Aliens Everywhere

The temperature started at 48 degrees this morning in Mesa Verde and ended up, at 8pm, at 96 degrees in Carlsbad, NM. What a change! We drove diagonally across New Mexico - no shortcuts for us! And the drive was not as dull as one might think.

The landscape ranged from some mesas in the northern part of the state, to multicolored rocky ridges, to just plain flat as far as you could see. It was in one of those flat areas outside of Roswell that we passed a Budget Rental truck on the side of the road. Behind the truck were a couple of lawn chairs set up, with a few bottles of water. One guy, with tshirt and baggy shorts, was relaxing in a chair while his buddy was taking photos from a tripod...photos of the dull, flat landscape. This was about 60 miles from any town, and nearly 100 miles from where the first atomic bomb was exploded. Go figure.

Other observations: We passed more deserted towns with buildings that didnt seem that old. Maybe I'm dating myself!
Mark found a roadside vendor who specialized in chilis. He was in chili heaven and we now have a hanging chili 'thing' in our back seat.

When we got to Roswell, I told Mark I needed to find aliens. Mark was wondering why I was looking for Hispanic or Turkish people, but was too bored (watching all that flat, dull landscape for 500 miles) to say much. When I yelled 'pull over', he started wondering. I grabbed the camera and started taking photos of...green creatures. This he found more interesting than taking photos of Turks, so he helped in the search. He identified green alien footprints, and even found the streetlights were alien faces! I'm sharing only a few of the findings in this blog. Hey, maybe the Budget Rental truck guys were watching for aliens!!

Food and Drink: Lucy's in Carlsbad is the BOMB! With a day of chilis, aliens and hot weather, authentic Mexican food was the obvious choice for dinner. We passed a couple leaving the restaurant as we were entering. Mark asked, what's good. The man with a large girth said, 'The Camaron Diablo' was the dinner to get.
The restaurant has 2 sides- family side that looks like any Mexican restaurant you've been to, and the 'entertainment' side (as we were told) which has a big screen TV at one end and small screen TVs at each booth - all playing a country music channel. We ventured in.
Mark, who had not eaten all day, ordered the Camaron Diablo with gusto. A large plate arrived covered with food that included perfectly grilled shrimp (not overcooked as is often the case) placed over grilled peppers and onions, all covered with light cheese and chili seasoning, accompanied by thick refried beans and tomato-based rice. Mark ate every bit of it, including a full basket of chips. My common combo was also flavorful, but I kept my eye on Mark's dinner until it was completely gone. We waddled out of the restaurant, ready to recommend the Camaron Diable to the next hungry customers. Mark vows to return tomorrow night.