Roswell, NM

WED., JUNE 15, 2022 thru SAT., JUNE 18, 2022

We traveled 76 miles north on Hwy 285 and passed a huge 850 acre pecan orchard outside Carlsbad to arrive at Bottomless Lakes State Park just outside downtown Roswell on Wed., June 15th. This is New Mexico’s oldest state park, established in 1933. Bottomless Lakes are a chain of 8 lakes that are actually sinkholes or “cenotes,” as they are known in Mexico, that range from 17 to 90 feet deep. The “walls” of the lakes or sinkholes are a beautiful red color and comprised of gypsum, sandstone, limestone and shale. Temps are still hot! We all went swimming this afternoon in Lea Lake, one of the Bottomless Lakes. Tiny fish were swimming around our ankles and the water temp was refreshingly in the mid-70s! It was HEAVEN as the air temp was 104. We’re all feeling much better after dealing with Covid this past week.

On Thursday, June 16th, we visited the UFO Museum in Roswell. It’s equal parts Hollywood hokey and a research center. But, it does make you think. It had lots of info on the “Roswell Incident,” an alleged flying saucer crash in 1947 with 4 alien bodies on board that was witnessed by many Roswell citizens and military personnel, and allegedly covered up by the government. Then there were countless tales by regular folks who had encounters. The two most compelling were the NH couple who said they were abducted in 1961 and had lots of evidence to support their claim. And secondly, a forest/lumber worker out west who was abducted, and it was witnessed by 5 of his co-workers in the 1970s. Then there’s the crop circles in England. The experts can tell the difference between the fake ones made by man and the real ones that are unexplained. And then, as if that’s not enough, there’s the ancient aliens who supposedly visited humans in antiquity and prehistoric times and enabled them to build things that they would not have had the skillset or the tools for otherwise. Just sayin’… And, really, are we, the human race, all that special that there’s only one of us???

After visiting the UFO Museum in Roswell, we  stopped at Walmart to pick up $7 flotation tubes so we could use them at Bottomless Lakes. We came back home for a late lunch and naps (the girls). Then we blew up all the tubes. Gary’s air compressor came in handy! We floated around in Lea Lake and enjoyed the 76 degree water. Air temp was mid-90s. Better than the 108 temps we’d been having in Carlsbad! Although there was a bit of a wind so had to work hard paddling with our hands to not land on the other side of the lake!

Friday, June 17th, we visited the Roswell Museum. It opened in 1937, deriving its initial support from the WPA (Works Progress Administration) as part of a Depression era project to promote public art centers nationwide. Loved the history of this museum! Today, it’s among a handful of these Federal Art Centers that remain in operation. The museum was very impressive… a combination of art, history, and a Robert H. Goddard display (a pioneer in rockets in the 1930s & ’40s) and a planetarium in his name. All the art and history has a connection to Roswell. We also saw a show in the planetarium on Cosmic Castaways and the night sky that was way over my head… in more ways than one. Afterwards we came back and did more swimming in Lea Lake… except for Gary who was feeling tired… lingering Covid symptoms. Apparently getting well doesn’t happen in a straight line.

Saturday, June 18th, was our last day at Bottomless Lakes State Park. We took a drive to the Visitors Center and met a fabulous old coot who entertained us with his show and tell of aliens, alien babies, alien poo, an origami dollar bill that he danced across the table like a frog and, the piece de résistance, was getting me to scream with a fake spider he sent running after me. Too funny! We also learned more about these amazing chain of 8 lakes that comprise Bottomless Lakes. The water is a comfortable 75 degrees because it comes from mountains 60 miles away. These were once caverns and eventually the roofs collapsed from their own weight. Sinkholes or cenotes, as they’re known in Mexico, resulted and filled with water forming the lakes. We’ve been swimming in the largest of the lakes, Lea Lake, that is nearest the campground. But there are 7 other lakes, although you aren’t supposed to swim in the others. We drove around to see them all. They are all different and set in unique settings with interesting names like Mirror Lake, Figure Eight Lake, Pasture Lake, Cottonwood Lake, Lost Lake and my personal favorite Devil’s Inkwell Lake. Afterwards we did one final swim with our tubes in Lea Lake. Once again we were dealing with some wind and had to paddle with our hands to stay somewhat in the area where we started as opposed to clear across the other side of the lake!

Tomorrow we move to the mountains of Alto, NM to join my brother Andy & wonderful sis-in-law Linda and cooler weather for a month. My other brother Bob & his delightful partner Deb will join us part way through our stay in Alto. Looking forward to visiting with all the various family members!