New Mexico is a state that I frequently drive through. Usually it is only along the interstate highways with a specific destination in mind. Other times, however, I like spending time on the backcountry roads seeking other destinations or just enjoying the natural scenery unique to New Mexico. It is also on the backroads or even just off the interstates in smaller towns that I frequently find older areas left behind by modern change.
Many small towns along lonely highways once served travelers with filling stations, motels, and local restaurants. Service stations once offered not only gasoline but likely had mechanics who could fix a flat, a broken fan belt, or a leaking radiator hose. Motels offered weary travelers rooms for a night’s sleep. Local cafes served up their own specialties of breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Virtually all are gone now, giving way to travel stations, multi-story chain hotels, and fast food restaurants along the more traveled interstate highways.
It is in these shells of now long abandoned businesses that I find fascinating targets for photography. For each one I find, I often try to imagine what something looked like when it once thrived. Every one of them undoubtedly has its own story to tell. Stories of the people who once owned them, worked in them, and ultimately saw them fail. Whether due to inexorable change or bad business choices, they offer a snapshot in time. Hopefully the images in this Backroads New Mexico Gallery capture a glimpse of some of what once was. I will hopefully add more as I continue to explore more backroads.