Greetings: Statues of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe greet visitors at the Car Museum inside Russell’s Travel Center at Exit 359 on Interstate 40 in Glenrio, NM Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Diner: A 1950s-era diner offers visitors to Russell’s Travel Center the opportunity to enjoy a meal while taking a break from road trips. The snack bar offers a variety of dishes, as well as floats, malts and other snack bar specialties. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Free Car Museum: Included in Russell’s Travel Center is a free car museum. The museum contains several vintage cars, mainly from the late 1940s-1960s, all restored to showroom condition. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Former Los Alamos
When traveling on Interstate 40 in New Mexico, the last exit before the New Mexico/Texas state line is exit 369. The closest town is Glenrio, which straddles the state line and was an active, stopping town on Route 66. Today Glenrio is a closed city. ghost town without residents.
However, in an unexpected location in the middle of nowhere is Russell’s Travel Center. It is a travel center that serves truck drivers and travelers. All of the parking and services one would expect from a truck stop are found at Russell’s. Food and beverages and other amenities needed by solo and family travelers can also be found at the travel center.
But this is just the beginning.
Russell’s Travel Center offers a 1950s restaurant as well as a Subway for a quick bite. The convenience store stocks groceries as well as a selection of travel supplies for travelers and truckers. The centerpiece of this travel hub is the Museum!
A museum displaying automobiles, trucks and motorcycles from the 1950s and 60s, travel memorabilia, pop culture memorabilia, collectibles and more. The museum is full of pieces that are sure to attract the attention of visitors of any age. There are thousands of items that attract visitors of all ages, but the old cars, trucks and motorcycles are the stars of the show.
So how much does a museum in a travel center charge for admission? It’s free! There is an opportunity to leave a donation, but this money does not help support the museum, all donation money is given to food banks. This museum is a labor of love.
The travel center was opened in 2010 by Emory and Barbara Russell. Russell and her children are now retired and the family business was sold in October 2023 to TA Travel Centers. TA Travel Centers will not change anything for now. They will maintain the current restaurant and menu. The name Russell’s Travel Center will be retained for three years and the Museum will remain for five years. The Russells are renting the space that houses the museum. It’s good to know it will be around for a few more years.
This unusual truck stop near the New Mexico and Texas border is a hidden gem. When traveling on I-40 East, keep an eye out for the last New Mexico exit, Exit 369. I can’t think of a better place to grab a bite to eat and recharge before continuing on.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling the country and he is sharing his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Corvette: This 1955 Corvette, as well as the pink 1957 Thunderbird on the left, caught my eye as I browsed the selection and variety of cars on display at the Car Museum at Russell’s Travel Center in Glenrio, NM Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
1951 Custom: A beautiful red 1951 Ford Custom stood out among a collection of Ford cars at the travel center museum in Glenrio, NM. In the background are displays, posters and signage, as well as several vintage displays along the wall of Russell’s Travel Center. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Coca-Cola Memorabilia: In addition to cars and other transportation-related items in the museum, there is a large collection of memorabilia from the 1950s-1960s. A collection of Coca Cola memorabilia and Coke machines is shown, but there is also a poster from a 1962 Patsy Cline concert and a photo of the Beatles. There are numerous collections like this spread throughout the museum, in addition to the cars. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Vintage Pumps: A collection of vintage gas pumps is displayed in the car museum inside Russell’s Travel Center. There are other bombs and various other antique transportation-related items throughout the museum. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Vintage Bicycles: Motorcycles dating from the early 1900s to the 1070s are displayed along with a Gulf Oil gas pump at Russell’s Travel Center in Glenrio, NM Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
