Thursday, May 12, 2016

Pie Town, New Mexico - 05/12/16

Thursday – May 12, 2016
Pie Town, New Mexico

In April 2015, we visited Pie Town, New Mexico for the first time. It is a small town, probably less than a 1/4 mile in length, with a population of 153, located on the Continental Divide of New Mexico, at an elevation of 7800 feet. We learned about Pie Town while watching a segment on CBS News Sunday Morning that was broadcast on November 30, 2014. We really enjoyed our first visit to this, small, quaint, New Mexico town and put it on our list of places to revisit. So… here we are again! Let's have a slice, or two, of pie!!!

Our Home Base - Jackson Park Campground

Aerial View of Jackson Park Campground

Last year, three establishments served homemade pie: PIE-O-NEER, Pie Town Café and the Pie Source Homestead Café. On this visit to Pie Town, a fourth establishment, serving homemade pie, opened for business in June 2015: The Gatherin' Place for Pie -N- More.

The pie shops schedule their days and hours of operation to accommodate one another.
PIE-O-NEER: Thursday-Friday-Saturday / 11:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M.
Pie Source: Monday through Thursday / 9:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M.
Pie Town Café: Sunday through Wednesday / 10:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
The Gatherin’ Place: Open 7 Days / 7:30 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

The Pie Shops of Pie Town

Pie Town has a total of six business establishments: Four pie shops, the U.S. Post Office, and a home builder (Log, Stick & Steel). The town is 1.4 miles in length on U.S. Highway 60, measured between the Pie Town eastern and western sign posts.

Aerial View of Pie Town

Many families have been baking pies in Pie Town since the 1920’s. In 1995 the Knapp family, while traveling through New Mexico, happened upon Pie Town. They stopped at the local pie shop to get a piece of pie. Much to their dismay, the shop was closed with a sign on the door that read: "There used to be pie in Pie Town, but there ain't no more — FOR SALE."

Wendi Knapp and her mother had a rich tradition in pie making from their days of baking all kinds of pies at the Cozy Corner Café in Rochelle, Illinois. On November 11, 1995, the For Sale sign was gone and three generations of the Knapp family (Wendi, Kathy, Mary – mother, daughter, granddaughter) started baking pies in Pie Town. This was the genesis of the pie shop: PIE-O-NEER. It is located near Mile Marker 56 on the north side of U.S. Highway 60.

The saying "If You Build It, They Will Come" eventually came true. Word of mouth, a CBS News Sunday Morning broadcast, Albuquerque, NM news segments, and several Travel magazines, all featuring Pie Town, bring people from around the United States and the World to this unique piece of Americana. Every second Saturday in September, Pie Town hosts a Pie Festival. As many as 3,000 people attend this one-day event. Vehicles park on both sides of U.S. Highway 60, for a mile in each direction, according to one pie shop owner, and wait in long lines outside of each of the four pie shops for a slice of pie.

We look forward to an enjoyable multi-day event, sampling pies from each of the four establishments!

Tomorrow another adventure begins.

Historic Buildings of Pie Town

Relics of Pie Town

Travel Details:
Departed: Holbrook, Arizona
Departure Time: 7:40 A.M.
Arrived: Pie Town, New Mexico
Arrival Time: 10:30 A.M.

Campground: Jackson Park
Type: County
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: N 34.29755
Longitude: W 108.12993
Elevation: 7788 feet
Camping Fee: Free (3-night limit)
Campsite: GPS Coordinates
Campsite Hookups: None
Campground Amenities: Port-A-Potty Toilets, Trash Barrels, Water Spigot.
Total Campsites: Several unmarked campsites.

Cellular Service: Verizon - 3G, 2 Bars with Signal Booster
Internet Service: Verizon Jetpack – No Service Available
Dish TV Satellite Service: Excellent

Total miles traveled today: 138
Route Traveled:
East on U.S. Highways 180 / 191
East on U.S. Highway 60 to Pie Town, NM

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