Archived Feature:
Tucumcari, New Mexico
Tucumcari is where my own fascination with Route 66 began. While driving from Greeley, Colorado to Fort Worth, Texas several years ago, we stumbled into the town of Tucumcari just around nightfall. We saw a billboard extolling the virtues of "Tucumcari Tonite! On Historic Route 66!" and decided that we should partake of the experience. After exploring the town a little and having dinner at the La Cita restaurant, we stayed the night. The next morning we visited the TeePee Curios shop, which looks much as it did in the vintage postcard reproduced below (photo by Bob Petley).
Tucumcari is a treasure of mid-century-kitsch architecture, and was a major stop on old 66 in its heyday, due in part to the large number of motels.
Tucumcari is in northeastern New Mexico, on old Route 66 (now I-40).
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