The Blue Hole: Route 66 oasis in New Mexico is 60 degrees year-round

TUCUMCARI, N.M. (WLS) -- ABC7 Chicago's Ryan Chiaverini is moving on to New Mexico next in "Pier to Pier: Celebrating 100 years of Route 66."

His 2026 Hyundai Palisade traversed the Mother Road on flat city streets and country roads, but the New Mexican scenery also features ancient sandstone formations and high desert plateaus.

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The quintessential Route 66 town in New Mexico is Quay County's Tucumcari. The main stretch is dotted with the seasoned signs of motels and restaurants dating back to the road's heyday. Perhaps its most famous and most photographed location is the Blue Swallow Motel, a 1939 motor court where travelers can park in attached garages and enjoy the "100% Refrigerated Air" advertised on its bright neon sign.

Sixty miles west of Tucumcari is the town of Santa Rosa, home to the Blue Hole. A freshwater oasis for travelers looking to beat the heat, city of Santa Rosa Route 66 Centennial Committee Chairman Herman Baca said the ancient swimming hole maintains a constant temperature.

"It's 61 year-round," said Baca. "Kids can come out and swim and stuff like that, but the main deal is it's a scuba diver's paradise."

The hole measures 80 feet across and 80 feet deep, reaching 130 feet across at its deepest. Fed by an underground cave that pumps out 3,000 gallons of water per minute, it provided freshwater for nomadic tribes for centuries and a respite from desert temperatures for Route 66 travelers for 100 years.

Chiaverini jumped into the hole to cool off as he continued his journey through New Mexico enroute to Santa Monica Pier.

"Pier To Pier: Celebrating 100 Years of Route 66" is sponsored by Hyundai