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
Tag: Tucumcari
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
More Route 66 miniatures from Willem Bor
Willem Bor of the Netherlands, who has gained renown for his exacting miniatures of Route 66 landmarks, recently has completed or is about to finish three more small-scale sites on the Mother Road. Bor recently finished another Route 66 trip, which you can read here. I have to admit, the reproductions are so good, I … Continue reading More Route 66 miniatures from Willem Bor
Former Tucumcari cop gets 4 1/2 years for arsons
A former police officer was sentenced last week to 4 1/2 years in prison for his role in two arson fires in Tucumcari, New Mexico, last year, including a closed motel on Route 66, according to the Quay County Sun. Dustin "Dusty" Lopez, the former officer, and co-defendant Robert Sandoval were sentenced for fires at … Continue reading Former Tucumcari cop gets 4 1/2 years for arsons
Two restaurants for sale in New Mexico
Two restaurants along Route 66 now are for sale in eastern New Mexico. Yvette Peacock recently announced in a Facebook post that the Rockin' Y's Roadhouse in Tucumcari is for sale because she's wanting to retire. More details were released at the Route 66 World website: Rockin’ Ys’ Roadhouse is a successful business on Route … Continue reading Two restaurants for sale in New Mexico
Full inventory of Negro Motorist Green Book sites released
Here's another reason to go on a road trip: The Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program has released a list of all the properties listed in the Negro Motorist Green Book from 1936 to 1964 during the Jim Crow era of rampant racial segregation. A full list of the properties and their statuses is here. Kaisa … Continue reading Full inventory of Negro Motorist Green Book sites released