Tucumcari Tonight Mural - Route 66 Acrylic Print

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Painted by artists Doug and Sharon Quarles, this weathered Tucumcari Tonight mural depicts an old Buick convertible parked in the desert in front of Mesa Tucumcari just outside Tucumcari, New Mexico.

During the heyday of Route 66, hundreds of billboards from Chicago to LA lined Route 66 with the slogan “Tucumcari Tonight,” inviting weary travelers to stay in one of their 2000 motel rooms. While that number of rooms later dropped to 1200, Tucumcari is still a popular stopping point since it is the largest city between Amarillo, Texas, and Albuquerque, New Mexico. As a result, it became one of the most famous and successful slogans along the Mother Road.

Tucumcari later abandoned the campaign using “Gateway to the West,” which never had the same impact, but in 2008 the city returned to the “Tucumcari Tonight” slogan.

Copyright 2021 Susan Rissi Tregoning

I'm a travel photographer that enjoys photographing United States architecture, nature, and transportation. As the 8th photographer in 4 generations of my family, I don't remember a time when photography was not part of my life. By the time I was five years old, I was standing on a stool in the darkroom, helping my dad develop pictures. It was my job to transfer the photos from the hypo to the water bath. I went to college for interior design. After I graduated, I had a long successful career as an art buyer and designer for a large home furnishings company. In 2006, I had a significant life change. My husband became a medical traveler, and I decided to put my career on hold to tag along. In the process, I found my roots again. What...