TUCUMCARI MOUNTAIN (ABOVE), 1938

“This card is pure Americana,” Lambert says. “As indicated by the messages on many other cards, heading west on Route 66 and seeing Tucumcari Mountain for the first time was a big deal.”

A line of covered wagons moves through a snowy landscape with several riders on horseback traveling alongside.

BICENTENNIAL WAGON TRAIN, 1976

“I knew folks riding in the parade, and I took part in the activities,” Lambert says. “The wagon train is leaving Pecos, heading east toward Rowe on Route 66.”

A vintage photograph shows a small stone-walled courtyard leading to a modest, tower-like church building labeled “San Miguel Church, Founded 1550 AD,” with trees visible behind the structure.

SAN MIGUEL CHURCH, 1906

“The original Route 66 into Santa Fe passes the oldest church in the U.S., with the oldest house across a narrow street in the background,” says Lambert, who has often shown his binders of postcards at the church. “I’ve met folks from all over the world, many who didn’t know 66 was right out the door.”

A vintage postcard-style collage shows the exterior and interior of the Avalon Café, featuring a yellow diner counter with stools, booth seating, and a small building with a sign reading “Avalon Café” on historic Route 66 in Gallup, New Mexico.

AVALON CAFE, CIRCA 1951

“A sharp-looking card,” Lambert says of the Gallup eatery. “It moved years ago and is still open as Avalon Restaurant at 1310 E. Highway 66.”