NEW MEXICO

A welcoming sight in New Mexico : the promise of lots of places to sleep in Tucumcari (city of 2000 rooms ):

Aruba Motel and Tiki Restaurant at 1700 East Tucumcari Boulevard. 28 units here.

Of the Blue Swallow Motel I do not have a ‘vintage’ postcard. I had the pleasure though of meeting with

Mrs. Lillian Redman in 1993. The third card is a painting by Route 66 artist Jerry McClanahan.

Circle S Motel had 38 units and welcomed U Hauls and trucks

The Circle S Ranch Court was built, owned and managed by John and Callie Sefcik. Is it the same property as the one above ?

A panoramic view of the Golden W Motel, 45 units owned and operated by Mr. And Mrs. W.C. Bryan.

Ramada Inn, 61 units here.

Royal George Inn, a nice plug for G.E. on the back of the card which was stamped in 1968.

Two images of the Town House Motel, co-owned by the Howards and the Barnards. First card stamped in 1961, the

second one dated 1965.

Santa Rosa offers fine lodging too :

La Loma Lodge featured beautiful Franciscan furniture.

Twenty-two modern lodges at the Rancho Motor Lodge for summer and winter comfort.

The Santa Rosa Courts featured garages and you could fill up with Conoco gas here.

John J. Coury owned the Sun ‘n’ Sand Motel. Nice neon sign of the New Mexico emblem there.

Santa Fe was on the pre-1937 alignment of Route 66 according the Tom Snyder guidebook, some pretty neat motels here :

The Adobe Motel was on highway 85 south, on the way to Albuquerque.

A great panoramic view of the Desert Inn at 311 College. Clyde and Goldie Tyler owned this motel.

La Casa Judy Motel right on US 85, 40 rooms accomodating one to 9 persons. Owned and operated by Joe A. Kendrick, in 1953 at leats it was !

The La Fonda Hotel may not be a motel but it is too much of an icon not to include it here. First card shows the patio,

second card is a multi-view.

The Ramada Inn with some great looking cars in front.

A linen card stamped in 1945 shows Scotts Hacienda Court. Situated on Highway 85.

The TraveLodge at 646 Cerrillos Road (or business 85). Yes, Sleepy Bear is Everywhere !

Western Scene Motel at 1608 Cerrillos Road, across from the US Indian School.

In Moriarty we find the Cactus Motel. Charles and Maria McPherson (CWO USA Retired) owned this place.

Not too far off was the Sands Motel. Card stamped in 1968.

And then we get to Albuquerque. Route 66 ran through town as Central Avenue. Some wonderful properties to look at, listed alphabetically :

Acoma Lodge at 4443 W. Central Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Russell owned and managed the Lodge.

The Alvarado Hotel , again not a motel but too nice not to include it here.

At 12999 Central NE we found the Americana Motor Inn, Hank and Mary Martins were your hosts. Card was stamped in 1966.

The Aztec Court at 3821 East Central Avenue. The beauty on this linen card, stamped in 1948) was co-owned by Wes. T. and Bertha

Meyer and Wm. And Emma Geck.

Mr. and Mrs. Baxter E. Caviness ran the Canyon Motel at 13001 Central Avenue NE.

Best Western was represented here by the Capri Motor Hotel on the corner of 12^th and Central West, of which there are two

images. The second one is definitely the oldest of the two.

The Country Club Court must have been an old 66 favorite. M.R. and Dorothea Smidt owned this property

on 2411 Central Avenue West.

A view of the De Anza Motor Lodge from what looks like the late 1950’s. The motel was named after a Spanish Governor .

Address was 4301 Central Avenue East at Washington.

Another view from the late fifties, this time the Desert Inn at 918 Central Avenue SW. Clyde and Goldie Tyler (remember them from the

Desert Inn in Santa Fe ?) owned this place as well.

717 Central Avenue NW was were you found the Downtowner Motor Inn. Card stamped in 1969.

The El Camino Lodge was on 6801 N. Fourth or US 85. This was the road coming from Santa Fe and hence on the old alignment of 66.

Nice real photo card.

Two images for the El Don at 2222 W. Central. The first card is an old type chrome with the looks of a linen card’s

artwork, the owners were Mr. and Mrs. Dan Eitzen. The second card is presumably newer and is a photo, the owners

here are Rolly and Marian Pease. (did the Eitzens move to the Sandia ?)

The Gaslite Motel at 601 Central NE was a member of the Friendship Inn group.

At 918 Central Ave SW was the Grand Western Motor Inn, where ‘the price is right’ !

Another ‘oldie’, the Guest Court at 6606 E Central. A nice linen card of ‘one of the old established courts’.

Two images for the Holiday Inn East at 12901 Central Ave NE. The first card was stamped in 1969, the second shows a view

from the air.

A sunken garden was the feature of La Hacienda Motel at 6214 Central SW.

The previous owner of this card stayed at the Lorlodge West in 1967. It was located at 1020 Central SW.

At 9119 Central Avenue N.E. was the Luna Lodge, a 28 unit property where you could go for a bit to eat as well.

Motel 6 at 13141 Central Avenue NE.

Not the largest but the best boasted the Premiere Motel in this card that was stamped in 1946.

Two images for the great Pueblo Bonito Court, both linen cards, the first one stamped in 1953.

This property was located at 2424 W. Central (2400 W. Central in the second card !) and was owned by Roland Hill.

Plenty of pool-activity at the Ramada Inn, located on 25 Hotel Circle N.E.. The first card was stamped in 1963. Second card looks to be from the sixties as well, neat courtesy bus there !

The Sandia Motel at 3416 W. Central, run by Mr. and Mrs. Dan W. Eitzen. (remember them from the El Don ? )

Card was stamped in 1948.

At 601 Central Avenue NE was the Sentry Hiway House #1 where ‘We Guard your Comfort”. Part of a small chain apparently.

Look at the Gaslite Motel above, it is the same building .

Naturally there is a TraveLodge here as well : 615 Central N.E., 40 units this one.

The Tropicana Lodge, represented in this panoramic card, was at 8814 Central Avenue SE,

Mr. M.J. Warner was the owner – manager.

White Winrock Motor Hotel was in the 18 Winrock Shopping Center NE (I-40 at Louisiana Boulevard exit)

Last one in Albuquerque is the Zia Lodge at 4611 East Central Avenue. A nice linen card of a motel owned by

Mr. and Mrs. Ewing Wilcox. (The name of the previous owners, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Sparlin, was still legible).

In Cubero we find the Villa de Cubero with a restaurant in connection, Indian curios, general merchandise, gas and oil.

Nice graphics on this linen card.

A TraveLodge at 1204 E. Santa Fe Avenue in Grants, for the best rest, East or West.

When we arrive in Gallup we have a good choice again :

Blue Spruce Lodge, owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. John Milosevich. This card was stamped in 1956.

Four blocks from downtown was the Cactus Motel, card stamped in 1957.

The Desert Skies Motor Hotel also had a beauty salon, a novel combination !

A modern-looking card of the Econo Lodge at 3101 West Highway 66.

El Capitan Motel was at 1300 East 66.

From the time when most travelers arrived by train and not a motel, but hey, what a great image, El Navaho,

the new Santa Fe Hotel and Station. A Fred Harvey place represented on the Phostint card.

We stayed in the Motel part of the El Rancho Hotel in 1993. When this card was published Armand Ortega owned this place.

In 1971 someone sent this card from the Holiday Inn.

The Log Cabin Lodge was ¼ mile west of the business center and shown on this monochromatic card.

Also on 66 was the Ramada Inn.

At 1903 West 66 was the Royal Holliday Motel which had 50 units. Yes, here the name was spelled with two L’s.

Two images, only slightly different.

A more recent card apparently, now it is named the Royal Holiday Motel with only one L. I liked the old sign better though !

Two images for the Shalimar Inn. The second card was stamped in 1964, my guess is that the first card is younger.

The Thunderbird Lodge had an excellent restaurant, the Ranch Kitchen, next door. The card was stamped in 1967.

Last stop is the Whiting Bros. Motel. Part of a small chain, all located along I-40 (read US 66)