We made our way to Tucumcari, New Mexico yesterday along Route 66 and stayed at the Blue Swallow Motel, said to be the most iconic motel along the entire route. It’s a neon dream on the National Register of Historic Places, and is one of the only remaining true motorcourts in the United States today. Guests park their cars in the little garages next to the rooms. Each garage has a theme – ours is the movie Cars. The rooms are decorated with vintage lamps and furniture, right down to the chenille bedspreads, shower fixtures, bathroom tiles, and the working rotary telephone.
The current owners moved here from Chicago after losing their jobs during Covid 19. They sold everything, cashed out their retirement, and rolled the dice on a whole new life. It paid off! They live right here on the premises in the same flat where the original owners lived, right down to the furniture, and run the place themselves. Originally, The Blue Swallow was a wedding gift for a bride on her wedding night, and these first owners ran it for decades before they died.
There are 14 rooms at this hotel, and you have to book well in advance to get a reservation. During the season, they sell out each night. We understand a lot more about the charm of a simpler life after spending one night here.
We walked around the side of the motel to the little courtyard where the colorful metal chairs awaited us and were joined by a couple from New York. He is a retired school superintendent, and she is a school guidance counselor one year away from retirement. We sat in the shade of the trees sharing all our favorite places we have traveled and our views of the world. We represented the gamut of the political spectrum, respected each other’s opinions, and enjoyed our time together so much ~ if there were more places just like this one, we might realize world peace. Or at least be more neighborly in a politically-charged world! This couple is selling everything they own in the coming year and will begin renting short-term units and traveling around the country to experience life in different places. What a dream! I’m excited for them!
Today, we will travel to our last stop on Route 66 on this trip – – Albuquerque, New Mexico. We’ll look for a fabulous piece of turquoise jewelry for my sister in law and visit the Sandia Peak Tramway in the Cibola National Forest.
I’ll post pictures later in the day!