Day 8 – Dunes and Aliens – April 30, 2018

This was another travel day, but we caught a couple of wonders of the southwest. First stop was the White Sands National Monument. The 8 mile loop road is paved for part of the way and the remainder is on hard packed white sand. There was a brisk wind blowing today and driving down the road was very much like driving in a snowstorm – without the cold. We ran up and down the dunes in our bare feet and the sand felt almost cool to the touch even though the air temperature was in the high 70’s. The visitor center, built in the 1930’s, has good information on how the dunes were formed from the breakdown of gypsum on a dry lake bed.

Sometimes, when out in the desert, you start to see double - looks like two Karens out there!

From there, we headed up over Apache Pass (elevation 7500’) through the town of Ruidoso and down into the hotbed of space alien conspiracies and cover-ups:  Roswell, NM.  

With the racing pulse of anticipation, we went directly to the International UFO Museum and Research Center on Main Street. Our excitement was intensified when we learned the admission price for seniors was only $3. Let me tell you, the experience was worth every penny (even the penny we crushed in the souvenir penny machine)!

Located in what likely was once the best movie theater in town, the museum/research center is ground zero for those who crave a kitschy look at mysterious events that began in July 1947 when a local rancher discovered the remains of both a flying saucer and its purported occupants. To lend a touch of academic credibility to the whole thing, there is even a ‘Research Room’ lined with shelves of archival material related to local space alien activity.

Tonight is laundry night and leftover taco night. Tomorrow is Big Spring, TX.