I love old motels--and anything "Route 66"--so we went here for my birthday. Best birthday weekend ever. All I wanted was to get out of ABQ, relax, hole-up in a room with my sweetie and play gin rummy and the like. Perfect. That said, we did tour the town (saw the dinosaur museum among other things) and Bill (owner) gave us free tickets to the rodeo, which was really quite fun.

If you're looking for a booming town or nightlife, this is not the town for you--lots of abandoned building. If you're looking for lodging that's large, anonymous, with all the latest and greatest amenities, this is not the motel for you.

If you're looking for the sort of "down-home" hospitality that privately owned, mom and pop establishments in New Mexico seem to excel at, this is the place for you. Bill and Teri are friendly, helpful, and informative. Each of the two mornings we were there, I went outside to sit in the chairs in front of each room to smoke a cigarette (NO smoking in the rooms), and Bill would bring coffee!

The rooms were cozy--tho large enough, clean, and unique. The bathroom in our unit was smallish with a tiled shower (no tub). The grounds were well-kept and while we were there, Bill and his son were hard at work making improvements.

A final note: like attracts like--even the other guests were friendly!

My friend and I recently traveled from Birmingham to New Mexico. The Blue Swallow had been recommended by another friend who had stayed at the motel. The owners, Bill and Teri, have poured themselves and their money into reviving this pre-WWII motel. Each room has a garage but today's cars (even Jane's VW) will fit, so each is now painted with a mural that represents movies whose actors, directors, etc. have stayed at the Blue Swallow: among others, Clark Gable, James Dean, the cast of "Easy Rider" . . . and last summer, Sir Paul McCartney. Part of the charm is the fact that this isn't the typical interstate hotel experience.

The room was spotless, the owners delightful, and the memories invoked by the stay priceless. I hope that the current owners' vision and hard work will be contagious so that the area will experience revitalization. Tucumcari could become a mecca for creative types and entrepreneurs with vision.

We enjoyed the experience so much that we stopped by for a visit after our time in Taos, Abiquiu, and Santa Fe. Both of us wish Bill and Teri all the best. They have worked hard to keep a bit of the past alive and have the gift of hospitality.

Our family had the pleasure of staying at the Blue Swallow this Summer in route to Santa Fe. The hospitality was exceptional and the rooms, while modest in size and decor, are nice and clean. This motor-court style motel is straight out of the movie "Cars" and the town has a wonderful display of neon signs. If you are looking for a night or two of Rt. 66 nostalgia, this is your place.