Motel Safari Route 66 In Tucumcari, New Mexico

Motel Safari Route 66 In Tucumcari, New Mexico

The Motel Safari Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico is one of the most popular motels on this portion of “the mother road”. This motel features motor courts, it has preserved one motor court with a few items from the era. This place was very clean. It has been remodeled and furnished to give you the look and feel of the 50’s and 60’s. The current owner purchased the motel 3 years ago after moving from Tennessee.

Going Back In Time

We had a great stay at this motel. The room was clean and meticulously decorated. They steered away from the mini fridge and microwave kitchenette option like many others have done to create a bit more space in the room. Although the decorations may not be from the time period, they are replicas to make the room more modern. For example, there is a retro radio in the room but it has bluetooth, lol. There is also a rotary phone but you push the buttons instead of rotating to dial.

Make Reservations

Like many other Historic Route 66 motels, you need to make reservations in advance, they can be made online. Check in at the Motel Safari Route 66 Tucumcari, New Mexico is at 3pm and they are strict on this. The office doesn’t even open until then. Due to a reduction in travel because of COVID, it was not very busy when we visited. There is lots to do and see in Tucumcari, New Mexico.

What To Eat

There are 2 exits from I-40 to Tucumcari. The road in between the exits is Route 66, we took a little time to drive up and down and see all of the old signs and gas stations. We stopped in at Del’s Restaurant to grab some dinner after we checked into the motel. Del’s had so many options but our favorite was the southwestern take on Mexican food. Due to COVID restrictions indoor dining was not allowed but we took our food back to the motel and at in our room. The food is delicious, I highly recommend eating here.

Take A Drive

The next day we walked up and down Route 66 getting a closer look at some of the cool shops and photo ops. There are lots of murals in the city, you can actually do a self guided mural tour. One of the murals was painted on the Motel Safari Route 66 Tucumcari, New Mexico. You’ll see several others painted on restaurants and the other motels on Route 66.

Kix On 66

The next day we had brunch at Kix on 66. This restaurant used to be a Denny’s when they first opened, it was later converted to Kix on 66. We were able to eat on the patio since indoor dining was closed. They had a nice patio area where they placed umbrellas on each table to add a shield from the sun. Our brunch was fantastic, we had eggs scrambled with chorizo and delicious pancakes with hashbrowns.

Get You Kicks

Tucumcari has a lot to offer for the Route 66 lover in you. There are several museums, lots of great, classic restaurants and of course, the local motels. Sundays are slow days in Tucumcari, many establishments are closed, including local run restaurants. Plan you trip accordingly.