Roswell
After a 196-mile drive – plus a 60-mile detour recommended by our devilish GPS system – we've arrived in Roswell, New Mexico. We're on Mountain Time now, so the extra hour makes us slightly more on-course than we would've been otherwise.
The town of Roswell is about what you'd expect: alien kitsch meets sleepy small town America. Both the UFO museum and official crash site of the mysterious airborne object the town is famous for are closed, as are most of the restaurants.
We were able to slip in one reader recommendation, though:
We're nestled in at the Candlewood Suites enjoying the free wi-fi and just generally happy not to be stuck inside an air conditioned box on wheels. There's another busy day ahead tomorrow – but only three hours total driving time, we hope – so we're looking at the following reader recommendations.
– Morning in Roswell. We'll check your tips for what we should see in this ufology famous city.
– Guardian Witness user MichaelOKTX and reader NewMexicoLinnet recommends we stop by Fort Sumner to see Billy the Kid's grave.
– The Montezuma Hot Springs in Las Vegas, New Mexico, recommended by @HittheroadCA.
– We won't be able to visit Georgia O'Keefe's ranch like some of you recommended, but we'll plan to visit her museum in Sante Fe; it's open until 5pm, so we'll try our best to be on schedule, which would be a first.
– Late lunch and then, later, dinner in Sante Fe. Plenty of readers have recommended foot spots for us here, so we'll leave it up to you to decide our lunch and dinner plans and sort out the options in the comments. The list: The Shed, La Choza, Horseman's Haven Cafe, Bobcat Bite and Maria's New Mexican Kitchen.
Callout: Any nightlife plans for Sante Fe? What about places to stay? You know what to do.
Onward to tomorrow.
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From Marfans to Roswell – day three
The long road to Roswell has taken Katie from the avant garde art of the Marfans, over mountains, into natural springs, past rattlers and rodeos, and into conflict with a genuine sheriff's posse over potato salad and Bud Light.
The team couldn't make every single spot suggested by readers, unfortunately – too little time, too much Texas – but we've not forgotten to mention some of the great tips.
At Guardian Witness, clip44 suggested the 'Cadillac Ranch', a public art installation just west of Amarillo:
Penelope105 suggested some notable points in the sister cities of Odessa and Midland, including yet another Stonehenge!
If Katie swings slightly north to the sister cities of Odessa, Texas and Midland, Texas, she'll see a Stonehenge replica at The University of Texas … as well as a replica of the Globe Theatre and Anne Hathaway's house at Odessa College. (I have no idea why.)
In Midland, Texas (where I live) Graham Pharmacy is a local institution. In addition to an old-timey Mayberry style pharmacy, there is also a cute general store and a real, working 50s Americana lunch counter with a working soda fountain. … Just two blocks away from there is George W. Bush's surprisingly modest childhood home, as well as downtown Midland which features the Museum of the Southwest.
[Editor's note: Just to be clear, that's an imitation of the cottage once lived in by Shakespeare's wife, not a replica of wherever it is the American actress currently resides … though that would be an equally perplexing choice by Midland.]
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Katie has landed
There should be a lot of – okay, some – 'activity' in Roswell this week in the build up to the town's annual UFO festival next weekend (July 5-7) – which will see locals taking part in a costume competition and a parade, while authors and 'researchers' descend on Roswell for a series of lectures and presentations
Sadly Katie's going to miss (again!) the alien festivities, but perhaps she should check out the Roswell UFO Museum: which opens at 9am – tomorrow.
Reader NewMexicoLinnet adds:
"if you on a cosmic trip, check out [Spot the Station] to check if the International Space Station is flying over your location in the next few nights. Watching it fly across a New Mexico night sky is far more satisfying than the alien nonsense in Roswell."
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Glimpses of the road to Roswell
'The Trail Boss' of Artesia, NM:
And its modern pillars of industry:
Out of Texas, into New Mexico
In honor of bristela, Trimphone, usaprofessor5 and all the commenters below the line:
We've just passed through Carlsbad, which is the first place we've seen that resembles a city since leaving Austin on Monday. I posted the New Mexico state line sign to my Twitter feed a bit ago and we're pleased to see that the residents here seem very excited to show us their state.
We've logged over 1,000 miles in our rental car since picking it up in Austin, and this leg of the drive is a bit of a drag. To keep ourselves occupied, we've discussed the following: iceberg wedge salads (why?), diaper-wearing astronauts, Big Red-flavored Icees, the secrets to long-lasting relationships (not road trips) and the ever-changing landscape outside.
We still haven't received a lodging recommendation – one that didn't come with an expletive attached, anyway – for Roswell, so we might chance it and pick something on our own. One of you mentioned a UFO-shaped McDonald's but besides that, what is there to see in Roswell? We're roughly 80 miles out.
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The land of enchantment
New Mexico has welcomed Katie with a sign chock full of buckshot and character:
The sign prompts a classic road trip question: whether accidentally funny, profound, or just bizarre, what are the most memorable highway signs you've ever seen?
Tell us #twitrips or below in the comments!
Carlsbad Caverns
On her way to Roswell, Katie's ventured out of wi-fi range again – leaving us sadly bereft of photos and videos straight from our correspondents on the road. It does give us a moment, however, to check out the paths untraveled, like the Carlsbad Caverns.
Although a bit of spelunking in the Guadalupe Mountains was recommended by many readers, the liveblog's will have to explore them vicariously, via the National Park Service.
Rediscovered in the early 1900s either by cowboys – who called it the "Bat Cave" – or a 16-year-old named Jim White, the sprawling caverns descend so far into the earth that you can take a lift to reach them. The caves are indeed home to some 400,000 bats, which visitors can see swarm in and out every night (in the spring and summer, anyway).
The caverns themselves have been given such colorful names as the Chocolate High (a maze of small passages almost a mile long), the King's Palace (with a 'castle' rock formation), the Papoose Room and the Lake of the Clouds. There's also the Underground Lunchroom, with, appropriately, a cafeteria.
The National Park Service service handily provides brochures and newsletters and lets visitors choose between having a guide or going through the caves on their own.
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Top tippage
@usaprofessor5 continues to enlighten us with his vast store of knowledge about the American southwest:
As an aside for you as you head to Carlsbad, it once was the hideout of notorious outlaws Bonnie and Clyde:
The infamous duo tried to lay low in the house where Bonnie's aunt lived, but ended up found out for Clyde's speeding habit (so the story goes). They also managed to add to their rap sheet in Carlsbad, kidnapping a deputy there.
And in case you see less wildlife in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park than you'd hoped for, @usaprofessor5 advises:
Another worthwhile place to visit is the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. It will introduce you to our desert-area animals (yes, there's more than snakes).
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Carlsbad 101
The call of the road – and being behind schedule – are keeping Katie from the city of Carlsbad, a curious frontier town founded on the banks of the Pecos River, in the late 19th century. Per Wiki, the city – with local mineral springs and the looming Guadalupe Mountains – was named after the famous central European spa.
A sprawling series of caves (more on which soon) gave the burgeoning city some fame, as did the little remembered potash boom of that began in 1925. (Potash is a salt mineral used for fertilizer and soap, among other things.)
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Pecos
We arrived in Pecos expecting to see rodeo clowns and eat BBQ. But only the latter happened, and just barely.
The rodeo was deserted when we arrived. We missed the early morning parade, and the main events won't be until later this evening. We were expecting events to be going on throughout the day, but the 45 degree (113F) heat appeared to be deterring the cowboy community from daytime practice.
Even the horses were huddled under the shade (if they could find any), saving their strength for the chaos of events like the Wild Mare Race:
Pody's BBQ, named by Texas Monthly as one of the best pits in the state, was also closed for the day when we rolled up. Luckily, the sign on the door pointed to the Sheriff Posse building across the parking lot. We took this as a Pody's gesture of extreme good faith in the posse's abilities.
We entered the posse building, where a few men were busy setting up for tonight's post-rodeo country western dance. After some light pleading, posse president Brett Walker shared some brisket with us from his personal pit. He threw in some mustardy potato salad, pinto beans and Bud Light. (Native Texan Sarah's verdict: "It was solid, but lacking in some smokey flavor.") Then he charged us $35. We gave him $24.
After leaning about what it is a sheriff's posse does – it provides scholarship and "support" to ths sheriff – I asked the Pecos native for a few of his barbecue tips. "Don't burn it" was probably the best and most effective.
Before we wrapped up, I asked him about Texas.
Misconception: "That we're all wild and crazy I guess."
Truth: "That we're big."
We were going to stop in Carlsbad post-rodeo, but now we're heading 198 miles – three and a half hours – north to Roswell. We'll stop at anything that looks quirky, but in the meantime ... any lodging ideas?
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Snakes on the brain
Katie passed through Rattlers & Reptiles near Ft Davis earlier today, but the menagerie has stuck with her (on Vine, anyway).
Rodeo's roots
Pecos is home to the Texas Rodeo Hall of Fame, but before that it was a dusty crossroads in the Texas outback with a few saloons and general stores where many of the old cattle and wagon trails, such as the Butterfield Route, Chisholm Trail and Loving-Goodnight Trail crossed.
According to the town's rodeo website, “Excitement was in the dusty air of Pecos [on July 4] in 1883 when a few cowboys met to find out who was the best at riding and roping.” This, allegedly, was “the first public cowboy contest wherein prizes were awarded to the winners of bronco riding and steer roping."
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Balmorhea State Park
Per the generous recommendation of austindb at Guardian Witness, we arrived at Balmorhea State Park about an hour ago to quickly check out the huge, spring-fed pool of the same name. Like its cousin in Barton Springs, this pool mixes man-made concrete with natural rock. At its deepest, the pool is 25 foot deep, and you'll swim with what appear to be overfed, friendly minnows and smaller, more shy catfish.
While our driver opted for a nap, Sarah and I took a break from the punishing sun – the temperature just crept up to 39C (102F) – and dove in. The things we do in the name of journalism.
Now for another highlight: we're on the road to Pecos, a 43-mile drive north and home to one of the largest rodeos in the country. We've heard that there's a risk of brush fires in the Pecos area, so we'll proceed with caution.
We'll also be stopping to try Pody's barbecue in Pecos, listed by Texas Monthly as some of the best in the state.
Callout: We're looking for places to stay the night in either Carlsbad or Roswell, depending on what time we make this afternoon. Ideas? Leave them in the comments or tweet them to me @katierogers.
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Solomon State Springs
Katie's on her way to Balmorhea State Park at the recommendation of @jamesrodewald. Natural springs feed the state park's swimming pool, the waters of which are famous for their clarity – straight to the bottom of the pool (25 feet deep) – and remains about 23 C (73F) year round.
A variety of endangered wildlife lives in and around the springs, and hopefully the road trip team will get a chance to check out a window cut below ground that lets them see "a fish-eye’s view of the underwater world."
Texas misconceptions and truths
@bristela has been doing us proud with music tips all weeks, offers this:
If I might be so bold as to answer the two questions you've been asking people on your trip:
The biggest misconception: we've seen this already in the comments and it's that everyone there is ultra-conservative. They're probably in the majority but it's worth pointing out that Bill White (the very Democratic mayor of Houston) got 42% of the vote when he ran for governor against Rick Perry. Austin is a very well known blue spot in a red state but so is Houston and it's significantly bigger. Largest city in the US with an openly gay mayor, for example.
The biggest truth: again, others have said this, but people really are very, very nice. This is especially true if you're just visiting. Only possible caveat is perhaps they're not always very open to different ways of seeing things (especially if they see you as an outsider, particularly Yankees) but it's quite simple to avoid politics if you're a tourist.
— James Rodewald (@jamesrodewald) June 25, 2013@katierogers If on I-10W take exit 209 to see Balmorhea pool then thru Ft. Davis to Marfa (much prettier). Don't miss @ChinatiFndn (reserve)
Rattlers & Reptiles
At the foot of the Fort Davis mountains we noticed a gem: Rattlers & Reptiles, home to the largest rattlesnake exhibit on the planet. We each paid $4 to visit with 19 varieties of rattlesnake, scorpions and some poisonous arachnids.
Our guide, Barry 'Bear Trap McGee', isn't an expert, but could rank scorpion pain from "wasp sting" (giant hairy desert scorpion) to "it'll just set ya on fire for a few days" (Texas bark scorpions).
Bear Trap fell into rattlesnake curation after he learned the job came with free room and board, and has since become somewhat of a tourist fixture himself - he's been part of documentaries and an extra in There Will Be Blood, filmed just south of Marfa.
"I got into too much trouble in Fort Worth, moved out here," he told us. "Went to back to Dallas Fort Worth, got into trouble, came back here."
While we had his attention, we asked him about Texas.
Misconception: "That everything is bigger and better here."
Truth: "I don't know that there is any truth in Texas. If there is I really haven't found it."
Next, we're poking into the Fort Davis Drugstore, as recommended by Andy Rhodes, author of Moon Texas, and then it's on to Balmorhea. We're a few hours away from visiting the Pecos rodeo, so let me know if you have suggestions along the way.
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Up a mountain without a phone
Apologies for lack of updates over the past hour, but we've quite literally been on top of a mountain. We made the drive through Fort Davis and straight on to the McDonald Observatory, a 25-mile drive through the Davis Mountains.
The twisty mountain road gave way to stunning views of the Texas landscape, which changed from lush green to rocky and back again during the course of the drive. We spotted teepees, odd trailers and desolate picnic spots along the way, plus stout vegetation I've never seen before, including 'century' plants, Joshua trees and mesquite bushes.
The drive up ended up being the highlight of the trip to the observatory, but we found out that the next $9 guided tour would last the better part of three hours. We opted instead to drive up to the 'free' observatory, which is essentially a viewing room for an enormous telescope that wasn't in service. It was impressive, but we quickly turned around and headed back into town, which is providing enough signal for me to send this update.
[In the - hopefully temporary previous - absence of pictures, take a look at the clip for a sense of the scenery and place - up to 1 min 19, though it's all pretty interesting]
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Dang www.technology.thang
Apologies for the slow service - we're being blighted by technology at the moment (lack of cell service) - which puts us in mind of this classic techno garble summary by Boomhauer in King of the Hill.
Do Texans really talk this fast? What are some of the choicest Texan phrases? Share in the comments below
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And there's no cell service. We are top of a mountain at the McDonald Observatory in Fort Davis now. The views of the mountains are stunning and we're about to check out the telescope inside.
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Sweethearts of the rodeo
Ok, so we've been itching to get this playlist up on the blog. As Katie is heading for the West of the Pecos Rodeo later in the day, we've made a cowboy mix for y'all to enjoy. We welcome your favourite cowboy/rodeo tunes in the comments below, and if we get enough suggestions, we'll make another one in time for her arrival in Pecos
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Big sky gazing
Not far from Fort Davis is the McDonalds Observatory, which is perched on Mt Locke in the Davis Mountains - high and hot places provide the best conditions for star gazing. Established in 1933 through an endowment left by Texas banker William Johnson McDonald, it offers daily solar viewings and tours of the largest telescopes - it has three biggies and half-a-dozen smaller ones - as well as producing an astronomy programme syndicated on NPR called StarDate.
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Prada of the desert
We swing by the Prada installation in Valentine, which has been standing in the middle of a field since October 2005. It was installed by local art group Ballroom Marfa and has weathered the elements and spots of assorted vandalism over the years.
Today, lizards and unidentifiable worm-looking insects crawl on the structure, just feet away from leather shoes and bags. People leave rocks with their business cards along the edge of the installation, so naturally we left a rock autographed Guardiannews.com.
Next up: Fort Davis, approximately 45 miles east
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Tippage - purlease
Katie is heading to Valentine for the Prada art installation, then heading to Pecos for the rodeo. She's looking for tips for anything to see/eat/drink/do in between, so please forward any suggestions to @katierogers, #Twitrips, or in the comments below.
The Prada art installation readers have recommended isn't actually in Marfa. It's located in Valentine, a tiny town northwest of Marfa. We're about 20 minutes away from the art installation - thanks for the tip, GuardianWitness!
Fredericksburg & Marfa
Fredericksburg an old German settlement is a charming town of brauhouses and interesting architecture. Marfa, a further 2 and a bit hours and 20 or so minutes from the Mexican border is a quaint Deco-heavy artists town, full of galleries, arty cafes and airstreams. If you can manage it stay on a ranch owned by a local artist, you might need an in for this but very worth chasing up if you have a lead. Make sure you head to Marfa on the weekend as most of the town shuts down during the week whilst people do god knows what to make a living. Also for oddities sake stop by the fake Prada store just outside Valentine near Marfa, an installation art piece in the middle of nothingness on the edge of the highway.
We'll swing by for a quick photo then cut due East to Fort Davis, home to the McDonald Observatory, recommended by a handful of readers including @astrofandelux.
— Sean James Dickson (@Astrofandelux) June 26, 2013@katierogers @alanyuhas It's ok if it doesn't happen. You still got Davis Mountains State Park/Indian Lodge & McDonalds Observatory near.
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We've just eaten breakfast in Marfa and walked the main drag, Highland Street, looking for signs of life. It's a bit ghost townish at the moment since shops don't appear to open until lunchtime. We wanted to check out recommended Chinati Foundation, but since our drive today is packed with sites, we've got to get a move on.
We're heading 34 miles northwest to the town of Valentine to look at the much-recommended Prada store art installation, which sits in the middle of nowhere and is probably one of the more quirky and recognisable installations in West Texas. And even though we won't make it to any of Marfa's famed museums, all is not lost; on our way out of town, we spotted the town's newest art installation, a giant (controversial) Playboy bunny sign.
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Yesterday in pictures
Yesterday involved a lot of driving for Katie and the team, covering 450 miles through vast exapanses of nothingness. Unsurprisingly, we lost contact with them for a while, and some pictures have only just arrived with us after they found wifi this morning. So we thought we'd bring you a quick driveby gallery of their journey from Fort Stockton to Marfa yesterday evening.
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Cultural desert
Planning the day ahead over breakfast at Squeeze:
While Katie's getting her morning caffeine shot, take a look at this story we ran on Marfa's art scene for a flavour of the town.
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Squeezing in breakfast
We're stopping in Squeeze for coffee and a quick breakfast on the recommendation of @monteriggs.
It's a charming Swiss cafe manned by Swiss staff that sells T-shirts that say 'think chocolate', coffee fixings and gourmet candy. One yogurt and an iced coffee later, we'll be hitting the road.
— Monte Riggs (@MonteRiggs) June 25, 2013@katierogers breakfast in the morning at Squeeze up near the courthouse.
Sleepy Marfa
We arrived in Marfa after 10pm, about four hours later than planned and two hours later than the office at our hotel, El Cosmico, stays open. We'd stopped for dinner at the nearby outpost Alpine and then pulled over on the way into town to see the famous Marfa mystery lights, so our arrival at El Cosmico was met with a key in an envelope and then some bumbling around in a pitch black field.
Since there's a film festival starting here today, we expected some late-night artsy crowd activity, but the grounds were quiet by the time Sarah found her safari tent and I unlocked the door to my trailer, dubbed Kozy Coach.
What followed was a night of toss-and-turn sleep in a trailer that seemed to retain all of the previous day's heat, until the temperature suddenly dropped to freezing in the early morning.
There's an outdoor trailer attached to our trailer; being able to watch other people eat breakfast and throw out trash over the top of my shower curtain was a new and different experience, and I am okay with never having it again.
It wasn't all uncomfortable. There are several quirky amenities at El Cosmico, including crickets, a soft bed, amazing pillows, an in-trailer toilet and Jo's gourmet coffee on the counter. Our trailer also has a deck, which we won't get much use out of as we prepare to hit the road.
Next stop: A quick tour of Marfa, the drive to Fort Davis to see the observatory plenty of you recommended. Food suggestions today are welcome since every site on our list has been recommended by you.
Our eventual destination today is Roswell; it's about a five-hour drive away, so we're embarking on another busy travel day with plenty of stops in between - including a humungous rodeo in Pecos.
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