After a very lengthy stay in Texas we finally left the state several months later than planned. But, as they say, life happens! So we left Amarillo Texas and made our way into New Mexico. About an hour later and just a few miles off US 40 is one of Route 66’s iconic little towns, Tucumcari, NM.
We pulled the RV into another Passport America park called Blaze-in-Saddle RV Park. While we only stayed one night at the Passport America rate of $14.50 we have to say that the three brothers who have recently taken over this park are making it a great spot to stay when visiting Tucumcari NM. We met two of them at check in and they couldn’t have been nicer.
The town of Tucumcari is named for Tucumcari Mountain (named by native Americans) which we could easily see from our RV site. An interesting tidbit about Tucumcari is that many of the scenes of the TV series Rawhide shown in the early 1960’s were shot in the Tucumcari area.
While Tucumcari may no longer be a vibrant and active town it is still an interesting place to stop. There are many several places adorned in neon along route 66 to be seen. Sadly they are alongside some ruins of the past from days long ago when the town was bustling. That all stopped when the interstate highway took over and bypassed this once vibrant town leaving what’s left behind as a tribute to its past.
We spent most of the day trying to locate the many murals painted on buildings throughout the town. It was a nice walk and we had a little fun at the hardware store posing with its quirky murals.
The best time to check out the town is at night when all the lights comes on. There are several motels that have embraced the charm of Route 66 with lots of neon lights and vintage cars. We had decided to eat at the recommended Pow Wow restaurant where we had some fairly good New Mexican cuisine. However, our next stop will be near Albuquerque where we know we will encounter much better New Mexican food…. we can’t wait!
NOTE: We are in Albuquerque New Mexico until after labor day and then on to Lake Abiquiu, NM…
Lake Abique is a great place to visit The Ghost Ranch. I like the lizards that mark the paths around the lake. Love that Mexican food.
ReplyDeleteSomany of the small towns along RT66 are now ghost towns. I like tosee those that are trying to revive. The history and murals make Tucumcari a worthy stop.
ReplyDeleteThe Albuquerque 'Singing Highway' plays 'America the Beautiful'. It's on our list, if you do let us know how it sounds.
Wow, wasn't even aware of this and pretty sure we drove on that road... how did we miss this?
DeleteNice pictures:) We have done a lot of RT 66 but still need to finish the eastern part.
ReplyDelete