Wagons WEST! To Find Aliens and Stuff

So, instead of going to the beach this fall I decided to try something new.  I decided to travel to see some of the wonders of my own country. Seeing the Grand Canyon is definitely something on my bucket list and the experience of Autumn is something I really miss.  I decided to combine the two.

I've booked a rental in Flagstaff, Arizona, which is about a 14 plus hour drive from where I live.  I thought it would be fun to take a couple of extra days and stop halfway...which happens to be Roswell, New Mexico. So, I dug out my fleece and flannel for an adventure West and a bit North...

I got up a bit early and hit the road.  Small town after small town in Central Texas passed by until I reached West Texas.  Apparently, West Texas is where suicidal skunks go to die.  Seriously.  For awhile it seemed that every half hour there was another stinky corpse in the middle of the road.

However, it wasn't all bad.  My favorite thing about West Texas is the proliferation of wind farms.  I LOVE wind farms.  Some might find them a blight on the landscape, but I find them ethereal and elegant. Sweetwater, Texas is the self-proclaimed wind farm capital of West Texas and it is amazing.  Land there serves three functions all at the same time.   Windmills, oil wells, and cotton fields all occupy the same acreage and it's amazing.

My absolute favorite scenery is when the windmills perched on bluffs overlooking the fields.  Unfortunately, you can't take photos going 80 mph no matter how deserted it is.  I hope I can find a pullover somewhere when I am coming back because the scenery is not to be missed.

I finally crossed the state line to New Mexico and miles and miles of half-desert/half scrubland.  No passing lanes and sharing the road with trucks.  Luckly Roswell was only a couple of hours in.

Checked into my motel, which is cheap, well located, clean, but fly infested. It is next door to an awesome Mexican eatery...but we'll get to that later. I had only a couple of hours until the town rolled up the sidewalk, so I headed out to find me some aliens

Of course, this was my first stop.  And what a stop it was.  It was cheesy and silly, but a bargain at just five bucks.  They try to be all serious by actually documenting records of alien visitation

Like old newspaper reports

And eyewitness accounts.  But they include the silly stuff too

Whether accidentally silly 

Or intentionally silly

They had some pop culture stuff there too like this set from the TV movie "Roswell."

The super cheesiest part was a flying saucer and fake alien setup in the middle of the room which would spontaneously erupt in fog and flashing lights.  Still it was fun..

Which is scarier...fake alien with fake tree and rocks

or low light grainy selfie with fake aliens looming in the background?

I spent about an hour in there and ended up in their surprisingly wondrous gift shop.  While there was some overpriced alien crap...there was some great, cheap, alien crap too.  Picked up requested alien crap for co-workers and got myself a couple of nice things...including a locally made alien Christmas tree ornament.

Went out to take some photos of the town, which is much like any mid-size American town except for the alien motif.

Alien theme gift shops abound

These alien mariachi were favorites of mine.

And all the lamp posts on Main St. are all Schwa'd out...LOL

Hopped in the car, back to my motel and checked out reviews of the Mexican place next door, Los Cerritos.  Good reviews and a 10% off coupon was enough to convince me. 

Yummy!  I'll be back on my way home and will have the guacamole, which they make at your table.