The day began in Albuquerque, NM. When you start the day in a restaurant that is decorated in such a fun way, you know you’re going to have a good day. Welcome to the Range Cafe.
After spending the first half of the day enjoying the old town historic section of Albuquerque, spent the afternoon in the car driving to Tucumcari, a Route 66 town that was on my list to visit.
Driving on 40 is always an interesting experience. The drive was one of the shorter segments of the trip overall, and it was a fun adventure singing along with Shania Twain, Tim McGraw and Willie Nelson blasting through the speakers, windows down with cool air blowing through the car.
Fortunately the Saturday afternoon traffic wasn’t heavy as we spent a few miles playing “what’s going to happen next” with an 18-wheeler whose driver should NOT have been on the road. On pins and needles trying to stay away from him as he sped up, slowed down, weaved and changed lanes erratically. Such a relief when he finally exited the freeway after narrowly missing contact with several vehicles. Yikes.
Rolled into Tucumcari around 4:00 pm, pulled off the freeway at the perfect exit as it dumped us right on to Route 66. First section we drove through was a little sketchy, then reached the area that is in various stages of being refurbished.
Found the Chamber of Commerce that was fortunately open on a Saturday afternoon. We walked through the doors just before closing time, and Scott, who was at the desk, probably sighed as people were coming in just as he was getting ready to leave. We explained our road trip adventure and our desire to explore small towns and to experience what the locals enjoy. It was fun to see him light up while telling us about what was happening in the town. Had a great conversation, and he recommended three motels that had been restored, as well as a couple of restaurants to try.
Ended up staying at the Safari Motel – cute, comfortable and nicely restored.
And yes, there is a camel in the office along with the memorabilia.
After getting settled, our wild Saturday night started off with dinner at Del’s Restaurant. After a few days on the road, it was time to enjoy a cocktail. Ordered the steak dinner special and had a delightful conversation with our server Amber. She grew up in the area, went away to college, and ended up returning to Tucumcari as she really likes her home town.
After dinner we drove around a little to get the feel of Tucumcari, and then it was back to the motel. Our exciting evening included eating chocolate, reading, laughing and pulling out the map to plot the next destination before falling asleep early.
I woke up early and was up and out with my camera. Being a Sunday morning, there was very little activity and it gave me the freedom to roam and stop wherever I found something interesting. It was a little surreal to wander around deserted streets in a struggling town that was once so alive.
The section of Tucumcari that I explored is an interesting blend of restoration and decay. Like a lot of small towns that rely on tourism, COVID had an impact, and they were still recovering. The photos below reflect the Route 66 portion near the motel and the adjoining side streets.
Started to get hungry, so I wandered back to the hotel, we loaded up the car and headed to breakfast. Had a delicious meal at KIX on 66. Cute diner with friendly servers.
The people we met in Tucumcari couldn’t have been more friendly and helpful. If you have the chance to visit a small town and chat with the locals, please take the time to do so. By truly taking an interest in them and their town, they light up and the conversations are delightful.
After filling our stomachs, it was time to fill up the car and hit the road headed to Oklahoma to see what we could find.
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