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Murals of Tucumcari, New Mexico
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One of the joys of a road trip is that you never know what you’re going to find. We stopped at Tucumcari because it was a town on Route 66, and ended up enjoying their murals.
Cuba City, Missouri isn’t the only city with great wall art.
Tucumcari is a perfect Route 66 living nostalgia stop. It has the politically incorrect Teepee Curios with its large teepee entrance, and the 1940s Blue Swallow Motel.
But it also has over a dozen wall murals celebrating the history and culture of the city, often with a touch of whimsy. The creative works of Sharon and Doug Quarles, these pieces of wall art grace the sides of building turning brick into canvas.
Their "The Legendary Road" (shown above) is the largest mural on Route 66 dedicated to Route 66. It measures an impressive 14 ft. by 114 ft.
In the March 29, 2007 issue of The Route 66 Pulse, writer Bob (Crocodile) Lile noted one of his favorites. A favorite is on the smoke shop one block west on the south side. “Where’s My Horse” #1 and #2. A cowboy is looking for his horse through a Jackson Pollock looking abstract painting. On the West wall, the horse is hiding behind the painting. Read more of Lile’s article
On your way into (or out of town) enjoy the Route 66 Road Side Attraction sculpture by Tom Coffin. The sculpture sits three stories tall alongside Route 66 in front of the Tucumcari Convention Center on the west end of town and is their homage to Route 66.
The town calls the unofficial "Mural City" of Route 66 and Gateway City of Murals. Certainly, it’s worth the stop when traveling the Mother Road.
Pick up a map of the murals at the visitors center or download the map. Then, you can visit Tucumcari and decide which is your favorite.
Learn more about the Quarles and see more of their murals at: http://www.quarlesarts.com/
Read more about Tucumcari at: http://www.tucumcarinm.com/
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© Neala Schwartzberg, all rights reserved
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