#87 Blue Swallow Motel

​Tucumcari, New Mexico  

On the first stop of our 28-day road trip, we enjoyed some "100% refrigerated air!!" Who can resist a sign like this?

​Since 1940
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Don and I have stayed in a few vintage motor courts on Route 66, in Missouri and Oklahoma. This was our first stay on 66 in New Mexico.

​Tucumcari offers a lot of reminders of the glory days of the old Route, with lots of neon signage. The Blue Swallow sign is my favorite!

More Than a Sign
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There's a lot more than a cool sign at Blue Swallow.  There's a tidy pink stucco office with a glass block fountain nearby.

Family Owned
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We were welcomed by Cameron Mueller who runs the motel with his wife... at least until the end of their 5 week run. Then Cameron's parents come on duty.  He said he didn't know how his mom and dad used to run the place on their own.  He stood behind the original desk where an earlier owner, Mrs. Redmond used to check in guests... even when she was in a wheelchair 1998. 

Mrs. Redman's Influence
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Lillian Redman started making the property homey when she and her husband purchased the property in 1958.  Today, there are still welcoming places to sit... and hang your laundry. The Redmans updated with the current neon sign, which used the modern term "motel" instead of motor court.  They stuck it out, even when I-40 opened and fewer travelers drove Rt. 66.  Lillian always offered guests a copy of her benediction to Travelers (with lots of words about peace and rest) and if guests didn't have enough money, she allowed them to pay with whatever they could.

Our Room, Number 11
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We had a few colorful chairs near our little blue door and our awning covered window and porch step!  We also had a garage tucked in between our room and the next.  It was a tight squeeze, though.  And cars were so much bigger then!

​Conveniences of Home!

We dreamed about this nearby laundry room a couple weeks later.  On day one of our 4-week trip we had not accumulated laundry.

​Garages

The garage on the right was ours.  The garages with blue doors had been converted to the laundry and storage rooms.  You gotta love a motel with garages!

Colors and Shells
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This section of the L-shaped motel, shows the original colors and a newer neon sign.  There are shells in the texture of the entire motel stucco, but the multi-colored paint job in this area, spotlights the very fine seashells!

​Our Room

I love it that the interior decor is pretty consistent with the motel design.  The bed was a bit too Western for me, but I loved the Chenille spread!

Love the Lamps!
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I really don't know if any of these lamps are original, but they are just so darn fun that I don't care!  The phone was the real deal.  

 
​Black and White!

I'm happy to put up with a little inconvenience when enjoying some real vintage.  I love the old sink that required a plug, if you want to mix hot and cold to wash your face!  And who needs a bathroom fan when you have nifty shower window for steam control!  The best part was that it was all vintage AND clean!  There was even a stamp of approval on the folded end of the toilet paper roll!  

Making Use
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We were determined to enjoy every corner of the Blue Swallow.  We found a nice sitting spot and had a little New Mexican beer.  Ahhhh... a little bouncing on a metal chair, while the sound of wind-chimes blended with the occasional blast of motorcycles on the nearby Mother Road.

Car Posing
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I made Don pose with the old Ponitac before we walked down to dinner. There were numerous neon signs decorating the dark sky by the time we made it to Del's for dinner.

​What's Most Notable?
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​It was all about nostalgia.  I was born in the fifties, but I don't remember them.

This motel may be older than that, but it brings back the era that I learned to love, from when I first started watching I Love Lucy episodes. ​

The Blue Swallow was all about embracing that time. Luxurious? Not at all.  Comfy? Very!