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From my journal:
“Today’s road went from Albuquerque to Clives Corner to Santa Rosa to Tucumcari. A lot of the driving was done on the actual Route 66, whenever possible. This enabled us to see a number of these ghost places, ghost town or abandoned gas stands and motels. When the I-40 took over, any place, shop, station, motel, restaurant, along the Route 66 that was somewhat not right on the new road, saw 99% of its business disappear.
In Santa Rosa, we briefly stopped at the “Route 66 Auto Museum” where some 30 cars are on display, many of them being for sale. Some of these cars were wonderful.
In Tucumcari, we easily found the “Blue Swallow Motel” where we had a reservation. Beautifully restored place. Very friendly welcoming. Nice !
Yes, for many years, Tucumcari has been a popular stop for cross-country travelers on Interstate 40 (formerly U.S. Route 66 in the area). It is the largest city on the highway between Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Billboards reading “TUCUMCARI TONITE!” placed along I-40 for many miles to the east and west of the town invited motorists to stay the night in one of Tucumcari’s “2000” (later changed to “1200”) motel rooms.
Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of the city of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business today and give this place a special atmosphere.
Route 66, Tucumcari, New Mexico, USA
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