The Xtra-Terrestials in Roswell, NM

 

Surrounded by alien myths and conspiracy theories,  Roswell had always been on my list of places to explore. It turns out it is a perfect stop over when road tripping to my family in Texas. This gave me a chance to see what kind of extraterrestrials I could find!

 

 Driving south on 285 towards Roswell is where I captured this passing storm. What do you think, could it be hiding a spaceship?

 

 

 Roswell is a medium size town, and looks like many other towns in New Mexico, with one exception....

 

 Extraterrestrials can be found everywhere!

 

 

 Murals on every street corner

 

 

 

 Wooden Alien Carvings

 

 

 Here is a metal sculpture of the "Crashed Alien Ship" that began the Roswell UFO Incident. Funny, the actual crash site was about 75 miles Northwest of Roswell, luckily the debris was handled by the Roswell Army Air Field or Roswell could have turned out to be a very different town.

 

 

 

 From grocery stores to local hotels, you can find little green men everywhere!

 

 

 

 The town thrives on tourist trade. They hold an Annual Alien Fest and even have an UFO Museum!

 

 

 Just make sure to keep close tabs on your family, or they may be abducted by extraterrestrials!!

 

 

 

 

A Wisconsin Summer Day

My husband's family hails from midwest and we have spent a few Christmas's visiting during the Winter months. Although snowy cold Wisconsin can be beautiful in its own rite, there is nothing quite like Summers in Wisconsin. 

 

 

Farms dotted the landscape as we drove to our destination. Corn almost as high as an elephant's eyes, or any crop we saw, could be found with beautiful red barns and silos.

 

 

 

 

I close my eyes and I can hear the cicadas and frogs singing their evening song in this pond outside our little vacation lodge.

 

 

 

 

Soft summer breezes and the wonderful smell of fresh earth accompanied us on our daily hikes.

 

 

 

 Let's not forget the little things, like this little Fairy Home disguised as a mushroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It really was amazing finding so many interesting mushrooms...

 

 

 

 Oh my, and the flowers! Such stunning fields of summer wildflowers!

 

 

 

 Where there are flowers, you know butterflies can't be far behind!

 

 

 

Summer days in Wisconsin bring back such wonderful memories, blue skies, long meandering walks in the fresh air, and sunsets over the wildflowers. I can't wait to visit again!

 

 

 

 

Vegas Baby!

 

Vegas is another destination I didn't discover until later in life, but once I did it is hard to keep me away!

 

 

2020 is the first year  we haven't visited Sin City in almost 20 years, so I have quite the collection of photos. Did I forget to mention, I really don't gamble much when we go to Vegas. I do, however, love to wander the casinos and see them "thru my looking glass", so to speak.

Don't get me wrong, I love the tourist shots. The NYNY casino is one of my favorites.

The Paris Casino at night is another must see!

 

 The Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in the Bellagio Casino is always a colorful destination.

 

 Their themes change with the seasons, but their Autumn displays are a favorite of mine.

 

 

 

 

 But my favorite way to experience Las Vegas is to wake up at sunrise to roam the casinos as the sun starts shining in their windows.

 

 

 

 

 

 Enjoying the rare silence before the rest of the tourists start their day is like seeing a different side of the glitz and glam that is usually Las Vegas.

 

 

 

 Plus, when else could I take pictures of the elegant bathrooms in some of the casinos without getting a few strange looks.
 

 

 

Remember, when you plan your trip to Las Vegas, enjoy that glitz but look for the artistic mixed in with the glam. 

 

 

 

 

 

Utah and Bryce Canyon

 

 

 When I was younger, I never would have thought Utah would end up on my bucket list. Fast forward a few decades, and I can honestly say that Utah is one of the most beautiful states I have visited.

 

 

 

A visit(or 2) to Bryce Canyon helped sway my decision. I can't find words to explain the beauty of the area, so I'll let my pictures do the talking....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bryce Canyon is such a beautiful place to visit, and  it's only a slice of what Utah has to offer.

 

 

 

 

 

RoadTrippin' on Route 66 thru Tucumcari , NM

"Highway 66 is the main migrant road. … 66 is the path of a people in flight. … 66 is the mother road, the road of flight." -John Steinbeck

 

 

Tucumcari is a small town in east New Mexico and a popular stop for those of us "who get our kicks on Route 66"

 

 

 

When traveling on Route 66 through Tucumcari you can see the remains of another era.

 

 

 

 A part of me was thrilled to be able to be able to photograph this historic part of Americana.

 

 

 

 The other part of me was sad to see so many buildings and businesses shut down and in disrepair.

 

 

 

 It was nice to see some businesses still up and running though

 

 

 

 

Tepee Curios is one of the last remaining curio shops in New Mexico.

 

One of the best known landmark's in Tucumcari is the Blue Swallow Motel. Open since 1939, the motel is still in operation!

 

 

 

 

 Let's hope the sun isn't setting in the world where people hit the open road in search of fun and adventure. In fact, with more people hitting the road after COVID-19, let's see if we can revive the Mom and Pop shops along Route 66!