Kathy & I spent a night at this motel on the “strip” in Tucumcari, New Mexico. A town with a long history as one of the highlights of Route 66, Tucumcari is struggling a bit these days, although a few of the classic hotels appear to be doing a remarkable job of hanging on. The Motel Safari is one example of those classic hotels. I’ll have more to say regarding our Route 66 experience, but suffice it to say that we would not hesitate to return to this motel.
Tucumcari is (this) photographer’s dream place. We spent 2 days there, but didn’t do any night photography for some odd reason. You should be listening to Little Feat’s “Willin'” while there. A few years back I did a photo road trip based on the song, ending in Tucumcari. Needless to say I’m a tad jealous of your trip.
We didn’t listen to Little Feat, but if it’s any consolation we did stay in the Rawhide Suite which was decorated with Clint Eastwood memorabilia. 😉 The hotel was fantastic – clean, neat and like living in someone’s guest room. I also photographed the Blue Swallow, which I understand is similarly well-kept.
What a wonderful trip this has been so far. I’m enjoying it
More to come!