A Sign of the Times: New Mexico Part I

Historic Route 66, Tucumcari, NM

I love vintage signs. I love neon. I passed through Tucumcari, New Mexico three times in a year. First time was in a motorhome. After a long days drive, we just wanted to get to the RV park and rest. However, it was short stay and vowed to come back and take photos.

The next time, we were passing through on a motorcycle headed for Taos. Home to Taos was a 667 mile trek and we were determined to make it in one day. We ate a burger on the west side of town, and my husband promised if we kept going to make Taos by night fall, we could stop on the way back home and take photos.

Dammit! I broke my camera on that trip. My heart was ripping because I was in some of the most photo interesting part of the country-Taos, Santa Fe, Tucumcari, with a f-ing broken camera.

Fast-forward almost a year, and we were rolling through New Mexico on our way home for 3600 mile motorcycle ride through seven states. We were in a group of 10 riders, trying to make Amarillo by nightfall. (Not quite the George Strait song, but trying to beat the sun and a storm.)

However, fate was waiting for me. We came into Tucumcari just about dinner time and figured that was about as far as we were going to make it with a storm approaching. It was the next to the last day of our beautiful vacation. We had wonderful weather until then. So we weren't complaining.

We stopped and ate at Del's Restaurant just as it began to rain. Luckily, the motel was just next door. As I stood on the balcony of the luxurious Travel Lodge, I was able to take photos of the sun bouncing off the storm clouds to the east and of that huge steer on top of Del's neon sign.


Now patience is a virtue, I am told. The first few times I came through, I would have never gotten a shot like these. The storm and the time of day were perfect. Patience and fate pays off.

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After dinner, the rain was letting up, but everything was pretty soaked, including us. We passed by some really interesting motor courts on Historic Route 66 while trying to find Del's. I had only seen the Blue Swallow Motel during the bright day light. But just knew the sign had to be cool at night, assuming it worked. As we left Del's, I glanced down Route 66 about a half mile and saw the sign was lit. My husband could see how much I wanted to go. He told me"Load up, I'll drive you down there." The bike seat was soaked, the roads were soaked, but he did it. That is why I love him.


I jumped off the bike and snapped a couple of shots. The owner came out to tell us he had one room left and it had a garage. WOW, it was like I got thrown back into 1957. He was restoring a 50-something car out front. The motel was in pristine condition. This was true Americana.

©2009 Laura Smetak All rights reserved. All photos and stories on this blog are copyrighted and use without the artists express permission is prohibited.