W I D E   A W A K E

PA to LA: Day 10

June 10, 2003

June 10:
We arrive in Roswell, New Mexico, following a rather uneventful drive from Amarillo, Texas. The landscape is extremely different along the highways of New Mexico. Unlike Texas, which is relatively flat, New Mexico boasts hills, valleys, and mountains. The terrain varies mile to mile, but the plant life is assuming a more desert quality--most likely because we are nearing desert.

Roswell's main claim to fame is the 1947 UFO crash site in which the military confiscated the remains of the object that crashed in Roswell, and later announced it was not a "flying saucer" but a weather balloon.

The Roswell incident elevated into the various consipracy theories that the U.S. military is witholding evidence that life on other planets does exist. Roswell has been the subject of various movies, television specials, documentaries, and fared prominently in the X-Files. Whether you believe in alien life or not is insignificant. Roswell's National UFO Museum is certainly worth visiting. Don't expect anything formal or posh ala Smithsonian. It is a bare-bones museum that does not charge admission, and its simplicity is part of its charm. Those who do believe that "we are not alone" will likely leave Roswell feeling their beliefs are just. Those who are skeptical or who do not believe are likely to view Roswell as part of Americana--an amusement park of sorts where little green spacemen are the main attractions. Me, I'm just looking for a decent dinner salad and a decent cup of java.