Day 4 - In Search of the Truth - May 13, 2019

After doing some chasing, we were confronted with several more calm weather days. Well, not entirely. The day dawned with a Slight risk in far south Texas, closer to the Gulf of Mexico. But our analysis suggested that the threat for this day would be much like the day before. Further, we thought our resources would be better allocated for later in the week.

So, what to do? The answer: tourism. Specifically, a journey into New Mexico with an “otherworldly” destination. We were on our way to Roswell, NM.

For those who may be unaware, in July of 1947 an unidentified flying object was spotted in the skies near Roswell. Later, reports emerged that an actual spacecraft had crashed just outside the city. Further, alien bodies had been discovered in the wreckage. But, just as quickly, the military moved in and announced that an experimental weather balloon was the object and that there were no bodies.

Cries of conspiracy echoed across the country then and continue to this day.

Unfortunately, not all trips are smooth and easy. We encountered a long traffic delay west of Tatum, NM. There were multiple cars involved in the wreck and it took 45 minutes to clear the road. The students got out of their van, stretched their legs, and got acquainted with fellow travelers in the vehicles nearby. We also met a nice young man dribbling a basketball along the side of the road.

On the roadside in New Mexico. For the brand...

The road cleared and our journey resumed. We marveled at the flat terrain, which was covered in dry grasses and scrub brush. Occasionally, we would see hollows and gullies where the soil and rock strata were more susceptible to erosion. And then Roswell appeared on our horizon.

After a delicious, and nutritious, lunch at the local Dairy Queen, we went to the International UFO Museum and Research Center. The museum is intriguing and well organized. It presents the “incident” and the events surrounding it in great detail. It also describes other encounters throughout history. It makes a strong case that humanity has been visited by living beings from other worlds.

The Truth is Here

Everybody remember where we parked....

Or, you can view it as a tourist trap built around an easily explained military operation over 70 years ago. Both outcomes are possible.

After acquiring souvenirs from local merchants, we were back on the road. Along the way to our ultimate destination, we passed through several small towns in eastern New Mexico and the Texas Panhandle. Many of these towns, including Hereford, TX, were home to massive feedlots filled with cattle as far as the eye could see. Even if we had been able to bypass the towns, we would not have escaped the signature smell of manure. Local folk refer to the scent as the “smell of money”.

We checked in to the Holiday Inn Express in Canyon for the first of three nights. We wanted to stay in this area ahead of a growing risk for Friday.We went into town for dinner and then called it a night.