(Not) Of this world

Last year, I spent St. Patrick's Day drinking Irish Car Bombs and watching "MacGyver" with my roommate and his girlfriend. This year, I spent it exploring the lava beds near Carrizozo, NM.

Katie the Intrepid Explorer

It's amazing to me how many plants and animals thrive amongst volcanic rock. Salamanders scurried across my path as I walked and I even glimpsed a ring-tailed cat before it darted between the rocks. I considered spending the night at the Valley of Fires campground until I saw the sign about not provoking the tarantulas.

On my way to Roswell I stopped in Carrizozo, the rundown home of the brewery which made the bland beer I'd had the night before.

I'm not entirely clear if this museum used to be a food locker or currently doubles as one.


The Ben Franklin Post Apocalypse Reclamation Center and Typewriter Repair Co. I couldn't make this shit up if I tried.

That night I checked into a cheap motel in Roswell, NM. My neighbors were loud and the wifi was spotty, so I just curled up with another bland beer and watched DS9 on my laptop until I was ready to sleep.

The next morning, I decided to photograph everything I saw in downtown Roswell that was alien-themed. This task proved to be way too time consuming, however, so here are the highlights:

The 12 year old "X-Files" fan inside of me was jumping for joy (you'd think my stomach acids would've broken him down by now). I decided it was about time I checked out the UFO Museum and Research Center.

Serious business.

For the record, I think it's safe to assume that there's other intelligent life in the universe (it's a big place, after all). I also don't think it's fair to immediately write-off every person who claims to have seen a ufo or be an abductee. As with folk who've had spiritual or religious experiences, I generally believe them when they tell me they've seen or experienced something. Whether the nature of that something lines up with what they think it does is another matter; one which can only be sussed out through objective investigation. That being said, this museum had all the scientific credibility of an elementary school diorama.

Wall o' Blurry Photos


"Proof" of ancient tribal contact with aliens.


The costumes and props from the 1994 TV movie Roswell, which the museum plays once a day.


My photo of an exhibit with a photo of said exhibit hanging beneath it.

After I'd had my fill of the UFO Museum, I walked across the street to the Not Of This World Cafe for some lunch and free wifi. Although I noticed an awful lot of Christian tchotchkes while I ate my delicious egg, cheese, and green chili sandwich, I didn't realize that the cafe was the new Alien Resistance headquarters until I was already half way to Santa Fe. Next time I'm anywhere near Roswell, I need to stop by again for more tasty food and a lecture on aliens sent from Jesus.

In my next post, I'll cover my explorations of Santa Fe and the surrounding area.