New Tucumcari billboards, banners

It’s not a new slogan, but new “Tucumcari Tonite!” billboards to publicize the Route 66 town of Tucumcari, N.M., are about to go up along Interstate 40.

There also will be “Tucumcari Tonite!” banners of a similar design along the city’s main drags, including Route 66. There also are several Tucumcari centennial banners.

Richard Talley, owner of the the Motel Safari in town, wrote:

You will be able to see the billboards out on the road soon. The first two the furthest out will be coming from Albuquerque, about 1 1/2 hours west of Santa Rosa, while driving east towards Tucumcari, and the other one just 5 minutes east of Amarillo, driving west towards Tucumcari. A third one will also be installed just 30 minutes west of Santa Rosa, also driving east towards Tucumcari. They will all be lit, jumbo-sized and each will feature a different attraction to be seen in Tucumcari. More will slowly be added over the next year, to complete the first phase on I-40, which will equally fill in the gaps between, in each direction, all the way to Tucumcari. Then we hope to continue out further in each direction, through more states across the route, as well as other locations north and south. Both the billboards and banners have already been fully approved, signed for, should be completed close to the end of the month and installed rather quickly.

Talley added that Route 66 shields also will be painted on the road surface in town to help guide travelers.

Talley said the new campaign wouldn’t have happened without the support of the Lodger’s Tax Advisory Board (Blue Swallow Motel co-owner Bill Kinder also is a member) and City Commissioner Jim Lafferty.

The previous, short-lived ad slogan for Tucumcari was “Gateway to the West,” a motto which has been used by St. Louis for decades. “Tucumcari Tonite!” is a throwback to the town’s old slogan and its Route 66 heyday. It’s still a big overnight stopover for miles around, as more than 1,200 motel rooms are available there.

(Illustration of “Tucumcari Tonite!” billboard courtesy of Richard Talley.)