When planning David’s 50th birthday this year I didn’t take into account that we’d be away from family and friends AND that his birthday would fall on a Tuesday (ironically my 50th also falls on a Tuesday - so I wish my husband the best of luck with that! Haha). Anyway, I had all these grand ideas to really do THIS birthday up right. Of course we’d have to go somewhere, but where? Well, it turns out that it wasn’t that hard to come up with an idea when you have a spouse who is fascinated by aliens and the one “known” place to find them is just a few hours away from where you are currently living. Now truth be known- I wasn’t particularly looking forward to driving across Texas into a town that is essentially in the middle of nowhere. I am also not nearly as enamored by aliens as my beloved is either. (Ok yes, they freak me out- sorry, but it’s a no for me). However, when it comes to doing something in the name of love, those are small inconveniences to overcome, so I knew that the start of our weekend birthday shenanigans would begin in Roswell, New Mexico.
On a side note: I have found that I love watching my husband when he gets to do something that he dreamt about as a boy. I’ve seen glimpses of this part of him throughout our marriage, but saw it full force when we visited the US Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL (does anyone else see a theme here?) Apparently both spaceships 🚀 and aliens 👽 bring out the boy in my husband and as we approached Roswell that boy inside was about bursting through the seams. With that said, I should have anticipated what happened next. As we approached Roswell, David suddenly slammed on the brakes and began pointing wildly when he saw the first “official” Roswell sign. He about scared me half to death, but the excitement quickly overrode any exasperation on my part. Yes we had to stop and get a picture of it.
As I mentioned earlier, Roswell is a city that is definitely “off the beaten path.” You don’t just happen to drive through that town- You have to WANT to go there and much to my husbands delight, we were doing just that. David was VERY excited to join the growing list of people who have made the long arduous trek across West Texas to see this magical place. As an added bonus- our eldest daughter was able to come on this trip with us. There will be another post detailing her surprise visit, but needless to say, Julia was almost as excited as David was upon reaching Roswell.
A bit of History for those unfamiliar with why Roswell is the place for alien lovers- In 1947 there was a UFO crash that supposedly occurred just outside of the city limits. The subsequent government coverup only made a lot of people more convinced it was, indeed, a UFO crash and not a weather balloon (which was the government explanation). The UFO legend has only grown over time. Today the city has become something of a Mecca for UFO believers.
The International UFO Museum and Research Center is a must see Museum once you get into town. It should probably be your first stop to get a better understanding of the history of the town and UFO’s in general. It is only $5 a ticket, however, be prepared to read a lot. Every exhibit has detailed reports, interviews, newspaper articles, etc. discussing each ufo event.
After the museum there are plenty of other attractions and parks to visit. We didn’t get to explore everything we wanted to, but a few I’d like to highlight are: the UFO Space Walk, Bottomless Lakes State Park, the Antiques Mall, the famous Welcome Sign and a special shout-out to the McDonalds. Even if you don’t like the food it is worth a visit to the McD’s in Roswell. It is the only McDonalds in the world built like a UFO. Complete with a few aliens hanging around. We all had a blast exploring the museums, tourist attractions and shopping!
I would like to add a special “thank you” to the city officials. Roswell is one of the most dog friendly cities that we have visited on our travels. Every museum, shop and most restaurants allowed dogs to come in. This was a nice surprise for us, because you know Frodo had to tag along on this trip. If you happen to make the trip to Roswell don’t hesitate to bring your dog. They will be welcomed with open arms.
Finally, I will close by saying that this was such a wonderful start to David‘s birthday weekend/Travel adventure. David told me that as he was on the cusp of turning 50, than he felt like he was 5 again. Sometimes being silly and just enjoying the moment is the best way to enjoy the adventure. Next up? Carlsbad Caverns………
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