the National Kickoff Event