The Mother Road Part 8

Travels with Caroline and Party Research The End

The third day of our trip was pretty low key.  I ended up needing to work, so I stayed in the hotel while Alex and Caroline went to explore Gallop, New Mexico.  I’m going to hand the Gallup section off to them. First, I’ll give you a little bit of background on the El Rancho Hotel which was our main destination in Gallup. 

The El Rancho opened in 1936 and served as a home-base for movie stars and crews when they were shooting westerns in the area.  The original El Rancho staff was trained by the Fred Harvey Hotel Company (the same people that ran the El Garces Train Station in Needles, California). It advertised as a place “to rough it in comfort”.  The El Rancho continued to host movie stars as well as Route 66 travels until the mid-1960s when the lure of the black and white western began to fade.  When the hotel was bypassed by I-40 in 1980 the hotel continued to decline and was almost demolished before it was purchased by Armand Ortega.  Ortega invested money and energy in the hotel, returning it to its movie star worthy state.  The El Rancho is a popular stop on Route 66 and guests can gain bragging rights resting their heads in the same place that stars and eventual Presidents did.  

You can read Alex’s take on Gallup here: https://withlovebylacey.com/the-mother-road-8/

We headed to Albuquerque late in the afternoon.  We were there mainly to visit Alex’s parents, but we thought we’d check out a couple of “Breaking Bad” haunts.  We were overwhelmingly disappointed.  The Saul Goodman office sign that Alex had tracked down several years before was gone, and the people that lived in the Walter White House probably paid more in security than they did for the house. Not that we intended to trespass or throw a pizza box on the roof, we just wanted a fun picture.

We headed out early on day four, the final day of our road trip.  We left Albuquerque and made a point to drive on the musical highway that was built into Route 66.  It was built to encourage drivers to keep to the 45 mile an hour speed limit by rewarding them with a rendition of America the Beautiful.  Once upon a time there was strong signage to help you know when to really slow down and enjoy the music, but now we were just guessing at when to start.  We heard some, but not nearly as much as we thought.   Once we tested that fun activity, we headed for Tucumcari, our last stop in New Mexico.

Driving into Tucumcari felt like entering a graveyard for motels and mid-century styled restaurants.  The remnants of neon signs stood tall above boarded-up buildings that were once overrun with guests traveling down the Mother Road.  Every so often, a slightly rundown motel would still be open with a car or two gracing the parking lot.  From its inception until the middle of the twentieth century Tucumcari was a railroad town and served as a transfer station for several rail lines.  It was also the biggest town on Route 66 (which through here is also primarily I-40) between Amarillo and Albuquerque, making it a great place for desert weary travelers to stop for the night.  In an attempt to build tourism back up the town ran a billboard campaign encouraging travelers to stay in “Tucumcari TONITE”.  The signs originally boasted that the town had 2000 motel rooms, but later updated that to 1200.  I imagine it’s even less now.  

Not everything is gone in Tucumcari.  The town of less than 5,000 boasts over 100 brightly colored murals painted in large part by one couple.  (Apparently, I missed getting a picture- there was even one where we parked.  Thankfully, someone else did.  You can check them out here https://shutterbugsage.com/2016/04/09/the-murals-of-tucumcari/).  You might recall the great city of Cuba, Missouri was also known for its public murals.  Though, I think as a city they had a bigger plan and purpose. 

The real gem and the reason we stopped in Tucumcari was the Blue Swallow Motel.  The Blue Swallow was opened in 1940 by a carpenter named W.A. Huggins and his wife.  The couple ran the Blue Swallow Court and cafe for a while and eventually sold it to a New Mexico Rancher who added two more rooms to the motor court.  Like the Boots Court Motel in Carthage, Missouri, the Blue Swallow has garage units built between the rooms all covered with a single roof.  The units remain today, but instead of housing cars they are decorated with brightly painted murals depicting a variety of images related to the Mother Road including of course Cars and a scene from Easy Rider.  

Lillian Redman owned the Blue Swallow from 1950 until the 1990’s.  She updated the name from court to motel and installed its famous neon sign.  Ms. Redman also made sure that every guest at the Blue Swallow Lodge received the following benediction: 

Greetings Traveler:
In ancient times, there was a prayer for “The Stranger Within our Gates.” Because this motel is a human institution to serve people, and not solely a money-making organization, we hope that God will grant you peace and rest while you are under our roof.
May this room and motel be your “second” home. May those you love be near you in thoughts and dreams. Even though we may not get to know you, we hope that you will be as comfortable and happy as if you were in your own house.
May the business that brought you this way prosper. May every call you make and every message you receive add to your joy. When you leave, may your journey be safe.
We are all travelers. From “birth till death,” we travel between the eternities. May these days be pleasant for you, profitable for society, helpful for those you meet, and a joy to those you know and love best.
Sincerely yours,  Lillian Redman

Lillian Redman (owner of the Blue Swallow Motel from 1958-1998)

The Blue Swallow has been sold several times since Lillian ran it, but it has remained a small family business.  Over time, it has been updated and modernized, but the families that have run it have been dedicated to preserving its beauty and historic charm. 

Most of the building has remained pink stucco with a shell pattern relief drawn into the stucco.  It is accented with bright blue and teal, and beckons you to come and stay.  We walked onto the property with a little trepidation but hoping we could get some pictures and see what art lurked in car parts.  We were greeted by Rob and Dawn, the current owners of the motel.  Both were incredibly friendly, and happy to let us take some pictures, but not video as they had guests.  Rob spent some time telling me about the preservation efforts they had made on the property.  He really felt that it was their job not just to provide for their guests but to preserve this piece of history.  The couple has refurbished the bright neon sign, and is proud of the motel’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. Tucumcari may not be a place on your travel destination list, but this little motel really should be.  This was honestly the first motel on Route 66 we stopped by that I was sad we didn’t actually stay the night.  

We left the Blue Swallow Motel, and headed for the Texas New Mexico border.  With that, we had officially completed all 2448 miles of the Mother Road.  

Before we set our course for home, we stopped by the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, Texas. This time it was open, and busy.  It was a charming cafe.  Modestly decorated in red, black and white.  The food was your standard diner food with sandwiches, burgers and pie.  If you’re traveling route 66 or even I-40 (it’s just off the exit) set aside some time and stop for lunch!

Thank you for following along with us on our journey!  Now we’ve got to figure out how to incorporate these sites into a fabulous and fun party!  #2448miles.