Roswell New Mexico Trip

Victoria and I were looking for a change of scenery, so we decided to take a three-day weekend to Roswell, New Mexico. It didn't take long to see a bit of a scenery change.

Dashboard view of Highway 183 in Texas with white pickup truck ahead, road sign visible, and dense trees lining the roadway under partly cloudy skies Wide open Texas highway stretching straight ahead through flat grassland terrain with utility poles along the roadside and scattered clouds overhead Highway cutting through limestone rock formations at dusk with dramatic cloudy sky and guard rails visible along the road

We stopped at Schlotzsky's to grab something to eat and then rode off into the setting sun.

Schlotzsky's restaurant exterior with distinctive green and red curved awning reading every bite lotz better and several cars in parking lot Sandwich served in basket with newspaper liner, featuring toasted bread, meat, lettuce and a pickle spear on the side Sunset view from car dashboard showing the sun setting over flat Texas landscape with utility poles silhouetted against orange and pink sky

It was soon dark and we made it for our planned stop for the night in San Angelo, The Microtel.

Night driving scene showing dark highway with oncoming headlights and lane markings illuminated by vehicle headlights Three-story Microtel Inn & Suites hotel exterior at night with white siding and parking lot with several vehicles

The next day's driving was flat and full of oil wells.

Morning drive on Highway 87 through flat West Texas terrain with water tower visible in distance and clear blue sky Rural highway with oil pump jacks visible across agricultural fields in the distance under clear blue sky

When we hit New Mexico, it was still flat and full of oil wells.

Welcome to New Mexico state line gateway sign reading Land of Enchantment with Zia sun symbols and stone pillars Freshly paved black asphalt highway stretching into distance through green agricultural fields under blue sky Two-lane highway with trees lining both sides of the road under partly cloudy sky in eastern New Mexico Multiple oil pump jacks operating in desert landscape visible from roadside in southeastern New Mexico

We made it to Roswell a while later and we could really see the alien thing is huge there.

UFO-shaped Welcome to Roswell sign sponsored by Roswell Chamber of Commerce in open field with cloudy sky Large UFO sculpture with painted alien figures and tourists posing beside it in Roswell, New Mexico Green alien figure and vintage green pickup truck with hood open displayed as roadside attraction in Roswell Rowell Tire shop with large green alien statue standing in front of yellow brick building with tire brand logos Conoco gas station with inflatable green alien figure at fuel pumps and propane banner visible

Being the jerky lover I am, our first stop was at GTO Beef Jerky to get some jerky.

Alien Zone storefront with log cabin facade advertising beef jerky next to Alien Tequileria bar in Roswell

We then had a look downtown by the courthouse.

Historic Chaves County Courthouse with classical architecture featuring columned entrance, green dome, and surrounding lawn with mature trees Downtown Roswell street scene with lime green classic car passing modern office building with red striped accents at intersection Front facade of historic courthouse with distinctive green patina dome, classical columns, symmetrical design and wide front steps

The jerky I got earlier wasn't a meal (also Victoria isn't a fan of jerky) so we headed over for some good New Mexican-style Mexican food at Los Cerritos Mexican Kitchen.

Cerritos gas station and convenience store parking lot under dramatic cloudy sky during late afternoon Plate of street tacos topped with fresh cilantro, diced onions and lime, served with pinto beans and salsa on wooden table

After eating, we drove around more. Some of the alien stuff really caught our eye including this Dunkin' Donuts.

Large alien statue holding Dunkin' Donuts and Baskin Robbins sign overhead in parking lot with McDonald's visible in background

There was also this quirky souvenir shop called Invasion Station that had an El Camino out front and was hocking a bunch of alien wares.

White vintage 1980s sedan parked at Invasion Station offering free photos, white structure with green signage visible

After buying a few magnets, we headed to the visitor center. I noticed some cool street art as I walked around the building to go inside.

Orange painted utility box decorated with folk art showing person with curly red hair, dog, and milk bone bag Two life-size alien figures standing beside Roswell Visitor Center branded backdrop inside tourist information center

Once we looked around inside, we started walking some more. You can definitely tell they take pride in the alien thing.

Green tourist map display showing Roswell city street grid with numbered points of interest and circular photo highlights Main Street sidewalk with parked trucks, brick pavers, wooden benches under large shade tree with historic buildings Historic wall mural depicting Main Street Roswell circa 1900 with vintage street scene and New Mexico state song banner overhead White and green custom painted sedan with alien theme parked on downtown Roswell street near brick storefronts Alien head design mounted on black street lamp pole against clear blue sky in downtown area Weathered orange metal sign reading Welcome to Roswell Land of Enchantment with Zia sun symbol outside building entrance

All that walking brought us to one of the main attractions in town, the UFO Museum. We went inside and checked it out.

International UFO Museum and Research Center exterior, former theater building with vertical UFO sign and parked cars

Our minds were numb with the sheer volume of information we learned at the UFO Museum. We decided to walk a little more and go to Sippy and Opals for some locally-made ice cream.

Storefront window display filled with alien-themed merchandise, t-shirts, and souvenirs with inflatable green alien visible Trompe-l'oeil mural on building wall depicting woman in Victorian dress sitting beside ornate staircase with potted plants Shop entrance with green and pink alien figures flanking doorway, open sign visible in window with graduation poster Mutt & Draught ice cream shop in dark blue building with circular logo and orange neon open sign in window Scoop of vanilla ice cream in cup with black and white cow print pattern on dark wooden table

We wanted to have a low-key night so we headed to Albertson's and got a few local products.s. They didn't have the beer I was looking for, so we then headed over to Black Cock Brewery.

Sidewalk sign advertising Hatch Chile Fest with green chile pepper illustration and event details outside restaurant Interior display showing Welcome to Roswell Albertsons sign with stacked cases of bottled water below Six-pack of craft beer cans with green tops displayed on counter with additional beverages visible in background

We got back to the hotel and started to think what would be good for dinner.

La Quinta Inn and Suites exterior with southwestern architecture, red tile roof and covered entrance portico under clear blue sky

Little Caesars was around the corner and pizza would definitely hit the spot. We got a pizza, breadsticks, and some wings and just relaxed for the rest of the night.

Little Caesars pizza box on hotel room table with sauce container and paper bag beside it Sunset view over hotel parking lot with silhouetted trees and buildings against orange and purple sky Santa Fe Brewing Company beer can on hotel room desk with La Quinta information materials visible

The next morning, I decided to get up early and head to Bottomless Lakes State Park. Victoria wanted to sleep in so I took in the Next Mexican beauty by myself that morning.

Dramatic storm clouds over rural New Mexico highway at dusk with utility poles and sparse development visible Straight desert highway stretching to horizon under threatening gray storm clouds with light breaking through Highway cutting through red rock formation under overcast sky with vegetation on hillsides Herd of pronghorn antelope grazing in desert grassland with fence posts and sparse vegetation Highway mile marker zero and New Mexico Route 409 sign with Zia sun symbol under cloudy sky Winding road descending along red rock cliffs beside water reservoir under dramatic cloudy sky Wooden Bottomless Lakes State Park Visitor Center sign mounted on stone base with cloudy sky background

Another place that was recommended to me was the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. This place was a no-frills area that I pretty much had to myself.

Empty paved access road through flat desert landscape under dramatic storm clouds Expansive view of high desert grassland stretching to distant horizon under partly cloudy sky Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge entrance sign on brick pillars in desert landscape under stormy sky Wetland landscape with curved path, green marsh vegetation and water visible under threatening storm clouds

I drove the dirt road around the refuge and then headed back to the hotel. Unlike the oil wells I had saw the day before, it was cool seeing a massive solar farm.

Desert scrubland with sparse vegetation and tall chain-link fence extending across flat terrain under gray clouds

I got back to the hotel and Victoria was awake. We were both hungry and tried to go to Big D's Downtown diner, but found it was closed on Sunday. This place was really highly recommended so I definitely need to check it out next time.

Big D's Downtown Diva restaurant sign with hamburger and fries logo mounted on building roof against blue sky

Another highly recommended place was Cowboy Cafe.

Cowboy Cafe exterior with rustic stone facade, decorative yellow stagecoach sculpture and western themed signage in Roswell

I had the Alien Omelette with chicken fried bacon.

Breakfast plates on wooden table featuring large chicken fried steak, eggs with green chile, hash browns and biscuit

After eating, Victoria and I hopped into the car. I discovered this really cool local grocery store called Farmer's Country Market.

Country Farmers Market storefront with vintage signage and covered parking area with multiple vehicles parked outside

There was a lot of good stuff at Farmer's Country Market. We bought a few things and then headed to the Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art.

Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art exterior with blue signage and large abstract metal sculpture near entrance under clear sky

The Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art had a lot of cool art pieces and we took our time there. Our next stop was the Spring River Park and Zoo to check out what that had to offer.

Cougar behind chain-link fence enclosure resting on elevated wooden platform structure

As you can see, we had done a lot of exploring. I told Victoria how beautiful it was at the Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge. I mentioned how we wouldn't even need to get out of the car if we wanted to explore. She thought it would be nice to check it out, so we headed out in the car and went out there.

Rural gravel road stretching straight ahead through farmland with scattered buildings and dramatic clouds forming overhead Gravel parking area entrance with low brick wall and sign visible in distance under blue sky with building clouds Female passenger wearing blue mirrored aviator sunglasses smiling in vehicle with desert landscape visible through window Expansive view of green wetland marsh with white mineral deposits and dramatic storm clouds on horizon

I still had my state park pass for the day, so I put it back on the windshield and we headed out to Bottomless Lakes State Park.

Map or information sheet placed on car dashboard windshield with gravel road visible ahead through glass Dashboard view approaching Bottomless Lakes State Park directional sign on highway with clear blue sky

It was definitely more crowded than what I had experienced earlier that morning.

Busy parking lot filled with numerous pickup trucks and vehicles under partly cloudy sky

We had done a lot of exploring and headed back to the hotel. We had leftover pizza, beer, and I had some jerky for dessert.

Single slice of pepperoni pizza on white paper napkin placed on wooden table Red and white Oskar Blues BBL beer can on hotel room desk with La Quinta materials visible

The next morning, we had to say goodbye to Roswell. We ate breakfast and then hit the road.

Simple hotel breakfast plate with sausage patty, scrambled eggs with salsa and cup of juice Large alien statue holding Dunkin' Donuts sign on roadside median with McDonald's golden arches visible in background Early morning drive on rural New Mexico highway with bright sun creating lens flare over straight road ahead Plains Area Plaza sign with stylized UFO design mounted on sculptural pedestal against clear morning sky Dashboard view of wet highway through rain-covered windshield on overcast morning in rural Texas

It wasn't long before we were back in Texas and into some very different terrain.

Approaching Texas state line welcome sign with lone star flag visible through rain-speckled windshield Divided highway stretching across flat Texas plains under dramatic blue sky with scattered white clouds Wind turbine farm visible across agricultural fields with multiple white turbines on horizon under cloudy sky Two-lane highway ascending hill lined with dense trees and vegetation under partly cloudy Texas sky

The trip was great and we brought some great things back to try. At Albertson's, we found this New Mexico Pinon Coffee was very bold and provided a good pick-me-up.

Red foil bag of New Mexico Piñon Coffee Traditional Piñon medium roast ground coffee on granite counter

At Farmer's Country Market we found this cool hot sauce with a sombrero.

Chapala chile de arbol picante hot sauce bottle with decorative woven Mexican sombrero topper on counter Back view of Lago de Chapala hot sauce bottle showing label with miniature sombrero decoration on top

We also found these spicy Tapatio-flavored Doritos. In many ways, it reminded me of Ketchup-flavored Doritos with a lot more spice.

Bag of Doritos Tapatio salsa picante flavored tortilla chips with cartoon man in sombrero logo

A final thing we found was Nativo jerky.

Natvo hickory smoke flavor beef jerky package on wooden floor with nutrition label visible

Just like the jerky from GTO, this jerky was dry and crispy like a chip. There was also hot sauce included with it.

Hand holding small yellow hot sauce packet next to opened Natvo hickory beef jerky package

We definitely covered a lot of ground during our Roswell trip. I can definitely say Roswell loves the aliens, but I found a lot of other things that make Roswell great in its own right.

Roswell souvenir display with alien plush toy, couple photos from UFO museum and wooden UFO coaster magnet

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