Tucumcari Travels, Part 2 - Cars and Other Things

 

In addition to photographing iconic Route 66 motels on our visit to Tucumcari, NM, a couple of weeks ago, my friend, Alan, and I cruised around the city looking for other interesting subjects.  We found a bunch of things from the heyday of Route 66 (and the town).

Restaurants:  one still thriving . . .

. . . another abandoned years ago.

A classic souvenir shop still in business, with a nice neon sign and a weird goblin-like skeleton mounted on the back of an old pickup in the shadows next to the building:

A quonset hut building with a dramatic (but not vintage) mural on one end:

A couple of defunct grain elevators:  one with a yard full of abandoned trucks, construction equipment, and a giant tubular thing that I have no idea about . . .

. . . and one with a nice empty lot and an imposing presence that seemed to call for a chthonic black-and-white treatment . . .

But the best surprise was all the old cars practically everywhere.  You saw some in my previous post parked at the Blue Swallow and Relax Inn motels.  But wait . . . there's more!

Those of you with kids (or grandkids) of a certain age may remember the Pixar movie, "Cars" (2006).  The principal anthropomorphic car character, Lightning McQueen, finds himself stranded in Radiator Springs, a rundown desert town on Route 66 that lost most of its traffic and businesses when the Interstate bypassed the town.  Sound familiar?

Appropriately, one of the garage bays at the Blue Swallow Motel is decorated with a sign and a mural depicting the cars and the town of Radiator Springs.

And, as if life imitates art (or vice versa), on the main Route 66 drag in Tucumcari, we found Tucumcari Automotive . . . a decommissioned gas station turned repair shop with a lot full of classic cars.

Front and center were three Edsels (only two shown in the photo below) with that hideously ugly front grille:

1959 model in foreground; 1958 model in background

Nearby was a Studebaker Lark, which was so uninteresting I only photographed a rear tire and hubcap:

Alan got to talking with the owner of the shop, who offered to show us some other cars that were inside an old car dealer showroom and garage bay across the street.

In the garage were another '58 Edsel, a '56 (I think) Chevy, and a '59 Chevy:

The biggest treat was in the dilapidated dealership showroom:  a 1952 Hudson Hornet!

If you would like to see these images and the images from the previous post (Tucumcari Travels, Part 1), please visit my photography website, Todos Juntos Photography, by clicking here for Part 1 images and here for Part 2 images.

Enjoy!

Tucumcari Travels, Part 1 - Classic Route 66 Motels

Last week my friend, Alan, and I took an overnight trip to Tucumcari, New Mexico.  Our principal objective was to photograph some of the remaining icons along old Route 66:  motels, restaurants, gas stations, old cars, souvenir shops, neon, and more.

Tucumcari began in 1901 as a railroad construction camp for the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad.  The camp became known as "Six-Shooter Siding," due to numerous gunfights.  When the camp became a more permanent settlement, it was renamed Tucumcari in 1908. Until the mid-20th century it served as a junction point for a southern transcontinental rail route, and became a convenient stop (roughly halfway between Amarillo and Albuquerque) for Okies on their way to California on Route 66 during the Depression, and for post-war Americans enjoying the freedom of the open road.

We arrived mid-day after a 190-mile drive from Corrales, and it was time to eat.  So we dropped in to Del's Restaurant ("Since 1956") for some down-home American grub.

The menu was loaded with 1950s comfort food.  Alan had a burger; I chose liver and onions with a side of fried okra.  To top it all off, for dessert we split slices of lemon meringue and coconut cream pie.  Mmmm, mmmm!  Delicious!

 

We also enjoyed the irreverent signs in the rest room . . .

                                                   . . . and the entrance area:

After lunch, we walked up and down the main Route 66 drag, photographing the signs and businesses that thrived until Interstate 40 came along and bypassed the town in the late 1960s.  Some of the motels on Route 66 are showing their age but are still operational, like the Palomino Motel . . . 

the Americana Motel . . .

and the Motel Safari, which features an outdoor patio with a definite 1950s vibe . . .

reinforced by some vintage ads on the surrounding wall for good measure.

But many properties are abandoned and in disrepair.

There are now lots of contemporary motels on the outskirts of town along I-40, but the crown jewel of the classic motels on old Route 66 has to be the Blue Swallow Motel.

Built in 1939 and opened in 1940, the Blue Swallow joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.  It was originally called the Blue Swallow Court, but the name was updated to "Motel" in the 1950s and the sign you see above was added.

Over the years since the 1990s, its owners have done extensive restoration work, updating the plumbing, electrical systems, and exterior facades.  The interiors have been lovingly restored to their original style, including lamps, tables, chairs, and 1939 dial telephones that (thanks to modern technology) still work.

Alan and I spent the night at the Blue Swallow, and got up before dawn to photograph the sign and car (a 1951 Buick "Straight 8") in the early morning ("golden hour") light, and catch the reflection in a building window across the street.

After a classic American breakfast at Del's -- pancakes, eggs, and bacon -- we headed for home.

More cool cars and trucks to come in Part 2 next week.

Enjoy!