Tucumcari Tonite, the website of the tourism department for the city of Tucumcari, New Mexico, uploaded three new videos Thursday. KC Keefer, who's known in Mother Road circles for his Genuine Route 66 Life video series, directed and produced the videos. If you've visited Tucumcari at all, you probably will recognize a few people in these clips. Here's … Continue reading “Tucumcari Tonite” videos go live
Tag: Tucumcari
Santa Rosa Route 66 museum closer to reality
Santa Rosa, New Mexico, and Classical Gas Museum owner Johnnie Meier have edged closer to an agreement to set up a Route 66 museum in the city's Ilfeld Warehouse. Last week's print edition of the The Communicator, based in Santa Rosa, reported the city and Meier were in on-and-off talks for almost a decade amid funding issues and other sticking … Continue reading Santa Rosa Route 66 museum closer to reality
Scenes from Rockabilly on the Route
Frank Kocevar, former owner of the Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona, put together this video from the recent Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Longtime Route 66 aficionados probably will recognize a few faces here. Rockabilly - 2016 Tucumcari, New Mexico from Route 66 Experience on Vimeo. The Quay County Sun … Continue reading Scenes from Rockabilly on the Route
So what really happened to the Blue Swallow Motel’s former owner?
A number of books, websites and even an application to the National Register of Historic Places tell a tragic story of Ted F. Jones, former owner of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. It was reported for years that Jones, a prominent eastern New Mexico rancher, owned the Route 66 motel through much of … Continue reading So what really happened to the Blue Swallow Motel’s former owner?
Tesla charging station added near Blue Swallow Motel
Tesla Motors this week added a charging station for electric vehicles at a defunct gas station next door to the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Tesla installed two charging stations specifically made for its cars, plus a third charging station for other EVs, on an island where the station's three gas pumps once stood. The … Continue reading Tesla charging station added near Blue Swallow Motel
Former co-owner of Blue Swallow Motel dies
Dale Bakke, a co-owner of the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, during a crucial time for the Route 66 landmark's preservation, died Jan. 4, a month short of his 61st birthday. Dale Bakke and his wife, Hilda, bought the motel in 1999, not long after owner Gene Shelton bought it from its longtime matriarch, Lillian Redman. … Continue reading Former co-owner of Blue Swallow Motel dies
Book review: “2 for $6 on Route 66”
If you want to know what it's like to run a motel on the Mother Road, Debra Whittington's "2 for $6 on Route 66" provides a vivid glimpse. Specifically, the book (140 pages, self-published, soft cover, $10) offers a glimpse from behind the desk of the now-gone Pony Soldier Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. The Whittington … Continue reading Book review: “2 for $6 on Route 66”
Rockin’ Y’s Roadhouse damaged by fire
A fire early Sunday heavily damaged Rockin' Y's Roadhouse on Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, and the restaurant will remain closed indefinitely while the owners and insurance adjusters assess the situation this week. Co-owner Yvette Peacock posted on Facebook on Sunday morning: At 2am, we got a call that will forever change our lives. Rockin' Ys' Roadhouse … Continue reading Rockin’ Y’s Roadhouse damaged by fire
Pony Soldier Motel sign in Tucumcari removed
The big Pony Soldier Motel sign, the last vestige of a Route 66 motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico, demolished years ago, was dismantled this week for a new business project on the site. A photo of the sign's dismantling was posted Thursday on the Tucumcari and Quay County Then and Now page on Facebook. Several readers on … Continue reading Pony Soldier Motel sign in Tucumcari removed
Double-homicide in Tucumcari finally gets resolution
A double-homicide in a motel room along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, in 2011 finally reached a sort of conclusion when the suspect pleaded no-contest to second-degree murder Tuesday. According to the Quay County Sun newspaper, Muziwokuthula Madonda, a native of South Africa, shot to death Tucumcari residents Gabriel Baca, 37, and Bobby Gonzales, … Continue reading Double-homicide in Tucumcari finally gets resolution