Monday morning, and we bid adieu, or should I say, adios, to our friends from Portland, who are returning there, and our campsite in Ruidoso Downs, which has been home for a week.  Outside of the time we have spent in Boston area when we visited the kids, this is the longest we have ever stayed in one place on a cross country trip, and we really enjoyed it.  I had time for long morning walks, and there was certainly plenty to see, and time to relax, which is pretty much what we did on Sunday. Except, that is, for cleaning the coach, scrubbing bugs off that big front and giant windshield, and generally preparing for our departure. Weather was cloudy, for the first time since the trip began, so it was a fine day to kick back.                        

                   Oh yeah.....great day to relax here on the dashboard! 

           

The Ruidoso area is  beautiful, with rolling mountains/hills all around, and in the early morning light, it made for a splendid drive, which delighted around every turn in the road!  But the terrain flattened as we approached our destination of Roswell, which we have driven around, and through, but where we have never stopped, due to my traveling partner’s doubts!  But this time, convinced by our friends, he agreed  to see the UFO Museum. 


Roswell

The street lights have alien eyes,

And the Mc D is saucer shaped!

Green wooden aliens appear in places, and  their images on  signs, but a  giant one holding a cell phone was especially interesting!  


The International UFO Museum's alien display emits smoke and lights up at intervals. 

I have to say, an awful lot of folks tell the same story of not only the saucer and the beings, but of being  threatened by the government not to say a word about it.  The walls are lined with testimonials from residents, and soldiers assigned to guard the debris and the alien bodies, many of whom on their death beds, admitted to family that they had in fact seen or taken part in the Roswell Event, as it is referred to.   

My only complaint about the museum is that it was pretty much a lot of reading.  I think a few recorded interviews, maybe some interactive displays.....something a bit different to break up all the reading would be nice.  They ran clips of movies that had been made about the event,   and  an interview with a UFO researcher, which proved interesting to a point.  

We soon left and went to the Roswell Museum & Art Center, which was excellent.  The exhibits covered the history of the area, as well as  the work of Robert Goddard, and his rockets, a bit of NASA memorabilia, some very good art, and the Goddard Planetarium, which we were not able to see this day.  Quite a collection in a rather small museum!  

                   

A good lunch at a local place, and we hit the road to see how many miles we could cover on our way to our next destination, and before darkness set in.