The Hidden Treasure of the De Anza Motor Lodge
Albuquerque citizens may recognize it as one of the last crumbling relics of the Route 66 hotel industry. Eagle-eyed fans of Breaking Bad may remember that it was the location where Walter White made a drug exchange while his wife went into labor. For me, it was a building I drove past every day on the way to and from work, the ideal creepy mid-century motel that would be ideal for urban exploration, were it not for the blatant security guard seated behind the high metal fence.
A question always plagued me – why would a deteriorating old motel have a security guard?
Turns out, like a plot out of a made-for-TV adventure movie, it’s because the old motel is housing a priceless artifact.
Built in 1939 by Charles Wallace, the former operator of a Zuni trading post, its basement contains seven huge murals depicting the Zuni pueblo’s sacred Shalako ceremony painted by Zuni artist Tony Edaakie. The murals are priceless and one-of-a-kind, and despite the motor lodge long being closed for business, have never been moved.
The lodge has since been renovated, now featuring a new hotel and apartment complex.
Sources: 1, 2
