Route 66

Blue Swallow Motel 1

The Blue Swallow Motel was built in 1940 along the historic Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. It is still in operation today.

Blue Swallow Motel 2

The Blue Swallow Motel was built in 1940 along the historic Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico. It is still in operation today.

Kamp Ground

The abandoned Kamp Ground in Two Guns Arizona. Two Guns was, in the past, the site of a major confrontation between the Navajos and the Apaches in the 19th century. Its modern history begins when the site is recognized as an easy place to cross Canyon Diablo--first, by wagon, and then later by motor cars. It was originally called "Canyon Lodge" when the National Trail Highway moved westward; when the Trail was re-named Route 66, the site's name was changed to Two Guns, because the proprietor of the facilities located there was one Henry E. Miller, who called himself "Two Gun Miller" (for reasons unknown). During the heyday of Route 66, Two Guns became one of the numerous tourist traps along the way, with a gas station, overnighting accommodations, a food emporium, etc., as well as the zoo (signs of which are still visible from the Interstate). 2021 Update - sadly, this beautiful remnant of Rt 66 is no longer standing.

Ranch House Cafe

The Ranch House Cafe used to serve up Mexican food to weary travelers on Rt 66 but now it's empty and this colorful truck and sign are all that is left.

Tucumcari Trading Post

Old gas pumps and an old tow truck sit outside this historic store on Route 66 in Tucumcari, NM.

DeSoto

Exploring an abandoned gas station and when I went up and looked through the very dirt bay windows this beauty is still sitting inside. Did the owner fail to pay and the business then closed trapping this car? I'd love to know the story.

Green Truck

There are a lot of abandoned buildings along the old Route 66 and some of these still have these vehicles parked outside.

Route 66

While traveling down Rt 66 in New Mexico I saw an old building with a rusty pickup next to it. I pulled over and when I wandered behind the building I found these beauties. Sitting as they have been for decades.

Broken Windshield

Another iron classic along Route 66. I'm always curious as to why these vehicles were abandoned.

Abandoned Car

An abandoned car sits in the almost ghost town of San Fidel, NM.

WigWam Motel

The Wigwam Motel is a motel chain in the United States built during the 1930s and 1940s. The rooms are built in the form of tipis, mistakenly referred to as wigwams. This is one of the surviving ones located in Holbrook, AZ.

The Wigwam Motel in Holbrook, AZ

The Wigwam Motel is a motel chain in the United States built during the 1930s and 1940s. The rooms are built in the form of tipis, mistakenly referred to as wigwams. This is one of the surviving ones located in Holbrook, AZ.

WigWam Motel in Black and White

Getting your kicks on Route 66 as you pass through Arizona included a stay in a wigwam (teepee) in this iconic motel.

Neon Store

A lot of businesses along Route 66 capitalize on their historic location including this neon shop in Albuquerque, NM.

El Camino Motor Hotel

Just off of Route 66 in Albuquerque is the El Camino Motor Hotel. Neon attracted weary travelers and many businesses keep up these old neon signs even if the building has been renovated.

Tee Pee Curios

Tee Pee Curios and their iconic tee pee sit along side Route 66 in Tucumcari, NM, as they have for decades. Many travelers loved stopping for Southwestern and especially Native American souvenirs while traveling the Mother Road.

Allen's Garage

"Route 66 is the essence of Americana: The Mother Road as America’s Main Street, embodies the core small-town values of America, with its Mom-and-Pop stores, its vintage service stations, motels, and diners. It is also a representation of freedom, a roaming, mobile, and automobile-oriented society, where new horizons for personal growth and experiences can always be found." -Austin Whithal Allen's Garage opened in 1955 and sits in the tiny village of Bluewater, NM, along Route 66.

The Dog House

This little spot, with its delightful dachshund sign, has been serving great footlong chili cheese dogs for over 50 years. The Dog House was one of Albuquerque's first "fast food" drive-ins, and it offered car hop service and some indoor seating. In 1969, the Dog House moved 2 blocks west on Central Avenue, America's Route 66. They still provide car hops and a handful of inside seats in a space not much larger than a shoe box, and have kept the same beloved chili recipe through the years.

Route 66 Relics

Relics from a golden age still lie along side Route 66 near the New Mexico / Arizona border.

Route 66/Central Ave

Route 66 went right through the heart of Albuquerque and this neon sign highlights the western end in town.

Route 66 / Central Ave in Albuquerque

Route 66 went right through the heart of Albuquerque and this neon sign highlights the western end in town.

The Bus Stop

The bus stop along Central Ave (Route 66) in Albuquerque, NM. The iconic Frontier Restaurant and the University of NM are the main things along this historic stretch of road.

Light Trails Along Route 66

Route 66 has changed and in Albuquerque, NM, next to the University of New Mexico this modern bus stop stands in sharp contrast to the old Rt 66 bus stops. Cars driving by provided the light trails.

Budville Trading Post

Named for H.N. “Bud” Rice, it got its start when Bud and his wife Flossie opened an automobile service in 1928. Soon afterward they opened the Budville Trading Company, and over the years — a gas station, a few cabins, and the only tow company between the Rio Puerco River and Grants for a number of years. They also sold bus tickets, operated a post office, and Bud served as the Justice of Peace, a position in which he was known to have issued steep fines, especially to anyone outside of the area. Having operated the business for 39 years, the store was held up by a desperado in November 1967. There were four people in the building at the time — Bud, Flossie, an 82-year old retired school teacher named Blanche Brown who worked part-time, and a housekeeper named Nettie Buckley. Within moments, shots were fired and the gunman fled leaving behind a scene that would earn the trading post the moniker of “Bloodville.” Fifty-Four-year-old Bud Rice and the elderly shop keeper Blanch Brown were dead. Flossie and the housekeeper survived. Though arrests were made, no one was ever convicted of the crime.