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340:. Original architectural features included a façade 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 motorcars. It is one of the longest continuously operated motels along New Mexico's slice of Route 66. The Swallow from the sign can be seen in the movie
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The motel was built by carpenter W.A. Huggins in 1939, and by July 1941 was open and operating with a café on-site. Ted and
Marjorie Jones, who came to Tucumcari in 1944, were the first long-term operators of the motel. The property was purchased by Floyd Redman in 1958 as an engagement present to
402:
A resident of
Tucumcari since 1923 (having arrived in New Mexico with her family in a covered wagon in 1915), Lillian Redman would operate the Blue Swallow for four decades, continuing independently after Floyd's death in 1973 and ultimately selling the motel in 1998. She then moved to a small house
419:
After
Lillian Redman sold the motel in 1998, owners Dale and Hilda Bakke made substantial restoration efforts, repairing the 1960 neon lighting, adding a vintage rotary phone system, replacing hardwood flooring with carpeting and monochrome television sets with color TVs. Each room includes vintage
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lighting and period furniture. Bill and Terri Kinder purchased the Blue
Swallow in 2006, selling it to Kevin and Nancy Mueller in 2011. Robert and Dawn Federico purchased the motel in 2020.
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When Route 66 was closed to the majority of traffic and the other highway came in, I felt just like I had lost an old friend. But some of us stuck it out and are still here on Route 66.
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as "the last, best and friendliest of the old-time motels", the Blue
Swallow Motel remains in profitable operation today, benefiting from publicity generated by the efforts of various
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advertised "Tucumcari
Tonight!" and "2000 motel rooms" for many miles) and the years of decline which followed the loss of US 66 traffic to a newly constructed
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proclaiming "TV" and "100% Refrigerated Air". It would continue in operation through both the heyday of post-war
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to create the "Cozy Cone Motel" (and the town of
Tucumcari itself inspired the mountain in Radiator Springs).
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nearby and would often visit the property and its new owners until her death, at 89 years of age, in 1999.
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University and college buildings listed on the
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included visits to this and many other well-known Route 66 landmarks; in the film,
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at the Cozy Cone Motel displays Blue
Swallow's "100% Refrigerated Air" slogan.
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Hotel buildings on the
National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico
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National Register of Historic Places listings in Quay County, New Mexico
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List of jails and prisons on the National Register of Historic Places
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589:. Images of America. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing. p. 17.
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Hogs On 66: Best Feed and Hangouts for Road Trips on Route 66
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National Register of Historic Places in Quay County, New Mexico
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529:"Did 'Back to the Future' get an idea from Blue Swallow Motel?"
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acknowledges Dale & Hilda Bakke, The Blue Swallow Motel,
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Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary: Route 66
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History of the National Register of Historic Places
650:"Four Corners-A Literary Excursion Across America"
334:National Register of Historic Places in New Mexico
1040:List of U.S. National Historic Landmarks by state
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1432:National Register of Historic Places portal
882:"10 great places to find the kinks on Route 66"
880:Knowles, Drew; Court, Ayesha (August 7, 2006).
964:
857:"Blue Swallow Motel announces its new owners"
737:. Tulsa, OK: Council Oak Books. p. 119.
619:"Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, New Mexico"
346:, and inspired the creators of Pixar's movie
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816:"10 great places to stay at a vintage motel"
814:Doug Kirby; Larry Bleiberg (June 28, 2012).
730:
555:"Blue Swallow Motel: Tucumcari, New Mexico"
499:"NPS Focus: Blue Swallow Motel (#93001210)"
465:National Register of Historic Places portal
16:Historic place in New Mexico, United States
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923:at 1:54:48 in the movie's closing credits.
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1473:Buildings and structures on U.S. Route 66
980:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
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415:Blue Swallow Motel on U.S. Route 66, 2012
104:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
831:"Blue Swallow Motel acquires new owners"
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113:NM State Register of Cultural Properties
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731:Wallis, Michael; Clark, Marian (2004).
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503:National Register of Historic Places
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1395:National Historic Preservation Act
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527:Warnick, Ron (10 January 2015).
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767:"Route 66 still has some kicks"
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433:to keep the old highway alive.
263:Route 66 through New Mexico MPS
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994:Architectural style categories
765:John Flinn (October 5, 2012).
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617:Weiser, Kathy (October 2008).
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829:Warnick, Ron (May 12, 2011).
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170:Show map of the United States
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1493:U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico
1478:Motels in the United States
855:Warnick, Ron (2020-07-11).
795:. San Jose State University
675:Mulhern, John III (2006).
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221:U.S. Route 66 in New Mexico
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1483:Hotels established in 1941
1400:Historic Preservation Fund
1379:American Legation, Morocco
712:. Blue Swallow Motel. 2011
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343:Back to the Future Part II
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678:A 21st Century Road Trip
250:Architectural style
201:35.171866°N 103.716421°W
648:Phillips, Dan Kenneth.
583:Sonderman, Joe (2010).
1317:Minor Outlying Islands
1300:Lists by insular areas
1014:Keeper of the Register
586:Route 66 in New Mexico
416:
400:
380:system (when roadside
336:as a part of historic
307:Designated NMSRCP
206:35.171866; -103.716421
145:Show map of New Mexico
1468:Tucumcari, New Mexico
1019:National Park Service
999:Contributing property
563:National Park Service
507:National Park Service
431:Route 66 associations
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326:Tucumcari, New Mexico
49:Tucumcari, New Mexico
1374:District of Columbia
945:at Wikimedia Commons
426:Smithsonian Magazine
253:Southwest Vernacular
58:815 E Tucumcari Blvd
789:"New Mexico Motels"
656:on October 18, 2011
197: /
40:General information
943:Blue Swallow Motel
917:, November 7, 2006
681:. J3Studio Press.
623:Legends of America
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366:Blue Swallow Motel
361:his wife Lillian.
322:Blue Swallow Court
310:September 17, 1993
22:Blue Swallow Motel
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1004:Historic district
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629:on March 20, 2012
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302:November 22, 1993
294:Significant dates
85:.blueswallowmotel
63:Other information
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891:. Retrieved
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818:. USA Today.
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370:neon signage
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281:NMSRCP
1367:Other areas
1327:Puerto Rico
1161:Mississippi
1076:Connecticut
915:Walt Disney
407:Restoration
376:on the old
204: /
192:103°42′59″W
180:Coordinates
1457:Categories
1276:Washington
1196:New Mexico
1191:New Jersey
1066:California
866:2020-08-16
773:2012-10-08
484:References
382:billboards
378:US Highway
189:35°10′19″N
1286:Wisconsin
1251:Tennessee
1156:Minnesota
1131:Louisiana
887:USA Today
710:"History"
538:6 January
423:Named by
242:Architect
1442:Category
1271:Virginia
1221:Oklahoma
1201:New York
1176:Nebraska
1166:Missouri
1151:Michigan
1141:Maryland
1126:Kentucky
1106:Illinois
1081:Delaware
1071:Colorado
1061:Arkansas
893:April 2,
840:April 2,
799:April 2,
750:April 6,
716:April 2,
694:April 5,
660:April 2,
633:April 2,
602:April 5,
568:April 2,
512:April 5,
451:See also
395:—
275:93001210
45:Location
1388:Related
1291:Wyoming
1266:Vermont
1171:Montana
1111:Indiana
1091:Georgia
1086:Florida
1056:Arizona
1046:Alabama
913:(DVD),
553:Staff.
497:Staff.
374:tourism
364:As the
356:History
232: (
76:Website
55:Address
1226:Oregon
1181:Nevada
1121:Kansas
1096:Hawaii
1051:Alaska
987:Topics
741:
685:
593:
1358:Palau
1256:Texas
1136:Maine
1101:Idaho
435:Pixar
330:motel
227:Built
1312:Guam
1261:Utah
1216:Ohio
1116:Iowa
910:Cars
895:2012
842:2012
801:2012
752:2012
739:ISBN
718:2012
696:2012
683:ISBN
662:2012
635:2012
604:2012
591:ISBN
570:2012
540:2024
514:2012
440:Cars
349:Cars
320:The
288:1575
234:1939
230:1939
217:Area
87:.com
324:in
283:No.
270:No.
259:MPS
83:www
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