TePee Curios, Tucumcari, New Mexico Cushion

One of the flashiest neon signs along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, is Tepee Curios, which was (often was built in 1944 as a Gulf gas station, grocery, and souvenir shop. When Route 66 was widened in 1959, the tepee entrance was added and the pumps removed. The neon sign arrived during the 1960s. This icon of The Mother Road still attracts a following even after Interstate 40 rerouted much of the traffic from Route 66. On the back of the pillow is The Blue Swallow Motel's neon sign at night on the old Route 66 in Tucumcari. The Blue Swallow Motel has been serving travelers along the Route 66, the Mother Road, since 1939. The motel is a 12-unit L-shaped motel listed on the National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico as a part of historic U.S. Route 66. Original architectural features included a facade with pink stucco walls decorated with shell designs and a stepped parapet, on-site office and manager's residence and garages located between the sleeping units for travelers to park their cars.