Pony Soldier Motel Neon Sign, Tucumcari, N.M. Coffee Mug

The sign for the Pony Soldier Motel stands tall against a bright blue New Mexico sky, even though the motel was torn down in 2010. When the motel was still open, the blank sign at the bottom read: "Here we are on Route U.S. 66." The Pony Soldier Motel was one of the many motels along Route 66 in Tucumcari, New Mexico, which was a popular stop for cross-country travelers on Route 66, now Highway I-40. Though the Pony Soldier no longer offers its "High Plains Hospitality," many historic motels remain open along the old Route 66, offering a delightful vintage experience. Old U.S. Route 66 runs through the heart of Tucumcari via Route 66 Boulevard, which was previously known as Tucumcari Boulevard from 1970 to 2003 and as Gaynell Avenue before that time. Numerous businesses, including gasoline service stations, restaurants and motels, were constructed to accommodate tourists as they traveled through on the Mother Road. A large number of the vintage motels and restaurants built in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s are still in business despite intense competition from newer chain motels and restaurants in the vicinity of Interstate 40, which passes through the city's outskirts on the south. Tucumcari is the largest city on the highway between Amarillo, Texas and Albuquerque, New Mexico. Billboards reading "TUCUMCARI TONITE!" placed along I-40 for many miles to the east and west of the town invite motorists to stay the night in one of Tucumcari's "2000" (later changed to "1200") motel rooms. The "TUCUMCARI TONITE!" campaign was abandoned in favor of a campaign which declared Tucumcari, "Gateway to the West". However, on June 24, 2008, Tucumcari's Lodgers Tax Advisory Board, the group responsible for the billboards, voted to return to the previous slogan.