Day 9: El Rancho, “Home of the Movie Stars”
Once we reached Gallup, we checked into the “famous” El Rancho, which refers to itself as “Home of the Movie Stars”. El Rancho is one of the surviving wonders of the original Route 66. It was first opened in 1937, and served as the “homebase” for many of the movies filmed in this area in the 1940s and 50s. Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Mae West, and Burt Lancaster are just a few of the stars that purportedly stayed here and left photo/autographs when they left. Now, the hotel rooms are named for the legends that slept within them. The interior of the lobby features a spiraling staircase, mounted animal heads, Navajo rugs, and a many of the beforementioned photographs.
El Rancho is no longer the home of movie stars. It is instead full of people who would not be mistaken for movie stars in the darkest of bars after the strongest of drinks—surly motorcycle gang members, and a smattering of middle-American families with fathers who sport mullets and aviator sunglasses. And us, of course. We had a disappointing and honestly just gross dinner at the El Rancho restaurant before retiring to sleep. We are excited to head out for the Grand Canyon early tomorrow morning.
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