Normally I’m reluctant to stay in old motels, preferring a good, clean Hampton Inn with doors that open into hallways instead of out directly into the world. But as we did our research about the things to do ( don’t miss Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, for example) and iconic places to stay along Route 66 when we drove from Chicago to Albuquerque in June of 2023, we learned that we’d be missing a big part of the Route 66 experience if we ruled out motels. So we stayed at the Wagon Wheel in Cuba, Missouri and the Blue Swallow in Tucumcari, New Mexico as two of our “iconic motel” choices.
These motels have largely been “redone” over time to make improvements in plumbing and HVAC systems, but they have preserved the retro feel of the rooms, right down to issuing metal keys on triangular keyrings that have the room number on them. If you’re planning a trip down 66 anytime for the 100th Anniversary of The Mother Road, I highly recommend The Blue Swallow Motel. And if you’re into souvenirs, you can buy a keyring to take with you!
Stays and Sprays on 66
Blue Swallow Motel
Cadillac Ranch spray painting
Route 66 fun!
Common Threads 
Kim,
Like you I generally prefer modern hotels, but I remember you asked me if we’d stayed in any old school motels. We did during our PCH trip. I need to share the photos w/ you. One was in San Francisco right down on Lombard Street and offered free parking.
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Glenda, that sounds amazing! I can’t wait to see. There is a place in Georgia called Trenton that has just breathed life back into a retro motel and has themed rooms you can request. It’s up near a gorgeous campground in the northwest corner of Georgia, and I have been hoping to see it sometime. There is a spiritual sense of history and present timelines overlapping when these places for travelers intersect not only on the physical journey but on the timestamp of presence in a place as well.
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Looks like fun, Kim!
You’ve prompted me to turn on Springsteen’s Cadillac Ranch. Haven’t listened to that in a while.
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Sharon, I need to listen to that one too! I was truly hoping to finish Route 66 this year on the 100th anniversary of it, but my husband isn’t retired yet, so that will be a challenge!
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