Day 4 March 28, 2006

Day 4
March 28, 2006
Bottomless Lakes State Park, NM to Roswell, NM and Back

Waking up and knowing that you don’t have to break camp and pile all of your stuff onto the back of a motorcycle is quite refreshing. Staying another night in this tranquil setting was an easy decision to make, allowing us to spend the day taking in the sights in nearby Roswell.

We all agreed 2-up was the easiest option for the day’s excursion. Before heading into town, we accepted Debbie’s (the camp hostess) invitation from the previous evening to come take a look at the offerings of the New Mexico State Park Visitors Center nearby. She went through a number of displays with us and was very knowledgeable about the park and all of its offerings and history.



She took a special liking to Spank (hopefully Sockette won’t get jealous when she sees this).



She also allowed us the opportunity to charge up the laptop and camera in a wall socket while looking around and then journeying through a scenic eight mile loop through the park. A parking lot with access to an overlook provided ample opportunities for more photos.





Due to the treacherous terrain and Rebecca’s fear of heights, alternate approach methods had to be used to achieve proper photo alignment…



And this was the result:





Riding as a passenger affords more opportunities for photos along the way as well.



Erik and Gavin set to the task of figuring out why Deb’s blinker had gone out. It couldn’t be a fuse, because the front blinker was still operational. After removing the lens and inspecting the bulb, it was determined to be caused by corroded contacts. A few quick scrapes with a pocket knife, and it was good as gold.



With the infamous alien city of Roswell sitting only fifteen miles to the west of the park, we couldn’t resist becoming tourists for an afternoon.



Having received a tip, we headed for Martin’s Mexican Restaurant for lunch in town. Good food at great prices, and friendly service. Couldn’t get WiFi, but we managed a cellular connection to get more pictures uploaded.



The UFO museum offered first-hand accounts of the supposed extraterrestrial crash landing back in 1947. For $2, you get to walk around a collection of affidavits, newspaper clippings, drawings, and maps of debris fields. As if presented in scientific format, there are interactive displays offering a recorded radio broadcast, aerial photos, and eyewitness accounts of all things related to Area 51.







We found convenient parking right next to the John Simpson Chisum statue and across from the local courthouse. We found a city employee working in the plaza and asked if we could take the bikes up onto the walkway to get some photos. “Sure. I designed it, so I guess I can say yes.”





Jim Sexe (pronounced sexy) designed the plaza and base for the statue, and proudly pointed out his name on the plaque when we thought he was pulling our leg. What are the odds?



Jim gave us some ideas of where to go next. He said that about 70 miles west was a loop that would be both scenic and fun to ride. It winds through Lincoln and over to Ruidoso, which he highly recommends adding as a stop on our journey. It’s locals like him that provide this type of inside information that is crucial for our continuing adventure.

Just a half mile down the road, the Roswell McDonalds boasts one of the most outrageous facades for a fast food joint. We sat for a few minutes with a drink and some ice cream, and set a plan in place for dinner that evening.





Another three miles, and we were shopping at Wally World to restock the rations and pick up a few assorted items. We’d all but given up on thrashing tent stakes with rocks, so we splurged and spent $2.97 on a mallet. Spank got to ride in the front of the cart, but he was pretty well behaved and didn’t pull anything off the shelves.

He also made a few friends in the arcade.



As we poked our heads out the door, it was evident that dark clouds had rolled in and the ground was beginning to show signs of a drizzle. We quickly loaded our goodies and our now slightly-damp selves onto the bikes and high-tailed it out of town and back to the seclusion of our campsite.

Ramen noodles and crackers for dinner, some fruit punch to wash it all down, and we set to the arduous task of getting the last two days of memories documented for all to read. As the wind picked up and lightning flashed over the adjacent butte, the guys rigged up a military poncho/tarp to block the gusts. It worked rather well, but as the night progressed the evening bugs began to congregate around the luminous fluorescent (and now duct-taped) light perilously strung above us on a makeshift pulley. Not able to withstand the swarming any longer, they group split up and sealed themselves from the creatures of the night inside their respective tents. Tomorrow shall bring a new city, new sights, and new adventures for Four Bikers and a Monkey.