I happened to stumble upon this historic advertisement at an old Rt 66 hotel in Tucumcari. It definitely brought back memories from days long gone. Can you imagine this ad running today? Never gonna happen! Boy have times changed. This and so much more to get into for this leg of my Rt 66 journey. So, let’s get to it!
Albuquerque, NM
After dropping off my brother at the ABQ airport, I was left to continue my Rt 66 journey solo. While I’ve been to ABQ many, many times in the past, never had I focused uniquely on Rt 66 attractions. I’ve done much of the Roadside America stuff in the area, visited pretty much all the museums, did the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul filming location tour, and have even been up to the top of Sandia Mountain via the TRAM on more than one occasion. So, I would focus this time on everything Rt 66 related. But first, I had to catch up with one of my great friends Greg and his wife Sheila. I’ve known Greg since the mid 80s when we were both stationed at and living in Fort Meade, MD – he in the Army, and me of course in the Air Force. Despite the military branch rivalry, we became good friends and have pretty much stayed in touch ever since. Over the years, he’s introduced me to Balloon Fiesta, and many other ABQ treasures. Likewise, he has tagged along on several of my Roadside adventures visiting things and places that, despite him living here, he’s never been to before. So, we always have enjoyed each other’s company and on this trip, we enjoyed a terrific New Mexican meal at a fine restaurant. So great seeing you again my friend, and I look forward to you visiting me in Florida in the not to distant future!
So then I was off, checking off the many Rt 66 venues to be found here in ABQ. First up, was a visit to Enchanted Trails RV Park and Trading Post. Here, I would get my passport book stamped as this was one of the book locations in NM. In the trading post store, there was a cooler filled with Rt 66 soda – something my brother had mentioned he had picked up somewhere along his trip back some 12 years ago. I know there is a specialized soda place in Arcadia, OK, so I’m waiting until then to pick up a few of these bottles. Next I ventured along Central Ave, which in ABQ, happens to be old Rt 66. There would be lots of vintage hotels including one of ABQs better spots – the De Anza Motor Lodge (at right, bottom right). It opened in 1939, and ceased operation in 1994 – not long after its original owner had passed away. The motel was buldozed in 2017 to make way for some apartments, though the original sign had been saved, restored, and fully functional in its original location. Just down the street was another Rt 66 resting spot – the Zia Motor Lodge (at right, bottom center right). This one opened in 1938, closed in 2002, burned in a 2003 fire, and was leveled in 2005. Again, all that remains is the sign. Next we come to the Reels and Wheels bus stop (at right, top) along Rt 66. Sitting in front of the 1950 Hiland Theater is a recently built 2016 structure that features a bus waiting area built that resembles movie reels, with a racing and flaming 66 sign next to it . Solar powered led lights create flames coming out of the sixes at night. Very nicely done! The last motel to visit on this side of town is the Tewa Lodge (at right, center right). This Pueblo Revival style motel was built in 1946, and sadly by the late 1990s had developed a bad reputation, and was shut down by the police in 2024. It is reportedly up for sale by the city with an asking price over $1m, with hopes that both its physical structure and its reputation will be restored, and eventually reopened. Last up on this leg is this Rt 66 Gateway Monument (at right, bottom center left). There are two of these, one on the far west end of Central, and another on the far east end, each representing Rt 66 gateways into the city. These monuments were built in the mid 2000s and are part of ABQs effort to revitalize historic Rt 66. Fun fact – the stretch of Rt 66 that runs along Central Ave through ABQ is about 18 miles long, and is the longest continuous urban stretch of Rt 66 in the United States.
I continue my journey along Central Ave to the western side to visit more Rt 66 attractions. First up is this Rt 66 Arch, filled with neon that is lit up at night, spanning across Central Ave. This was installed in 2001 – again as part of ABQs Rt 66 revitalization. It sits at the far western end of the city near Girard Blvd in Nob Hill, and also serves as a distinctive entrance to the Nob Hill commercial district. Next up was a visit to the El Don Motel (at left, bomttom center right). Built in the late 1940s or early 1950s, what makes this place stand out is the unique neon sign of a cowboy roping the hotel name – complete with flashing lightbulbs. Well, at least at some point in the past they were flashing, but apparently not these days. The hotel has been closed for decades, and was just recently acquired by a developer in 2025 who promises to fully restore, upgrade, and reopen it to its former glory. I hope that happens! Next, the famous Dog House Drive-in (at left, bottom right). Opened since 1948 and complete with its neon tail-wagging wiener dog sign, it is reportedly open six days a week until 9pm. Besides its Rt 66 affiliation, it was also made famous beginning in 2008 with several appearances in the Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul TV series. And, they actually deliver a really great hotdog! Next is the 1920s movie palace known as the Kimo (at left, bottom left). This very unique theater is a cross between southwestern style and art deco – affectionately known as Pueblo Deco. The outside has your standard Rt 66 neon mixed with brightly colored glazed tile, while the inside reportedly is very opulent with log shaped ceiling beams, air vents disguised as Navajo rugs, and chandeliers in the shape of war drums. It was saved from being torn down in 1977 by ABQ citizens, and after millions invested in restoration, it remains open to this day running both films and live performances. Great that this place was saved! I’ll have to catch a movie there the next time I’m in town. Last up was a visit to the Rt 66 Diner (at left, center right). This building began life as a Phillips 66 gas station in 1945, and was purchased in 1987 and converted into a diner. Sadly, that burned down in 1995. It was rebuilt and reopened in 1996 in a more retro and neon filled style, with soda fountains and milkshake machines all original to the 1950s. I got there before it opened, but it is said that the inside is filled with the owner’s PEZ dispenser collection, along with lots of vintage road and advertising signs. In fact, there were so many vintage signs that a wall in the parking lot has been filled with all the overflow (at left, center left).
The last place I visited along Central Ave was the Route 66 Visitor Center. This facility has quite the lengthy and interesting history. The concept began through a partnership between Bernalillo County and community organizations who envisioned a facility as a cultural destination celebrating New Mexico’s Rt 66 heritage with exhibits, event space, and outdoor attractions. But after years of delays and operational issues, ownership was transferred to the city of Albuquerque. The city’s Department of Arts & Culture then proceeded to renovate the building, create new exhibits, and it officially opened in April of 2026 as a centerpiece of the Rt 66 Centennial celebration. I had heard of this building from our Amazon facility tour guide, who happened to mention it along with its storied past. And I’ve got to say, I was definitely underwhelmed by this visitor center. Its exhibits were sparse, and its onsite greeter seemed to have little knowledge of its contents or history. It did have a cool old classic car and gas pump, some art and murals along its walls, and a nicely done outside neon sign park with several fully restored vintage original and some reproduction neon signs. I think the funnest thing there was this giant full wall coloring panel (at right, center left), with lots of markers inviting visiting guests to relive their childhood and do some coloring. I looked closely at the plentiful supply of interesting items to color, and noticed a 5th wheel RV similar to my house on wheels, so I colored the front cap brown to match mine (at right, top left). There’s a red arrow on the full size picture to show where the RV is located. That was about the most fun I had visiting this place. Oh well!
One of the more interesting and unique features of ABQ and Rt 66 is that this is the only place in all of the route where it crosses itself. This is the intersection of 4th Street and Central Avenue. Each road being, or having been Rt 66. To understand how and why this happened, we have to go back in time just a bit. The original 1926 Rt 66 alignment went from Santa Rosa to the east, then headed northerly into Santa Fe, then back south traversing through far western ABQ before continuing south then heading west proceeding to Moriaty (see map at left, bottom). This original alignment of Route 66, despite being far from direct, followed preexisting roads that were part of the Ozark Trail, National Old Trails, and the Santa Fe Trail. This original route only traversed downtown ABQ along 4th street on a north/south route. However, with this seemingly out of the way route going north than back south again, it was only a matter of time for Rt 66 to change to a shorter alignment with a straight east to west course across the state of New Mexico – thus bypassing Santa Fe and likely traveling all the way through downtown ABQ. It was then governor of NM Arthur T. Hannett who understood this and in 1927, after loosing his bid for reelection that he blamed squarely on his peers at the capital, decided to spite Santa Fe and while he still had time in office, ordered a State Highway be built from Santa Rosa to Moriaty. This would put Albuquerque on the main crossroads and relegate Santa Fe to the backroads. The highway was completed before he left office, but it would be another 10 years before this new roadway was incorporated into the Route 66 alignment. That would be in 1937 and thereafter that Rt 66 would traverse all through ABQ along what is now Central Ave. Thus, this intersection designates the crossover where both Rt 66 existed.
Oh No – Not Again!
Ok – before I venture into the Rt 66 things I saw at my next stop in Tucumcari, I first need to fill you in on my truck issues. So while my brother and I were tooling around playing tourist back in AZ, there was a time that we were traveling at highway speed on I-40, when all of a sudden after going over a bump, the front end of my truck began shaking uncontrollably. I pulled to the side and slowed down and quickly recovered control. This had happened once before some time ago, and at the time I thought it was something that I had picked up on my tire that was causing the front end to bounce at each tire rotation. But happening again is now of more concern. A bit of Internet sleuthing uncovered this to be a known condition called the “death wobble”. Certainly not a great name! It apparently is caused by worn steering and/or front wheel linkages, and manifests itself while traveling at high speed then hitting a bump which causes the uncontrollable shake or wobble. Certainly not something that I want to happen when I’m driving, let alone when I’m towing. So I slowed down the driving for the rest of the time until I can get to Albuquerque where there is a Ford dealership that I can take the truck to. So, the day of arrival in ABQ, I dropped off the truck to the dealer, and picked up a rental so that we could continue our planned activities. They diagnosed the issue to be worn steering parts and other front end stuff that needed to be replaced. They also noted that my rear brakes had worn down to the point of a recommended full rear end brake pad and rotor replacement. Brakes are important too – especially since I’m towing a 13,000 lb RV. So, just about 6 days and a little over $4k later, my truck was back to me with the front end fixed and new rear brakes.
Sadly, this is not the end of this story! Shortly after getting the truck back, I was scheduled to leave ABQ and drive about 160 miles east to my next Rt 66 stop in Tucumcari, NM. I hooked up the RV, and headed east. It was a mostly uneventful drive and in fact, I happened to notice the steering was a bit tighter and stiffer than it had been in the past. Clearly a sign of those worn parts having been replaced. I arrived in Tucumcari, unhooked the RV, and again, everything seemed normal. I typically treat myself to dinner out on travel days, so after a couple of hours relaxing, I searched and found a nearby restaurant to go grab an early dinner. On the way to the restaurant, I hear some squeaking and grinding coming from somewhere in the truck. The restaurant was nearby and I was hungry so I continued on. The noise seemed to get louder and worse as I continued my drive. I even pulled over once just to see if I could determine anything obvious that might be going on. I wasn’t even sure where the noise was coming from. So, while at dinner, I looked up auto repair places in town. As you might imagine, being in the middle of nowhere in a 7 square mile one-horse town, with a population just over 5,000, my choices were limited. In fact I got turned away from the first place I went after dinner as the owner was just about to take a trip out of town. He recommended another shop down the road. So I squealed my way there, told the shop owner the story, and left the truck with him. He was nice enough to give me a ride back to the campground – a welcomed offer since there are no Uber or Lyft services here in town. It was after 6pm by the time I got back, and I did not expect to hear back from the mechanic with his findings until sometime the next day soonest. Well, apparently he is a bit of a night owl, and actually dug into the truck late into the evening. He actually called me about 11pm (luckily I was still up myself), and told me the horrific news. He had removed the rear wheels and discovered that my seals had failed, my bearings were shot, and my tires were covered in grease and oil. He also noticed that I had just had brand new rotors and break pads installed, and he was knowledgeable enough to share with me that installing new rotors on this truck requires the total removal of the wheel hub, bearings, seals, etc. So his first thought was that whoever had done the brake install did something wrong which caused all this subsequent part failures and damage.
To say I was livid would be an understatement! So first thing the next morning I was on the phone calling the ABQ Ford dealer, sharing what I had learned, and pretty much demanding that they send a flatbed to pickup my truck, take it back to ABQ, fix all that had failed due to their error, and redeliver the truck back to me better than new. It helped that my local mechanic sent me a couple of pictures of what he saw, along with his diagnosis, that pretty much laid the cause of this issue squarely on the work performed by the Ford dealer. It took the better part of the day and next for them to coordinate the truck pickup, but they eventually showed up Thursday early evening as pictured here. So, a couple days thereafter of review and diagnosis at the Ford dealer, followed by a weekend, then parts ordering and receipt, it would be mid the following week soonest that I would get my truck back. I was scheduled to leave Tucumcari on the following Tuesday for my next stop in Amarillo, TX. Clearly, I was not going to make that schedule. So, I changed my arrival in Amarillo to Thursday, and similarly extended my stay in Tucumcari. Without having a truck, and there being no rental options here in town, I simply hung out here in the RV for those several down days. I caught up with some projects, fixed the exhaust on my washer/dryer combo unit, did laundry, wrote and published the prior blog, took a few naps, did a bit of reading, and otherwise just hung out with nowhere to go.
Well days went by, with minimal updates from the Ford dealer other than to say they are working on it. Parts were delayed, and by Tuesday, I figured I was not getting out by Thursday. So I added an additional day to my stay in Tucumcari, and again shortened the stay in Amarillo. End of day Wednesday and they said all the parts had arrived, and they would get to it the following day – Thursday. Again, best case is I would get the truck back by end of day Thursdy so I could leave on Friday. This one-day-at-a-time schedule change was getting old. Also, since I’ve been cooped up in the RV for 8 days now since arrival with no transportation, I have not actually seen anything here in Tucumcari yet. And, there’s lots of Rt 66 stuff to see. So I bit the bullet and shortened both my next two stops to 3 and 4 days respectively, which give me an overall additional week here. So, I once again extended my stay here in Tucumcari thru Tuesday August 4th. That gives the Ford dealership Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and even Monday to finish work on the truck and get it back to me. Surely they can get it done within that time frame!
Well, no such luck! I was advised on Thursday that additional parts were needed which further delayed things. Then the following day, Friday, the juggernaut of bad news was delivered. The dealership has decided that in lieu of simply rebuilding each of the wheel hubs, they are going to replace the entire rear axle. That could only have been decided based on them finding additional damage that when combined with everything else they had already found, made it more practical, and perhaps safer for me, to just go ahead and swap out the entire thing. On the one hand, I sort of appreciated this as it made me feel that other issues would be less likely to develop later (e.g. problems with the differential) that might have been somewhat damaged but remained unfixed from this incident. On the bad side of things however, they informed me that it will take upwards of 8 days to get a replacement axle delivered. Hearing this, I was back to looking at my schedule which, at this point, has pretty much been significantly impacted. I have no clarity as to when the truck will actually be back to me, and nickel-and-diming changes to the schedule as I have been doing will no longer be an option. It was clear I was going to be stuck here in Tucumcari for upwards of two additional weeks best case. So rather than moving and shortening future stays as I have been doing, I simply decided to cancel all my reservations through the next three weeks up through August 18th. Then, when I get some additional clarity and eventually get my truck back, I can rebuild my travel schedule, albeit a significantly shortened version, for the three or four upcoming stops I had in my original plan. Fortunate for me, pretty much all the campgrounds I have been in so far have been significantly underbooked, so I should not have any problems making adjusted future reservations.
Also, after having been stuck here in the RV at the campground with no transportation, no car rental options, no available Uber rides or food delivery, all for the past now 10 days, along with prospects for an additional two weeks here at best, it was time that the dealership provide me with some replacement transportation. I made a strongly worded request (some may call it a demand) that they deliver a loaner vehicle to me here for my use until the truck is returned. I had previously requested that when the truck is fully repaired, I wanted it driven not towed back out to me so that it gets a good long test drive before I start using it again. Having a loaner here also benefits them in that it makes a vehicle available for them to use to get back to ABQ after they deliver my truck out here. Win – win! Well, they agreed and stated they will have a car out to me in a few days. Wahoo! It was several days later, on Tuesday – day 14 of my taking refuge here at the campground, that this brand new powder puff blue Ford Ranger was delivered. I wasn’t thrilled with the color, but then again, at least I would be back on the road! I can do some touristy stuff, get groceries, go out to eat, and most importantly drive to a real town to refill some prescriptions – some of which I’m totally out of, while others have had to have been rationed due to dangerously low supplies. So while that’s going on, it’s just the hurry up and wait until the truck axle arrives, is installed, and everything is finally fixed and delivered back to me. When that will be is anyone’s guess at this point.
The very long dissertation you have just read related to my latest maintenance issue is one of the main reasons why I’m seriously thinking that this will be my final year of extended RV travel. My RV is 12 years old, and the truck is 14 years old – each approaching their expected useful lifespan. Both have shown signs of increased maintenance needs over the past several years, and that has not been welcome. At this stage of my life, I’m not interested in starting over and getting both a new truck and RV so that I can comfortably continue my RV travels. Nor am I interested in continuing to subject myself to all these maintenance problems. So this is likely to be my final year of travel. This will also allow me to purchase and setup a really nice and slightly more spacious permanent home on my beautiful Florida retirement lot. Something that had always been the plan when I would eventually get off the road. And, I’ll get to spend more time with the kids and grands – something I’m truly looking forward to. So with this year in the bag, it will have been a chock-full 9 years of full time RV travel. Overall with what I’ve seen, experienced, and accomplished during that time, that’s a pretty damn good run! I’m completely satisfied that I have far exceeded my retirement goal in terms of nomadic travel, so ending it after this year will allow me to go out on a high note. So this ChatGPT image I created is me driving out into the sunset ending my fill time RV travels. There will certainly be more to come on this subject in future blogs, so stay tuned!
Tucumcari, NM
Ok, now that I’ve got a loaner vehicle, I can finally resume my tourist activities. First up, it’s time that I explore the Rt 66 offerings of the town I’ve been staying in for the past two weeks, yet I’ve not seen a thing. One of the things I noticed quickly was the extensive collection of hotels here in this little town. The roughly 2-mile stretch of downtown Rt 66 has no fewer than 6 historic hotels along its route, some of which have long since been shuttered, with another 9 more modern options for the taking. Reportedly, there are upwards of 2,000 motel rooms available in town. Given the total lack of visitors that I’ve witnessed since my arrival, I have no clue how this many hotels can survive. Many of the historic hotels still have their classic neon signage proudly announcing their presence (see at left). The best preserved among the crowd is the Motel Safari which opened in 1959. A series of owners from 2007 onward have all done restorations in retro style keeping the venue’s original charm. They even created a series of outdoor murals (one of which was the featured picture of this blog at top), providing that authentic mid century feel. One of the better known Rt 66 hotels, and one which claims to be the “most celebrated motel on Route 66” is the Blue Swallow. With its beautiful neon sign, this small place with twelve-rooms, each having their own attached garage, is a fan favorite of today’s Rt 66 travelers. Lots of ongoing improvements have occurred here too – to include placing time-period correct rotary phones in each room, adding lots of neon around the place, and painting murals on the inside of each garage door. The Roadrunner Lodge didn’t actually open until 1985 – the same year Rt 66 closed. It was, however, created by linking two original historic motels from the 1940s and 60s. This too followed historic restoration with each room having period-correct decor, included games from the era, and even the “Magic Fingers” vibrating bed massagers – 10 minutes for a quarter.
There were lots of other classic Rt 66 offerings downtown as well. First up is the Route 66 Sculpture (at right, top left) – sometimes called Roadside Attraction. It sits in front of the Tucumcari Convention Center and is the work of Thomas Coffin. It was dedicated in 1997 and commissioned through New Mexico’s Art in Public Places Program. The large chrome tail fin and lights pays tribute to the 1950s automobile that once roared pass this road during the Rt 66 heyday, while the 66 itself celebrates the historic highway. A really nice art piece! Next was a visit to the Tee Pee Curios gift shop. What was once a gas station in 1944, became a trading post/gift shop as a result of the Rt 66 widening project around 1960. The gas pumps were removed and an iconic giant concrete Tee Pee was added to the front of the building and it has remained unchanged and operating this way ever since. Complete with its hereford-topped neon sign, Del’s Restaurant (at right, bottom left) is the oldest operating eatery in Tucumcari. In 1954, Del Akin was voted in as mayor of Tucumcari. The following year, he opened Del’s Restaurant. He operated it thru the later 1970s, when he sold it to his secretary Jessica Braziel. This transaction resulted in the entire restaurant staff quitting – complaining that a woman could never run this place. The following 43 years of ownership and operation by Jessica and her daughter would certainly prove them wrong. The restaurant changed hands again in 2021 to a new owner who, as a teenage boy, had worked at the restaurant. Still, the charm of the restaurant remains as it did as it was back in 1956. The Mexican restaurant La Cita was likely the first introduction of Mexican food made available to western-bound Rt 66 travelers. Business was so good back then, that in 1961 the 30-foot tall 15-foot wide giant sombrero was added above the restaurant’s front door. Last up, I went by the Tucumcari Chamber of Commerce visitor center (at right, bottom right) on two separate occasions – each time they were closed despite having published hours of operation to the contrary. But, it was a pretty nicely decorated building!
Lots of other interesting things to see downtown. Though not present back during the prime years of Rt 66, Boulevard Cleaners decided in 1999 to embrace its place on Rt 66, and had its original logo that was simply painted on a wooden sign made into neon (at left, top left). Sadly, the neon tubes and transformer were severely damaged during a freak hailstorm in 2023. However, residents rallied and helped with the restoration and it once again was lit up in 2024. The first eatery to offer drive up style curb service was the Ranch House Cafe (at left, top right). Opened in 1952, it was Pearl & Doug Barnett who built, and operated it for many years using the slogan “Good Food Always – Always Good Food”. With its 1959 Chevy Apache flatbed truck, this decades-long abandoned relic of the past is a favorite photo op among Rt 66 travelers. This nicely restored Texaco gas station (at left, center) brings a fresh look and a bit of class to downtown Tucumcari. With its historic Fire and Sky Chief pumps out front, this repurposed building had been converted to the Trade Station – a gift/antique/collectibles shop. However, it does not appear that this business is still in operation. Last up what was once Kix on 66 coffee shop and eatery (at left, bottom). What was once a popular downtown restaurant was sadly heavily damaged and indefinitely closed from an April 2025 fire that originated in the kitchen’s exhaust hood that quickly spread to the roof and kitchen. To make matters worse, this incident comes just three days before the restaurant owners Donna and Todd Halfhill were set to receive the Route 66 Heritage Award from the New Mexico Route 66 Association. They were being recognized for their efforts in restoring the historic building that started life in 1963 as a Denny’s. Thankfully there were no reported injuries, and the owners had vowed to make repairs and reopen. In the meantime, they operated a food truck at the burned location then around Oct 2025, purchased the Loretta’s Burrito Hut building down the street. In early 2026 they began operations there as Sidekix on 66. They say they’re planning to keep this new location and also reopen the original one that burned down in about two years’ time. After reading and writing about this restaurant, I decided to go to SideKix for lunch to give them some support. The meal was awesome and the place was packed! Sure have to give these owners credit for all their initiative in keeping things moving forward, and I wish them continued success in their restoration.
Here are a couple more examples of murals in and around Tucumcari (at right, center and bottom right). Murals began popping up around Tucumcari in the late 1990s and there are reportedly almost 100 murals around town giving Tucumcari the nickname Mural City of Route 66. Many of the murals were created by local artists Doug and Sharon Quarles. Try as I did, I could not find any info about the two men featured here. They must have been important to have such large representations created of them, but alas they remain unidentified. I happened to stumble on these when visiting the historic Odeon Theater. This Art Deco style single screen 200-seat venue opened in 1936 when Tucumcari was becoming an important stop on Rt 66. It struggled in the early 2000s with building maintenance issues, and decades old 35mm film projection equipment. New owners took on the challenge and spent upwards of $80k alone just on the conversion to digital projection, let alone what was invested in roof, bathroom, and seating repairs, and sound system and screen upgrades. It reopened in April 2014. Again it changed ownership in 2024, with another round of restoration underway – including restoring the 1950s neon sign. Plans have also included expanding the theater’s role beyond just movies, to include comedy, music, film festivals, and other live events. Next I stopped in the Tucumcari Rt 66 Welcome Center (at right, top left). Sadly, I didn’t feel to welcome! I was asking questions about how the year has been, and the crotchety old lady just went off on how things have been slow. She noted that all the hype of the centennial celebration was supposed to bring about lots of tourists, but her experience has been much less. But it was her overall attitude that made the experience a bit unwelcoming. Oh well – certainly not the best representation at a welcome center! This center was operating out of what appears to have been a motel check in office, while the surrounding hotel definitely seemed void of patrons. It did have an interesting sign that indicated in 1059, Clint Eastwood had stayed there. Wow!
I also spent a couple of hours touring the local Tucumcari Historical Museum. What was once a school building, followed by many other uses including a city office, hospital, a soup kitchen, and even an Army glider school, has been the town’s regional museum since the late 60s. It features two floors and basement filled with artifacts such as rock and dinosaur fossil rooms, an early western room, bottle collections, a military room, and telephone and post office equipment to name a few. Outside was a Southern Pacific caboose, a Cold War-era F100 fighter from the NM National Guard, and a firehouse complete with an historic firetruck inside. For a small town in the middle of nowhere in eastern NM, I was very impressed with the depth and quality of many of the exhibits. I generally fly through small town museums, but this one grabbed my interest and with the extensive collection of artifacts, resulted in a several hour tour. Much of the museums items were from the private collection of Tucumcari pharmacist and local historian Herman “Corney” Moncus. Corney arrived in Tucumcari in the early 1920s, and began work at the Elk Drug Store. He started out behind the soda fountain and eventually became the store’s owner. He was very much a historian and a lover of items that told a story. As his collection expanded, pieces found their way in the drug store on the walls and shelves, and hung from the ceiling. By the late 1960s, the drug store closed so he worked to preserve his collection by spearheading the creation of the town museum. One of the items that I found particularly interesting was this sign at left, bottom right. My thought was that this was some historical piece related to politics or the Civil War. But further research determined it to be a local piece for maintaining friendly conversation in the small-town gatherings, while avoiding the three subjects most likely to start arguments. Too funny!
Final Thoughts
Well, as I sit here at day 18 being stuck here in Tucumcari, and my planned slow pace tour of Rt 66 significantly impacted, I at least have lots of opportunity to get and stay current with this blog. I was hesitant to end this edition here, leaving somewhat of a cliff-hanger not knowing the final outcome with the truck and when I finally get out of here. But as I wrapped up writing about the past ABQ trip, and what I’ve now gotten to see here in Tucumcari with the dealership loaner vehicle, I determined this is long enough now and also figured it would be best to share my current situation while it was sort of still in progress. So I guess you’ll have to wait until the next post to find out how things end up. Whatever the outcome, I’m sure I’ll have to compress my next several stops so that I can eventually get back on schedule. Just how far out I have to go to make that happen remains unknown. So, until next time, be well and safe travels. (Note: Not my truck, but rather a GPT generated image to show what my truck is likely going through)
I only show a sampling of my adventure pictures here in the blog, and do so mostly in collage format for brevity and ease of reading. If you want to view an album containing individual full fidelity and hi-res images of all my travel pictures related to this specific blog, click the image below. Enjoy!
