Route 66 New Mexico Magazine
Spring 2003

Hey, all you cool cats out there… check it out… the newest attraction on Route 66 is the Lowe's supermarket in Tucumcari! Surprised? I'd heard from the locals that I should go see the newly redecorated supermarket and I thought to myself, Why are they sending me to a supermarket for entertainment? You won't find this attraction in any Route 66 guidebooks or on any websites (yet) and you will most likely drive right by if you are simply cruising the route. From the outside, the supermarket looks as plain and uninteresting as any other supermarket, but inside, it's a celebration.

Have you ever walked into a supermarket and got genuinely delighted? Not me, not ever, until now. I walked in and was awestruck. This is just way cool! Huge historic photographs, three dimensional replicas of classic Tucumcari neon signs hanging from the ceiling, aisle markers marked with highway shields, the giant Route 66 map. Gosh, I was getting excited…over a supermarket!

The giant photos lined the walls and I quickly walked the entire perimeter of the supermarket just to let it all in. Over the next half hour I circled the supermarket several more times and with each lap I saw more. What I came to appreciate was that this was done with a lot of care and class. As you study the photos you come to the realization that the placement of the photos was themed to the department that you were shopping . Above the liquor department were photos of the Patio Lounge and the All-Nite Grill with adjoining bar and dance hall. Continuing around are photos of the two-aisled old grocery stores that preceded Lowe's. There's Martin's Grocery Store, "Right on the corner, on quality, right on price." Right on! Above the meat, local ranching scenes with beef-on-the-roof and cowboys. Continuing down the back of the supermarket are photos of Tucumcari fields of wheat and maize. As we circle back towards the front of the store we pass the customer service department. And what kind of photos would you expect above the service department? Well of course, old vintage full-service Tucumcari gas stations. There are more than 50 giant photos on display with captions, and together they provide a delightful profile of one of our favorite Route 66 destinations, Tucumcari. At the very front of the store you see the impressive replicas of neon signs hanging overhead, the Lasso, the Buckeroo, the Palomino, the Trails West, about a dozen in all.

The wonderful decor was created with the help of the Tucumcari Historical Museum, who worked with a store decorator from Texas that was hired by the Lowe's supermarket chain. It struck me that this was really a fine example of Route 66 interpretation, the kind preservationists and historians aspire to present. I walked around the supermarket taking photos and stopping at each display to admire the details. The customers saw my interest and would comment to me, "Pretty cool, isn't it?" "Yep" I'd respond, "way cool." Obviously the customers experiencing the nostalgia are reminded of their important place in Route 66 history.

This summer, Route 66 Roadies from all over the country will tumble into town July 11-13 for the 2nd Annual Route 66 Roadie Gathering. They'll hang out with Martin Molner, Michael Wallis and Al Unser and enjoy festivities at the convention center. I expect a bunch of Roadies will innocently detour into the market for supplies and be stopped dead in their tracks by the display. Oh yeah, they also have groceries in this joint, special today, four 12 packs of Pepsi for $9.99.