Roswell: The Mecca for Alien Enthusiasts
I took a long weekend in southern New Mexico. I was living in Santa Fe at the time, so it was a three-hour drive from the mountains to the desert.
My first stop was at Roswell. In June 1947, an unidentified object crashed roughly 75 miles from Roswell in a sheep pasture. The rancher brought some of the debris to the Roswell Army Air Field.
July 8, 1947: The Army base public relations office issued a release stating that they had captured a flying disc, published by the Roswell Daily Record.
Let the conspiracy theories begin. Weather balloon — as the Army stated later that day? Military experiment? Atomic bomb testing? UFO? And Elvis was piloting the craft.
Whatever it was, Roswell has cashed in. You can find flying saucers everywhere in the town — several are crashing into various buildings.
A must for any visitor — from this planet or not — is the International UFO Museum. It mixes facts and fiction to create the perfect blend for a fascinating story. They do use a fog machine — generously — as you can see in my blurry photos.
From one story to another, is the Lincoln County Wars involving Billy the Kid. The war stemmed from a business feud over government contracts, cattle trade, and banking from 1878 to 1881. It was the Tunstall-McSween Faction vs. the Murphy-Dolan Faction located in Lincoln.
The result was the death of two men, including the sheriff, and Billy the Kid became a wanted fugitive who was gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881.
The Old Torreon
Early settlers in the Southwest often built a tower (torreon) in the center of town as a defensive post against the Native tribes. During the Lincoln County War, it was used as a vantage point.
The park, located in the Tularosa Basin, covers 145,762 acres, including a field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals.
My final stop was in Hatch, famous for its green chile peppers and some kitsch.
Is it chile or chili? That is the question.
Chile: hot pepper plant, its fruit, or pods.
Chili: thick stew or dish made with meat, beans, tomatoes, and spices.
Where am I now? You can find me on Blue Sky.