Tucumcari, NM Part 1

We left Amarillo this morning to 53 degrees and windy. It made for a cold ride while we waited for the sun to come out. About 20 miles from our hotel, we stopped at the world famous Cadillac Ranch. In case you are not in the know, Cadillac Ranch is in a farmer's field, quite literally in the middle of nowhere that consists of 10 older model Cadillacs buried nose first in the ground; older model Cadillacs known for their great tail fins. It originated as an art project and has attracted wide spread attention since its inception in 1974.

Graffiti is not only permitted, it is encouraged. The thickness of the paint in some areas is incredible.

Route 66 follows I-40 through the panhandle in Texas. The roads in Texas work a bit different than where we hail from; Route 66 traffic has to yield to traffic entering and exiting the expressway and the entrance and exit ramps are at random locations. Also, the Texas panhandle is so flat you can see for miles in any direction. I spotted a cell tower on a slight rise up the road. I tracked it and finally reached it 8 miles later...amazing. Every State in which we have traveled have signs clearly marking Historic Route 66; Every State but Texas. Some local communities have erected signs but the State has not.

There are clearly more cows than people. We read that the population of the County we were in when I took this photo is about 2000. The population of cows at this farm exceeds 28,000.

A stop in Vega, Texas, proud to be on Route 66.

Great mural behind the cow.

This as a beautifully restored Magnolia filling station in Vega.

And behind the filling station is this arrow as a tribute to the Indians who used to travel these parts before there were roads.

And today, we reached Adrian, Texas which is midpoint on Route 66 and home of the Midpoint Cafe.

  Next to the Midpoint Cafe is the Sunflower Station, an eclectic mix of interesting merchandise, where Bud was working and provided lots of great information on places to see. Thanks for the tips, Bud!

And we have arrived at the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. This is a wonderfully restored motel and features one of the most iconic neon signs on Route 66. This is owned by Kevin and Nancy who bought this place 6 years ago and moved from Brighton, MI.

Once we settled in at the Blue Swallow, we drove around a bit to check out the area. They have multiple murals scattered around town that are very well done. Some are hard to photograph due to their size.

This one is hard to tell where the mural ends and the real background begins.

I love the sombrero on this Mexican Restaurant.

  
And beautiful Tucumcari Mountain...we saw this for miles on our drive in.





And another great view of the Blue Swallow Motel. One of the things we are refusing to do on this trip is to stay at or eat at any chain establishments. The local mom and pop shops are what made, not only this road, but our country so great. Blue Swallow is a perfect example of why this road continues to draw and will for years to come!