Since Roswell was a last-minute destination following our tire mishap, we didn’t really know what to expect as we rolled into town. Neither of us knew much about Roswell outside its reputation as a mecca for UFO enthusiasts thanks to the infamous supposed flying saucer crash in 1947 and subsequent government cover-up. And, after spending a few days in the area, we concluded that there really wasn’t much more to Roswell – outside the alien stuff, of course.
However, that isn’t to say we disliked Roswell. Although it wasn’t much to look at, there were some upsides, including the weather (warm/sunny), the cost (cheap), and the people (delightful). Our campground in Roswell – Trailer Village RV Park, was also a plus. The cute elderly couple that owned and operated the place couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful.
Upon check-in the owners were nice enough to supply us with a generous coupon for a nearby restaurant, Peppers Grill and Bar. The couple swore it was their favorite restaurant in town, so we decided to hit it up for dinner later that evening – and we would not be disappointed. Part Mexican restaurant, part small town diner, part sports bar, this place was the model for down home, southwestern cuisine. If you ever find yourself in Roswell, give Peppers a visit and don’t forget to inquire about their generously priced margs.
We returned to downtown Roswell later that week so that we could do some exploring during the day. Turns out that we really didn’t miss much on our first pass through – this place was pretty much a ghost town. Sadly, we had seen more than a few hollowed out small towns along our travels. Most of these looked like they were once thriving small communities, but were now shells of their old selves (looking at you, Federal Reserve).
On a more positive note, there were some fun little alien-themed attractions for us to check out while we were downtown. In addition to all the murals and UFO artwork scattered around Roswell, the primary point of interest is the International UFO Museum and Research Center (see banner pic).
Our visit to Roswell also happened to coincide with Halloween. Although we didn’t do any dressing up this year and there weren’t any trick-or-treater within the RV park, we still wanted to celebrate the holiday somehow. We decided that watching a movie was our next best option, and since neither of us are big fans of the horror genre, we settled on E.T. – in honor of our stay in Roswell.
Roswell marked our last stop in the (not-so-great) state of New Mexico (no offense if you’re from there, it’s just not as nice as the surrounding states, if we’re being honest). After saying goodbye to Roswell, we made our way eastward, towards San Angelo – deep in the heart of Texas.