Talking tour to debut July 15

The Tucumcari Talking Tour officially debuts July 15 after being delayed for a couple of months by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Tucumcari Talking Tour is a self-guided radio tour of the city's historic landmarks, motels, murals and other points of interest.

Tucumcari resident Tracy Johnson, creator of the tour, said last week she is finishing the setup of the last AM radio transmitters at 16 sites in town that will broadcast short messages for up to a one-block radius. KTNM/KQAY radio in Tucumcari donated its services to record the messages.

Signs also will be placed at each site that gives the broadcast frequency. The recorded message would contain a short pitch, asking listeners to make a donation to Tucumcari MainStreet to help restore the city's Route 66 neon signs. Tucumcari MainStreet is Tucumcari Talking Tour's fiscal agent.

When the Tucumcari Talking Tour launches, Johnson said visitors can go to each of the sites - if they're open - and get a complementary sticker that promotes the tour.

Sites where the transmitters are placed are:

• Motel Safari

• Roadrunner Lodge Motel

• Blue Swallow Motel

• New Mexico Route 66 Museum

• Tucumcari Railroad Museum

• Tucumcari Historical Museum

• Pow Wow Restaurant and Lizard Lounge

• La Cita

• High Street Church

• Desert Inn motel

• Del's Restaurant

• "The Legendary Road" mural at Lowe's Market

• TeePee Curios

• Quay County Courthouse

• Odeon Theatre

• Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce

Johnson also will distribute tourism rack cards along the Interstate 40 corridor from Russell's Travel Center, near the Texas border to Tijeras, on the east edge of Albuquerque.

Johnson said a May launch of Tucumcari Talking Tour initially was planned, but COVID-19 derailed that for weeks. She said arrival of the radio-transmitting equipment "was put on the back burner" by shippers because they were lower priority for delivery during the pandemic.

Johnson also planned to travel the length of Route 66 this spring to distribute more of the rack cards, but she said she will wait until early 2021, after the pandemic wanes.

She said any business or site that's interested in hosting one of the radio transmitters should email her at [email protected]. More about the initiative can be found at tucumcaritalkingtour.com.