A visit to the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico. I’d called our hosts, the Muellers, to inform them of our late arrival on the night of October 8, 2011. Outdoing Motel 6 by quite a bit, they “left the light on” for us–in this case their iconic neon sign. A note was on the door; they’d retired for the evening but our key was in the door of #15.
We’d never stayed there, having stayed in the nearby Palomino in the past. Beyond the sign, I didn’t know what to expect at the Blue Swallow but it turned out to be an experience in time travel. It’s been 4 years since we stayed there; I think they’ve developed a neighboring gas station into a retro exhibit. I know they’ve acquired another automotive mascot, a 1957 Hudson, to keep the one pictured (a 1951 Pontiac called The Chief) company.
Speaking of cars, there are garages attached to the rooms; we didn’t use ours due to the size of our truck (background, bottom photo). The garage was decorated with old signs from past decades of the Blue Swallow’s existence. Regardless, it was a great experience I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend, especially considering you can stay at a place like this for less than those cookie-cutter chain motels. My photos from October 8-9, 2011.
https://blueswallowmotel.com/
