Get your kicks on Route 66…..or what’s left of it. I am pretty sure this is the exact town that they based the Disney Pixar movie Cars off of! No kidding it is full of old closed buildings, the cutest old fashioned motels, and is in the middle of the desert. Welcome to Tucumcari, New Mexico!
We found Tucumcari, New Mexico in an old book that my mom had that listed a bucket list of places to visit in America, so we drove over to see how this little middle of no where town made it into a book of the best spots in the USA. This small town is very old, but has still has an old time charm to it. The old abandoned buildings have been painted with all sorts of murals, there are antiques lining the streets, T-Rex foot-prints on the road guiding you to the dinosaurs, and an enormous selection of Mexican restaurants to choose from.
I wouldn’t say it was the best place I have ever been to, but if you are looking to go back in time, slow down, and take in the heat; this is the place to go!
Things To Do In Tucumcari, New Mexico:
Mesalands Dinosaur Museum
So when I said go back in time I mean millions of years ago when dinosaurs roamed the land. Once you get off the interstate there are green T-Rex tracks on the road. Follow them to the Mesalands Dinosaur Museum. This little museum is filled with gemstones, bones, and dinosaurs!
Like I said it is a small museum, but it is one of the most interactive dinosaur museums I have ever been to. There are little green handprints next to bones, rocks, and fossils for you to touch and feel.
Watch as scientist unwrap and piece together bone shards through the looking glass. Listen to the sounds that a Parasaruolophus makes with his large horned head. Compare skulls of all sorts of animals and of course take awesome pictures with these prehistoric creatures.
My kid’s favorite part of the museum was the kid’s zone! There are color pages to color, a Brontosaurus for them to sit on, and a digging pit. The digging pit had a ton of old bones for the kids to find while digging with their shovels. (Warning for those with a nut allergy that this pit is filled with crushed walnut shells)
This is a great place to take your little ones, or if you are just a dinosaur enthusiast. It is a small museum, so plan on 15-20 minutes, maybe 30 minutes if you really soak it all in.
Price: ages 0-4 FREE, 5-11 $5, 12-64 $8, 65-98 $6, 99+ FREE, military $7
Hours: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm
Location:
Ute Lake State Park
What would be a vacation without a little lakeside time? Just north of Tucumcari, about 30 minutes is a small town called Logan. Logan is built surrounding Ute Lake. Ute Lake is a highly boat trafficked area. This is a great place to go boating, fishing, swimming, or even just shell collecting. My kiddos just had a blast throwing rocks in the water and birdwatching.
There is a 2.4 mile Nature Walk that you can find on AllTrails.com. It isn’t the most beautiful lake, but when it is 100 degrees outside this is definitely where you want to be.
There are also camp sites for tents and RV hookups. The campground is quiet and relaxing and pretty cheap too. There are showers available in the bathrooms and even a playground on the grounds.
Price: $5 Day Use
Location:
Teepee Curios
Embrace the native American heritage by shopping at the Tepee Curios. Its hard to miss driving through town. Just look for the Tepee building with a bull skeleton waving at you from a antique truck.
It is the best place to get a souvenir in town. When I travel I always buy a Christmas ornament to remember the place by, and so I bought a small dream catcher to put on my Christmas Tree to remember Tucumcari, New Mexico.
There are all sorts of old signs, painted animals, statues, mugs, magnent, jewelry, shirts, blankets, candy, and more. Also keep your eyes out for the Indians sitting around inside and get your pictures with them!
Location:
Watsons BBQ
If you want the best BBQ of in all of Tucumcari that Watson’s BBQ is the place to be. This quirky hardware store/restaurant is filled with everything! Taxidermy, souvenirs, old trucks, antiques, hilarious signs, a stage to sing, and every other random thing you could think of.
Real wood, real smoke, real BBQ, and might I add real delicious! I had the brisket and the smoked sausage, and the smoked sausage was AMAZING! The stuff the sausage with chiles and cheese for a perfect mixture of flavor and heat. I highly recommend it! Also as they say in the restaurant the beans speak for themselves! Haha!
Location:
Tucumcari Murals
When I say there are over 100 murals scattered throughout Tucumcari, New Mexico; I am not exaggerating. Driving through this town is like driving through an old art museum. There are paintings all over buildings randomly throughout the town. The art work varies from funny, to beautiful, to historic, to some even scary. You cannot pass through Tucumcari without admiring all of the route 66 art work!
Price: FREE
Other places to visit in Tucumcari, New Mexico:
- New Mexico Route 66 Museum
- Tucumcari Railroad Museum
- Tucumcari Historical Museum
- La Cita Restaurant
- Cornerstone First Edition Pizza and Subs
- Blue Swallow Motel
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