Get your kicks on Route 66, the Heart of the Mother
Road!
Route 66 was a highway spawned by the demands of a rapidly
changing America. Contrasted with the Lincoln, the Dixie, and
other highways of its day, Route 66 did not follow a traditionally
linear course. Its diagonal course linked hundreds of predominantly
rural communities in Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas to Chicago;
thus enabling farmers to transport grain and produce for redistribution.
The diagonal configuration of Route 66 was particularly significant
to the trucking industry, which by 1930, had come to rival the
railroad for preeminence in the American shipping industry. The
abbreviated route between Chicago and the Pacific coast traversed
essentially flat prairie lands and enjoyed a more temperate climate
than northern highways, which made it especially appealing to
truckers. Officially, the numerical designation 66 was assigned
to the Chicago-to-Los Angeles route in the summer of 1926. With
that designation came its acknowledgment as one of the nation's
principal east-west arteries. (National Historic
Route 66 Federation (1995) History of Route 66: Why is this
road so important to America? Retrieved 10/4/06 from http://www.national66.org/66hstry.html)
Route 66 runs right through New Mexico, and Quay County takes
full advantage of that. Located in northeast New Mexico, along
the Texas border, Quay County is known as the "Gateway to
New Mexico," with an official New Mexico Visitors Center
in Glenrio. Other attractions in the county include: Mesalands
Community College, two lakes, golf, dinosaur and historical museums,
various significant scenic byways, lots of hotels, motels and
eating establishments and, of course, the Route 66 legacy. The
newest landmarks are beautiful murals around the town depicting
life in Quay County, past and present.
REDTT has a strong County Tourism Council (CTC) that meets
on the 2nd Tuesday of each month in various locations around
the county. For additional information, to become a member and
to get involved in tourism in Quay County, contact the REDTT
director at redtt@nmsu.edu
or call (505) 646-8009. REDTT is open to all persons interested
in tourism issues.
Towns in Quay County include: Tucumcari, Logan, San Jon, Glenrio,
Montoya. Learn more about Quay County by clicking on some of
the following links:
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