Tucumcari, New Mexico

Our stay in Tucumcari, NM was pretty perfect. It's a great little town to stop in if you're into rt. 66. It's a chill place with murals everywhere, some great neon specimens, and the best Mexican food I've ever eaten. I didn't spot any fast food chains, or strip malls in the whole town...how strange, and nice! It has a long and interesting history, including Spanish explorers and old Indian legends. It was once called Six Shooter Siding when the railroad came through.

This was our view of Tucumcari Mountain, the field had a couple longhorns and a bunch of bunnies running around in it. (sometimes out west, the sky looks strangely neon in pictures...not shopped!)

 Rule #7 at the Empty Saddle - Alcohol, drugs, explosives or guns will not be permitted or tolerated outside of your RV.

 The motel is gone, but the sign is preserved

The teepee curio is one of my favorites on 66. Kitsch, neon, funny building - check!

 We biked up and down rt 66 just about every day.

 This place was closed, so we followed directions

The Palomino doesn't light up anymore, but the cacti and mismatched upside-down slide letters almost make up for it.

Since we were last here in 2010, Tucumcari seems to have made improvements on preserving their rt 66 remnants. Some of the old deserted gas stations have been painted up with neat murals, and one dilapidated motor-lodge has been brushed-off a bit, and the office turned into a gift shop. The Blue Swallow was looking a bit shabby in 2010. I believe it had been recently purchased by the current owners, now they have the place cleaned up and looking nice.

2010 - check out "the blog that was never finished" to see other shots from the first time we came through town. 

I leave you with more neon, because.