We finally made it out of Arizona! Our first stop was at Adobe Deli, a Harvest Host in Deming, New Mexico. This eclectic restaurant felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. It had a small museum, lots of taxidermy, a wonderful staff, and some of the best French onion soup I have ever had. We sat next to the Deli Gator, and we were under a female lion leaping through the air. Aaron and I both enjoyed a great steak and slept well, ready to get back on the road in the morning.
Lincoln National Forest is in an interesting part of New Mexico. The area we stayed in was near the Capitan Mountain Range, the town of Capitan.. Capitan, New Mexico, is the home of Smokey the Bear. A baby black bear was rescued from a forest fire in the Capitan Gap in 1950, and he became Smokey the Bear.
We had planned a week’s stay in the forest, but the weather forecast changed our plans. It was supposed to snow and have mixed winter weather the coming weekend, and we knew we did not want to drive the dirt/gravel road in sleet/rain/snow mix. We did enjoy our stay. It was really interesting to watch the weather change over the four days we were there. Day one was sunny with mild temps, day two had strong winds and a dust storm, day three brought light snow, and the day we left was sunny again.
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
Murphy had a great time running free, finding a few bones, and just enjoying being in the mountains. He found 2 cow jaw bones. We were not surprised, as ranches surround the national forest land. The scenery was beautiful, and I was thrilled to see some trees!
We got a reservation at Bottomless Lakes State Park just outside of Roswell, New Mexico, for our next stop. I was very excited! I was looking forward to being near a body of water again and excited for the opportunity to explore Roswell.
We parked the Airstream and settled in for a week and a half at the Clear Lake Campground in the state park.
It was wonderful to see the wild flowers, let Murphy swim and just to relax next to a lake.
We could not avoid the rain and snow altogether, but at least we were not driving in them. It rained for half the day, and in the second half, it snowed. The ground was too warm and wet for the snow to stick, but I did enjoy watching it fall. Here is a two-second video of the snowfall.
For those of you who are not familiar with Roswell, New Mexico, it is known for a supposed UFO crash landing in a rancher’s field in 1947. It is probably one of the most famous and researched supposed alien encounters. This incident has sparked conspiracy theories, myths, investigations, and a town that has embraced its alien encounter fame.
We spent a Saturday afternoon exploring the International UFO Museum & Research Center located in downtown Roswell. As a bonus, dogs are welcome at the museum, so Murphy got a day out with us.
As we were walking down the sidewalk, I was behind Aaron and Murphy, and just happened to catch a picture of Murphy barking at a window. Aaron started laughing, and I had to see what made the dog bark. Apparently, Murphy is not a fan of the gray aliens. 😂
The museum was pretty cool and had some nice displays with research, and some really cool pieces.
After we enjoyed the museum, we drove around town. It was really fun to see the different ways Roswell has embraced its link to alien encounters and made it part of its identity. Even a big chain like Dunkin’ Donuts has bought into the alien culture there.
Overall, we really enjoyed having more time to explore New Mexico. This state is so diverse, and rich with history from the wild west days, military history, natural geological wonders, and diverse ecological systems. I really think we could spend months just exploring New Mexico. But, we still needed to get to Texas, so it was time for us to move east into Texas.
Wandering Cindi 
What an amazing adventure! I loved reading about your journey through New Mexico—from the quirky charm of Adobe Deli to the snowy surprises in Lincoln National Forest and, of course, the alien-infused fun in Roswell. Your vivid storytelling made me feel like I was right there with you (Murphy included!). It’s incredible how diverse New Mexico is, and you captured that beautifully. Can’t wait to see what you discover in Texas—safe travels!
Did Murphy ever warm up to the aliens? 😄
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