5 Score420 Stops Along the Way.

How New Mexico’s Friendly Neighborhood Plug is celebrating the centennial of America’s Mother Road.

On November 11, 2026, the road that built modern American travel turns 100 years old. Route 66 — the “Mother Road,” the “Main Street of America,” the highway John Steinbeck immortalized and Nat King Cole sang about — was officially commissioned exactly a century before, connecting Chicago to Santa Monica through eight states and roughly 2,448 miles of small towns, big skies, and dusty American dreams.

New Mexico has always been the beating heart of that story. The state holds some of the best-preserved stretches of the original Route 66 anywhere in the country. From the neon signs in Tucumcari to the trading posts of Gallup, from the old auto courts on 4th Street in Albuquerque to the vintage motels of Nob Hill, driving Route 66 through New Mexico is a genuine time-travel experience — the kind you can’t manufacture, can’t rebuild, and can’t fake.

We’re proud to sit right in the middle of that story.

Score420 has five locations directly on New Mexico’s Route 66 corridor — from Gallup near the Arizona border to four stops along Central Avenue and 4th Street in Albuquerque. That makes us the only cannabis retailer in New Mexico with a footprint across the entire NM stretch of the Mother Road. As the centennial approaches, we’re leaning into that geography in a big way — not because it’s a marketing hook, but because Route 66 is genuinely a part of who our stores are and where our customers live.

This is our 2026 Route 66 Centennial guide. Five stores. One highway. A hundred years of history. And a whole lot of ways to celebrate.

Why Route 66 matters to New Mexico

Route 66 wasn’t just a highway. When it was commissioned in 1926, it was the first major U.S. road to connect the eastern industrial heartland to the western frontier — and New Mexico sat at its geographic and cultural midpoint. In the 1930s, the road became the escape route for Dust Bowl refugees heading to California, immortalized in The Grapes of Wrath. In the 1940s, it carried military convoys and defense workers. In the 1950s and 60s, it became the vacation road, the road of neon-lit motels, chrome diners, and roadside attractions built to catch the eye of families with station wagons and Kodachrome film.

Then in 1985, the road was officially decommissioned. The Interstate Highway System had replaced it, and Route 66 was struck from the federal highway map. But something interesting happened next: instead of disappearing, Route 66 became a cultural landmark. Preservation societies formed. Small towns fought to keep their old alignments visible. Neon signs got restored. Travelers started deliberately seeking out the Mother Road, driving it not to get somewhere but to be somewhere.

New Mexico has been at the front of that preservation movement for decades. The stretch through our state includes the KiMo Theatre (1927, Pueblo Deco architecture, one of the most photographed buildings on the entire route), the historic Central Avenue neon corridor through Nob Hill, the pre-1937 alignment along 4th Street that most travelers don’t know about, the sacred landscapes near Laguna Pueblo and Acoma, and the westernmost NM stop at Gallup with its own century of trading post history.

We’re not exaggerating when we say driving Route 66 through New Mexico is a genuine national experience. And for the centennial year, it’s about to become one of the biggest travel destinations in America.

The Score420 stops on Route 66

For customers making the drive — whether you’re doing the full New Mexico stretch, hitting one iconic landmark, or living along the corridor and rediscovering your own backyard — here’s where you’ll find us.

Gallup — 1703 E Hwy 66. The westernmost Score420 on Route 66. Genuinely on the highway itself, next door to the historic trading post district and just a short drive from El Rancho Hotel, the legendary lodging where every Hollywood western star from John Wayne to Kirk Douglas stayed while filming the surrounding desert. If you’re driving east into New Mexico from Arizona, we’re your first Route 66 stop.

Old Town ABQ — 2125 Central Ave NW. Central Avenue is the post-1937 alignment of Route 66 through Albuquerque, and this store puts you a short walk from the KiMo Theatre, Old Town Plaza (300+ years of NM history), the Route 66 Diner, and the ABQ Museum. If you’re doing the Central Ave leg of Route 66, this is your anchor.

Nob Hill ABQ. The Nob Hill stretch of Central Avenue is arguably the most photogenic Route 66 corridor anywhere in America — restored neon signs, mid-century motels, and independent shops that survived the interstate era. Come at night to see it lit up.

East Central ABQ. The eastern end of the Central Avenue Route 66 corridor. Closest Score420 to the Sandia Peak Tramway (the world’s longest aerial tram), Tinkertown Museum, and the Sandia Mountains foothills. If you want to combine cannabis with elevation, this is your stop.

4th Street ABQ — 4603 4th St NW. The pre-1937 Route 66 alignment. Before Central Avenue was rerouted, Route 66 came into Albuquerque from the north down 4th Street. Most tourists don’t know this corridor exists. Locals do. So do we.

Each of these locations has its own personality, its own nearest landmarks, and its own reasons to visit during the centennial year. We’re publishing a dedicated guide for each one — five in total — where we walk through the history, the highlights, the food, the timing, and the strain recommendations for each stretch of road.

The Score420 Route 66 Passport

The centerpiece of our centennial celebration is the Score420 Route 66 Passport — a printed booklet you pick up at any of our stores throughout 2026 and get stamped when you visit each of the five Route 66 locations.

Complete all five stamps and you earn a limited-edition centennial gift bundle — details available in-store — plus recognition as one of only a handful of customers who’ve done the full New Mexico Route 66 Score420 tour.

The Passport also functions as a mini travel guide. Each store’s page includes the top 3 landmarks nearby, an itinerary suggestion, food and lodging recommendations, and a curated cannabis pairing from Score420’s actual menu — designed for whatever vibe that stop is known for.

Passports are free at any Score420 location. Grab one whenever you’re ready to start.

What we recommend for the road

A few notes on the cannabis side, since that’s why you know us.

Score420’s menu leans hard on New Mexico’s growing local cannabis industry. Some of the brands we’re proud to carry across all our locations, and which show up throughout our centennial recommendations:

Spaced Cannabis Co. — one of NM’s most consistent flower producers, known for popular strains like Sour Alien, Rainbow Sherbet, Cereal Milk, Chem Soda, Orange Creamsicle, Lemon Cake, and Cookie Pebbles. If you want a NM-grown flower experience, Spaced is one of the easiest recommendations we make.

Animas Cannabis — clean, potent flower and expertly rolled pre-rolls. Named after the Animas River in northwestern NM. When you’re doing a driving day and want a reliable pre-roll for the evening, Animas is a strong pick.

Fligh — trusted for flavorful, smooth vape cartridges and disposables. Perfect road-trip format because they’re pocket-sized, discreet, and don’t require a grinder or a lighter.

Oria — vegan-friendly, live rosin-infused gummies. When edibles are the right choice (which is most of the time for scenic overlooks, tram rides, and museum visits where lighting up isn’t practical), Oria gets our recommendation.

Urban Wellness — a New Mexico favorite, delivering premium flower and concentrates with local roots. Solid across the board.

Cure Injoy and Joyibles — additional NM edibles options with strong followings. Cure Injoy leans toward the wellness end (topicals, tinctures, ratio products). Joyibles hits the recreational-gummy sweet spot.

Beyond the local brand lineup, a few Score420 specifics you’ll want to know for your Route 66 planning:

4 pre-rolls for $20. Our mix-and-match pre-roll deal is a road-trip staple. Grab four different strains — one sativa for the morning drive, one hybrid for lunch, one indica for the sunset spot, one wildcard — and you’ve got the full day covered.

Tax-inclusive pricing. New Mexico charges 14% excise tax plus gross receipts tax on adult-use cannabis. Most dispensaries add those at checkout. Score420 includes them in the sticker price — so what you see on the shelf is what you pay at the register. Makes budgeting a road trip a lot easier.

Late hours. Most of our locations stay open until 11 PM, some later. If you’re catching a sunset at Sandia Peak or driving in from out of state on a long day, we’re one of the few places you can still stop after everyone else closes.

Loyalty program. $1 spent = 1 point. 100 points = $10 off. If you’re doing the full five-store Passport tour, you’ll rack up rewards while you’re at it.

Cannabis laws for Route 66 travelers

Since we’re expecting a lot of centennial-year travelers, a quick refresher on New Mexico cannabis regulations:

• 21+ with a valid government-issued photo ID to purchase.
• Adult purchase limits: 2 oz of flower, 16g of extract, or 800mg of edibles per transaction. That’s plenty for a road trip.
• Out-of-state IDs work fine at any Score420 location, as long as they show you’re 21+.
• Consumption is prohibited in public places. That includes state parks, roadside pull-offs, national monuments, and the highway itself. Consume on private property with the owner’s consent, in your legal accommodation, or in one of the growing number of licensed consumption lounges.
• Never drive high. This should go without saying but we’ll say it anyway. If you’re going to consume, plan your accommodation and consume there. Every itinerary recommendation we make in our guides is built around this principle.

If you’re traveling from a state where cannabis is still illegal, do NOT take your purchases across state lines. Federal law still prohibits interstate cannabis transportation, even between two legal states. Consume during your trip or leave it behind.

The road ahead

Over the next several months, we’re publishing a series of guides that go deep on each Score420 Route 66 location. Each one includes:

• The history of that stretch of the road
• Can’t-miss landmarks within easy reach
• Restaurants and stops that predate the centennial (some by decades)
• Cannabis timing considerations for each activity
• Strain and product recommendations pulled from Score420’s actual menu
• Insider tips from budtenders who live along the corridor

We’ll also be releasing our Route 66 Passport in-store, hosting events throughout 2026 at each of the five locations, and partnering with local Route 66 preservation groups and NM tourism to celebrate the centennial the way it deserves.

Whether you’re a lifelong New Mexican who’s driven Central Avenue a thousand times, a first-time visitor doing the full Mother Road pilgrimage, or a Route 66 obsessive who’s been counting down to November 11, 2026 for years — we’ve got a stop for you.

Grab a Passport at any Score420 location. Start with whichever stretch of the road you’re closest to. And let’s celebrate 100 years of the highway that built modern America together.

Score420 is New Mexico’s Friendly Neighborhood Plug — 11 locations statewide, 5 of them directly on historic Route 66. Adult use, 21+ with ID. Tax-inclusive pricing at every register. Please consume responsibly.