Tucumcari, New Mexico
Thirteen miles of original Route 66 Portland concrete that is what you hit after driving through the ghost town of Texola, Oklahoma. The Texas state line and the thump, ka-thump of concrete to the journey. After seeing Texola, a town that looks deserted after Interstate 40 was built to the north of Route 66 and Texola. I immediately think back to a line George Bailey said in the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," this is not exact, "it is the small town people that do the most living and dying.".
George Bailey is right, the small town is the heart of our republic and sometimes eventhough it is America's heart, politicians and especially President Obama ignore and legislate laws and policy that impact or destroy small towns. By getting off the interstate and driving the old Route 66 you see the best in America like family, faith, community and work ethic. I also noticed how many Chrysler, Dodge & jeep dealers are in these small communities along with Ford and Chevrolet. I do not have the Chrysler dealership closing list at hand, but I must assume most of these dealers will close or adapt. The impact of the largest business in a small town closing could eventually turn that town into a ghost town.
This is not a gloom and doom post because one thing about those that call small towns home is that they are rugged individualists that work hard and the super majority will adapt. That is the flip side to the problem of over government intrusion into our lives, when government legislates in the name of progress, you must adapt.
When the Interstate system was built it bypassed hundreds of small towns, but only a few died. The reason, the towns adapted, changed focus, so that they would survive and thrive, and this leads me to Tucumcari, New Mexico.
"TUCUMCARI TONITE and On Historic Route 66!" is their slogan and the town has adapted to tourists travelling Route 66.
The town has a handful of 40's and 50's style motels, the oldest is the Blue Swallow Motel built in the 1940's from surplus WW II cabins, but the one I stayed the night is the Motel Safari, just down and across from the Blue Swallow.
The motel is a classic motel that you would expect on Route 66, but it has been updated to modern standards. Wi-FI, flat screen TVs, pillow top mattresses, speakman showerheads, plush towels, & all with small town hospitality. The motel is American owned and is a must stay on Route 66.
Here, is a town and here is a motel that is thriving because they wanted to live, so they adapted, they changed and now they have inspired me, because the point is:
myself, you as an individual, the business owner of Motel Safari, and residents of small towns have more control over their destiny than President Obama has or the government has, we the people do the most living and dying and yes we control our destiny and our lives not the government.
-Lex Rex
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