Roswell, NM

Roswell, New Mexico is just north of Carlsbad. It’s a small town (population less than 50,000) that’s famous for the 1947 Roswell Incident, which happened 75 miles away. We stopped to check out the International UFO Museum, which also calls itself a Research Center. If you are a fan of flying saucers, extraterrestrial life, and/or conspiracy theories, this is the place for you! We saw quite a lot, including:

• A comprehensive collection of eyewitness accounts, official documents, and recordings about the Roswell incident - many presented as evidence of a government cover-up

• Artifacts from ancient civilizations reportedly showing astronauts and extraterrestrial visitors

• “Verified” and highly detailed accounts about alien abductions

• Props and stories from films about the incident, including one with lights, sound, and special effects!

The verdict? We think that it’s plausible that government officials tried cover up something - either a military test failed, or they simply didn't have a good explanation and wanted to save face. We’re open to the concept of “life” on other planets or elsewhere in the universe, but (as much as we love the film Independence Day) we’re not quite ready to buy the whole story about an alien spaceship crash landing near Roswell.

Whatever you believe, the town of Roswell has embraced the kitschy theme of spaceships and “little green men.” As we drove down Main Street, these images were everywhere. Even the lampposts looked like aliens. Fun!