“Route 66 and Historic Byways in Cibola County”

Do yourself a favor and watch this 22-minute video, “Route 66 and Historic Byways in Cibola County,” which covers cultural and historical attractions in that New Mexico county.

The video was produced by Manuel Vasquez and director Barbara Wesley at Seven Cities Productions, based in the same county in Grants, New Mexico.

The Cibola County Beacon newspaper published an article about the film’s premiere earlier this month. Seven Cities posted the film online a few days ago:

Both lovers of the area, Vasquez and Wesley have for years separately wanted to create a video of the area.

“There is so much here,” said Wesley. “We could do several more videos in addition this one.”\

Vasquez and Wesley, Jimmy Jones, the film editor for Seven Cities Productions, worked on the video for nearly two years. Jones himself spent more than a hundred hours in editing alone. Vasquez took much time off from his business in order to produce the video.

He and his car “Flamed” help guide visitors off Interstate 40 from eastern Cibola County to the most western parts. Wesley spent countless hours creating the script. […[

“We will be asking every motel in Cibola County to have this video on their televisions, in the lobby and in rooms. What’s the first thing everyone does in a motel, check for cleanliness and turn on the TV. When they turn the TV on we want this video to come on.”

The video is tightly edited — maybe too tightly edited. I found myself wishing there was a breath or two of breathing room between segments. Regardless, it will give a traveler a lot of good ideas.

Seven Cities hopes to persuade KOB-TV in Albuquerque to air the film on its “New Mexico True” program.

The company also wants to get the program o PBS television markets in Phoenix, San Francisco, Dallas, Houston, Boston and Chicago.

(Screen-capture image of Dead Man’s Curve near Mesita, New Mexico, from “Route 66 and Historic Byways in Cibola County”)