Two-lane U.S. 60 rolls east of Interstate 25, past Pop Shaffer's 1927 folk-art-embellished hotel in Mountainair and then beyond, where the landscape, transformed by 20th century drought, is too parched and desolate to provide even a meager diet for cattle.

The salt lakes beyond Willard, once an indigenous people's pilgrimage site, are all that remain of the sea that once filled the Estancia Basin.

This mythic 55-mph roadway continues heading east, parallel to the Santa Fe Railway tracks, with classic California Mission railway depots marking the towns of Vaughn and Melrose. These buildings are especially photogenic around 4 p.m., in the late afternoon streaming sunlight.

Ghost towns along the route — some reduced to mere signs and a few crumbling structures — once served as watering stations for steam locomotives. The names themselves are intriguing: Lucy, Taiban, Yeso.

This branch of the circa 1917 "Ocean-to-Ocean" Highway — the first paved continent-spanning U.S. road — leads to Fort Sumner, home of two essential New Mexico historical sites: Billy the Kid's grave and the Bosque Redondo Memorial, which commemorates the forced 350-mile Long Walk of the Navajo from their Canyon de Chelly homeland to the desolate reservation in the 1860s.

For those in need of nourishment, Fort Sumner is blessed with Fred's Restaurant & Lounge, home of the Conquistador Burrito, better known to locals as the "X-con." The chips and salsa are exceptional, and even Santa Feans will find the heat of the green chile satisfactory.

More than just food

Yet another sort of historic site awaits a modern-day pilgrim willing to travel all the way down this road. Clovis — named for a medieval French king and perched on the eastern edge of New Mexico — is a birthplace of American rock 'n' roll.

During the 1950s, Buddy Holly, Waylon Jennings and Roy Orbison crossed the Texas border into Clovis to record with Norman Petty at his 7th St. Studios.

In 1958, a band out of Raton High School also stood before Petty's microphone. There Jimmy Gilmer and the Fireballs recorded their number one hit, Sugar Shack.

This weekend, when the Clovis Music Festival celebrates our state's contribution to popular culture, the Original Fireballs will take the stage.

Stan Lark, the Fireballs' bass player, recalls Clovis' musical heyday. "It was magic," he said. "More talent came through Clovis than through any independent studio in the U.S. If you take everybody who came from West Texas and Eastern New Mexico, it's powerful."

A taste of nostalgia

And who says you can't eat history? In Clovis, you most certainly can.

Two of the most venerable drive-ins you'll find anywhere — Twin Cronnies, a favorite of Lark's, and the Foxy, where Buddy Holly and company dined between recording sessions — serve unadulterated nostalgia, delivered to your vehicle by smiling carhops.

Twin Cronnies, now owned by New Mexico Sen. Clint Harden and his wife, Cathy, has been in the family since its origins in 1952. "They moved the building here from Plainview, Texas," Kathy said.

The Hardens take pride in their made-from-scratch approach to their menu. "We use real steak for our steak fingers, and we roll them fresh in cracker meal, egg and flour every day," Kathy said.

Each order comes with homemade gravy, fries, fresh coleslaw with homemade dressing and Texas toast — all for $7.30. The irresistible housemade onion rings — a small order will set you back $1.25, a large costs $1.90 — and the corn dogs are fresh-dipped with each order.

The house drink is the Rosemary, a cherry-lemon-lime-flavored Sprite, and the thick shakes are made the old-fashioned way, in flavors like coconut-chocolate and butterscotch.

As fabulous as all this sounds, the main attraction is, after all, the Twin Cronnies — and this Clovis drive-in boasts the only working Twin Cronnie machine in the world.

What's a Twin Cronnie machine? It's a circular, revolving weinie-roaster, with a blue gas flame in the center. Through this culinary alchemy, these mini-hot dogs, served with mustard, cheese and onion, are supremely delish.

"We have a customer, a Clovis native now living in Dallas, who flew his jet in this week and ordered 20 Twin Cronnies," Kathy said. "We met him at the airport with his order, and he took off."

Food Network, where are you?

As if one such establishment wasn't enough, Clovis is also blessed with the Foxy, a classic 1956 drive-in. Tuesday is Taquita Night at the Foxy. For $8.50, you get one dozen taquitas, a specialty of the house, served with secret hot sauce.

Don't tell your cardiologist, but the Foxy, which specializes in everything fried, also serves a steak fingers platter, corn dogs and everything else that tastes good and is bad for you.

Sharon Niederman's newest book is New Mexico: An Explorer's Guide, published by Countryman Press, September 2008. For information on book signings and slide lectures, go to www.sharonniederman.com.



Foxy Drive-In
720 W. 7th St., Clovis
575-763-7995
Hours: 7 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon.–Thurs.; 7 a.m.–11 p.m. Fri.–Sat.; 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Sun.

Twin Cronnies Drive-In
709 Commerce Way, Clovis
575-763-5463
Hours: 8 a.m.–10 p.m. daily

Clovis Music Festival
Sept. 4-7, 2008
575-763-3435
www.clovismusicfestival.net

Norman Petty 7th St. Studios
1313 W. 7th St., Clovis
Tours at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. during 2008 Clovis Music Festival; by appointment only during rest of year
575-356-6422
www.clovismusicfestival.net/studio.htm

Norman Petty Studio Museum
(grand opening at the 2008 Clovis Music Festival)
105 E. Grand Ave., Clovis
575-763-3435
www.clovismusicfestival.net/museum%20update.html


Dawn Lark, wife of the Fireballs' bass player Stan Lark, shares some of her family's favorite recipes.

SHIBIL'S STUFFED SQUASH
(Serves 4)

6 medium zucchini and/or yellow squash
1 pound ground beef or lamb
1/2 cup uncooked minute rice
1-2 cans cream of tomato soup
Pepper, garlic salt to taste

Cut ends from squash and core with apple corer. Keep squash flesh intact.

Combine meat, rice and 2-3 tablespoons of tomato soup. Season with pepper and garlic salt. Stuff squash with this mixture. Make meatballs with any remaining mixture.

Mix equal parts water with remaining soup and bring to a boil. Add stuffed squash and meatballs to boiling liquid. Cover, put heat on low and simmer for 30-40 minutes. You may need to add another can of soup while dish is simmering.

MRS. FIREBALL'S MICROWAVE CHILE-CHEESE CORNBREAD
(Serves 4 as a side dish)

2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole kernel corn
3 drops Tabasco sauce
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
2-4 ounces roasted, peeled chopped green chile

In a large bowl, thoroughly blend all but the last two ingredients.

Grease a shallow, 8-inch round, heat-resistant non-metallic baking dish.

Pour half the batter into the greased baking dish. Spread chopped chiles and 1/2 cup of cheese over the batter. Top with remaining batter and remaining cheese.

Heat, uncovered, on roast setting of microwave 14-16 minutes.

Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

SHOEPEG CORN

2 (8-ounce) cans shoepeg corn
8 ounces sour cream
1 ounce chopped peeled and roasted green chile (more to taste)
1/2-1 cup shredded Colby-jack cheese

Mix first three ingredients thoroughly and cover with shredded Colby-jack cheese. Heat at 325 degrees until warm and bubbly.