A Giant UFO Festival with All the Outer Space Vibes

It’s going to be out of this world!

Was it an alien encounter, a weather balloon, or a flying saucer? The event known as the Roswell Incident quickly swept through the nation in 1947. The “UFO Capital of the World” is known internationally by UFO enthusiasts and deniers alike!

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Beware, Earthlings, soon you will be abducted and dropped into a land full of alien fun. If you love UFOs, Sci-Fi, and all things extraterrestrial, the Roswell UFO Festival this summer is the place to be. This is the only RV road trip that will take you to outer space!

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The Roswell UFO Festival is a 3-day event happening on July 1-3, 2022. This fest will be filled with tons of music, photo ops, and activities (most of them free) for everyone. This destination Festival will include plenty of immersive experiences, live music, local food, out-of-this-world photo ops as well as other family-friendly events happening all over the city.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

This is a great place to visit if you plan to go on a road trip with family or friends this July. If you plan to stay for the three days, make camping reservations early since the fest is quite popular.

The festival will have guest speakers, space-loving authors, live entertainment, a costume contest, a light parade, a reenactment tour, and even the cutest pet costume contest (Saturday, 10 am), and parade. Family-friendly activities will also be part of the schedule. You will be learning how to create your very own alien hat and other fun crafts.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

From the adorable ET to the vast alien universe of Star Wars, American Culture loves all things alien. But the city of Roswell plays an essential part in our fascination with UFO appearances beyond movies. 

Related: 4 Things to Know Before Visiting New Mexico

Roswell has been at the heart of the UFO scene since July 1947 when the military announced it had found the remains of a crashed UFO in the desert nearby.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Seventy-five years ago, a rancher named W.W. Mack Brazel checked his sheep after a thunderstorm and found debris made of a strange metal scattered in many directions. He noticed a shallow trench cut into the desert floor. As the story goes, Mac Brazel drove his rusty pickup to the county seat of Roswell to inform authorities that something had crashed and scattered metallic debris across his ranch land.

Figuring it must have come from the nearby Army airfield, officers accompanied him back to the ranch and what they witnessed in the desert has, in the decades since, mushroomed to become the most widely publicized event in UFO lore.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Days after something shiny crashed in the New Mexico desert, the Roswell Army Air Field issued a press release that said the military had recovered the remains of a “flying disc.” Although quickly discounted as erroneous, the announcement laid the groundwork for one of the most enduring UFO stories of all time. There had been 16 reported unidentified flying object sightings reported that year during the several months preceding what would be known as the Roswell Incident.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

So—what is the truth? Well, plan to attend the Roswell UFO Festival and judge for yourself. Roswell has become the epitome of everything alien and is even called the “UFO Capital of the World.” The city is home to a UFO Museum and a planetarium that you can visit during the festival.

Related: What Really Happened at Roswell?

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

According to Will Rogers, Roswell was the prettiest little town in the west. Money magazine has called it one of the 10 most peaceful places to retire. Hugh Bayless, in his book, The Best Towns in America, listed Roswell as one of the 50 most desirable communities in which to live.

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The festival is a loved tradition in the city of Roswell, so you’ll see people of all ages and backgrounds enjoying the festivities. Many will be wearing costumes, hats, makeup, matching outfits with their pets, or creating their own UFO vehicles for the parades. 

Both UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike are welcome to join the fun. 

Roswell UFO Museum and Research Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Besides the activities, parades, movie screenings, panels, and contests, you will also be able to shop alien and UFO unique souvenirs and presents and even have some awesome thematic food and drinks. 

During the UFO Festival you will love the entire festivity in Roswell. But what to do if you arrive a week before or stay a few days after the festival?

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Be sure to visit the world-famous UFO Museum and Research Center, Bottomless Lakes State Park, Bitter Lake Wildlife Refuge, Anderson Museum of Contemporary Art (free admission), Roswell Museum and Art Center (free admission), Walker Aviation Museum (free admission), Spring River Zoo (free admission), all of which are located in Roswell.

Related: Spotlight on New Mexico: Most Beautiful Places to Visit

Carlsbad Caverns National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Looking for more fun near Roswell? You can plan a day trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park or enjoy gaming at the Casinos and Ruidoso Downs race track in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Visit Lincoln and see where Billy the Kid made his last escape. There are countless sightseeing places you can explore in a day.

If you are ready to experience tons of alien fun, let this UFO festival “abduct” you this summer. You won’t regret it.  

Worth Pondering…

Well, at least my mom knows what species I am.

10 Unusual Roadside Attractions to Stop For

Fun for every age!

Instead of a road trip to visit all the US national parks or one that will take you to the best leaf-peeping spots in the country, why not get in the RV and see some of America’s coolest roadside attractions?

There are so many fun and quirky roadside attractions in the US—like Wall Drug in South Dakota or the Peachoid in South Carolina—that building an entire road trip around them is a breeze.

Wigwam Motel, Holbrook, Arizona © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Summer is the perfect time for a road trip and America has no shortage of epic roadside attractions to keep travelers excited, even along some of the most mundane stretches of highway. We rounded up 10 of the most compelling landmarks across the country that should be locked into any traveler’s GPS.

INSIDER TIP: For the deepest dive, jump off the interstate and wander the local or back roads instead.

Mitchell Corn Palace © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Corny Attraction

Remember the story of the Three Little Pigs, specifically the portly porker who made his house out of straw? Perhaps he’d have been better protected if he’d used a stronger material, maybe something along the lines of corn and grain. Or maybe he should have just hired the architectural crew that built the “World’s Only Corn Palace.”

Mitchell Corn Palace © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The Mitchell Corn Palace, in Mitchell, South Dakota, is truly a spectacle. The massive building is comprised entirely of corn and local grains. This includes the structure, decorations, and even some impressive corn murals. The palace is so famous in the area that it plays host to a variety of events. You can even book and host your event.

Wigwam Motel © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Sleep in a Wigwam

Have you slept in a wigwam lately? In the arid Arizona desert, the Wigwam Village Motel in Holbrook still provides Route 66 aficionados the opportunity to “Sleep in a Wigwam!”

Related Article: Blow Your Mind at the Weirdest Roadside Attractions across America

Fifteen concrete and steel freestanding teepees are arranged in a semi-circle around the motel office.

Wigwam Motel © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Each teepee is 21 feet wide at the base and 28 feet high. The teepees are painted white with a red zigzag above the doorway. If you were to focus on the front door, ignoring the quirky architecture that drew you here in the first place, you might think you’re entering a Hobbit-hole. Vintage automobiles are permanently parked throughout the property, including a Studebaker.

Roswell UFO Museum © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Basically Everything in Roswell

Is it fair to call an entire town a roadside attraction? Probably not! But the sheer number of alien-related stuff populating the streets of Roswell makes it unavoidable. There are makeshift spaceships you can tour. Straight-up UFO “museums.” A fake-ass alien autopsy site. Gift shops galore. If there are actual aliens tucked away in Roswell, they pulled the ingenious move of hiding in plain sight, surrounded by every kind of gaudy, over-the-top kitsch as possible. Well played Martians.

Hole N” The Rock © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Hole N” The Rock

You’re driving down US Highway 191 south of Moab, thinking vaguely of finding a place to pull over and stretch, maybe get some snacks, when you see, in the distance: a massive red rock face with blazing white detailing. You drive closer. “HOLE N” THE ROCK”. Is it … literally a hole in the rock? It is, kinda, yes.

Hole N” The Rock © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Hole N” The Rock is a 5,000-square-foot home carved into the rock where you’ll also find a trading post, general store, art collection, and petting zoo—camels, zebras, albino raccoons. You are wondering whether you can feed them, yes you can.

Related Article: Wacky and Fun Roadside Attractions across America

“WE ARE NOT YOUR DESTINATION:” explains/yells the Hole N” The Rock website, “WE ARE AN AMAZING STOP ALONG THE WAY.”

World’s Largest Pistachio © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

One Really Big Nut

The World’s Largest Pistachio was built in honor of PistachioLand’s founder, Thomas McGinn. After his passing in 2008, his son, Timothy McGinn erected the 30-foot sculpture in memory of his father. Tim wanted everyone who passed by PistachioLand to take note of what his dad created, a 111-acre pistachio orchard and vineyard started from bare desert land in 1980. From the first trees planted to today, PistachioLand now is home to over 12,000 pistachio trees and 14 acres of wine grapes. 

A bronze plaque at the base of the nut states that, “Tom dreamed big, expected big, and accomplished big things. He would have said the monument is not big enough!”

Tombstone © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Town Too Tough To Die

Live out all of your Wild West dreams in Tombstone, Arizona, the location of the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Cowboys, cowgirls, and wannabes fill up the town’s saloons and the O.K. Corral museum puts on reenactments of Wyatt Earp’s 1881 shootout. The buildings are so well maintained and the townsfolk so authentic that at times it’s easy to think you’ve landed on a John Wayne movie set.

Wall Drug © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Wall Drug

Wall Drug is the roadside attraction to end all roadside attractions rising out of the prehistoric landscape preceding the Badlands. It’s a city-sized paragon of Western kitsch, a necessary pit stop in the middle of capital-N Nowhere. An actual drug store where you can get a prescription filled and also see a gigantic animatronic dinosaur or cowboy band, peruse Native American art, eat an open-face turkey sandwich, play in a shooting gallery, or snap a photo with a jackalope.

The Peachoid © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

A Peach of a Water Tower

You can’t miss it as you drive down I-85 in South Carolina. The Peachoid, as it’s called, is a massive peach-shape water tower. In Gaffney, the Peachoid is more than a water tower. According to official literature, the Peachoid boldly “sets the record straight about which state is the biggest peach producer in the South. Contrary to popular belief, it is NOT Georgia.”

Related Article: 12 Must-See Roadside Attractions for the Perfect Road Trip

Without a doubt, the best known, most photographed water tank in America. It is painted to match the kind of peaches grown in the area using 20 colors and 50 gallons of paint.

Paisano Pete © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Paisano Pete

There’s a really big roadrunner in Texas. His name is Paisano Pete and he wants to welcome you to the town of Fort Stockton (he is their mascot, after all). An off-beat roadside attraction, Paisano Pete has been a fixture in this West Texas town since 1979.

Paisano Pete was for many years the World’s Largest Roadrunner. In 1993, Pete lost his world’s largest title to an enormous statue in Las Cruces, New Mexico, but this hasn’t dimmed his appeal nor stopped him from becoming Fort Stockton’s most photographed resident. And at 22 feet long and 11 feet tall, he’s still pretty big.

World’s Largest Sausage © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

World’s Largest Sausage

Mundare, Alberta, is known for its Ukrainian Home-Made Style Sausage produced by Stawnichy’s Meat Processing, a sausage factory famous for its kobasa.. It is also the home of the world’s largest sausage replica (42 feet high and 6 tons) built by the Stawnichy family.

World’s Largest Sausage © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Started in 1959, the Stawnichy family, father and son, started smoking meat. Edward took over from his father in 1971 and now his daughter, Cheryl Zeleny, mixes all the spices. This immense Ukrainian sausage is the tallest piece of meat anywhere in the world.

Read Next: Life Is a Highway: Taking the Great American Road Trip

Worth Pondering…

Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the wild stuff that happens along the way.

—Emma Chase

10 Amazing Places to RV in June 2022

If you’re dreaming of where to travel to experience it all, here are my picks for the best places to RV in June

Mankind was not made to suffer. Bliss is our nature.

—David Lynch

Throughout his long career as a filmmaker and artist, David Lynch has recognized the tension between suffering and happiness that is essential to great storytelling. Despite the dark themes and difficult challenges his characters often face, the Twin Peaks creator feels that humans were not created to endure constant sorrow. Instead, we have an innate desire—and capacity—to experience pure happiness and joy.

Bryce Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Consult a dictionary and the answer to one of life’s most pressing questions—what is happiness?—can be summed up quite succinctly: a state of well being and contentment. But ask 10 different people what happiness is on a given day and it’s unlikely you’ll get the same response twice, much less in just six words.

While happiness can be universally characterized by feelings of joy, gratitude, and contentment, the roadmaps we use to arrive there are entirely unique. 

McKinney Falls State Park, Texas © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

I look at the past, today, and my hopes for tomorrow. All of this is enhanced by the RV lifestyle.

Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in April and May. Also check out my recommendations from June 2021 and July 2021.

Mount St. Helens © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Mount St. Helens Eruption and Legacy

The tranquility of the Mount St. Helens region was shattered in the spring of 1980 when the volcano stirred from its long repose, shook, and exploded back to life. The eruption caused the largest landslide in recorded history sending enormous amounts of rock, snow, and ice down the mountain’s north flank at speeds greater than 200 miles an hour. Within hours, an ash cloud rose 15 miles above the summit and spread northeast turning daylight into the night for at least 125 linear miles.

Mount St. Helens, located in southwestern Washington, is one of several lofty volcanic peaks that dominate the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest.

Johnson Ridge Observatory Visitor Center © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

One of the main roads into Mount St. Helens, State Route 504 provides spectacular views of the landscape including the crater, blast zone, and Toutle River Valley. At the end of the road is Johnston Ridge Observatory, a popular visitor center that is open daily mid-May through October.

Mount St. Helens © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The U.S. Forest Service has recently approved a plan to develop what would be the first overnight tourist facilities within Washington State’s Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument including a campground. The existing Coldwater Ridge visitor center will be remodeled and a trio of 10-room lodge buildings, a cluster of cabins, and a 40-space campground will be added, all arrayed on and around Coldwater’s vast parking lot.

Bryce Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Hoodoos and more hoodoos

Hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) exist on every continent but Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration found anywhere on Earth. Situated along a high plateau at the top of the Grand Staircase, the park’s high elevations include numerous life communities, fantastic dark skies, and geological wonders.

Bryce Canyon National Monument © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Bryce Canyon is not a single canyon but a series of natural amphitheaters or bowls carved into the edge of a high plateau. The most famous of these is the Bryce Amphitheater which is filled with irregularly eroded spires of rocks. Perhaps every visitor to the park will spend at least some time marveling at its four main viewpoints, all found within the first few miles of the park: Bryce Point, Inspiration Point, Sunset Point, and Sunrise Point.

Bryce Canyon National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Bryce Canyon National Park has two campgrounds, North and Sunset Campgrounds, located in close proximity to the Visitor Center, Bryce Canyon Lodge, and the Bryce Amphitheater.

Historic Route 66 © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Get your Kicks: Route 66 Turns 96

The inspiration for numerous songs and countless road trips, Route 66 turns 96. The cross country route proposal from Chicago to Santa Monica was made to Congress on April 30, 1926. While parts of the route have been replaced by interstates, the older areas of the road have been named a national scenic byway.

Roswell Incident © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Roswell Incident

Do you remember the Roswell incident that took place in June 1947? For those of you who do not know or remember it, let’s refresh your memory. Perhaps the most notable UFO crash in American history came on June 14, 1947. That night, a farmer named Mac Brazel was driving about 80 miles outside Roswell and came across a flaming heap of rubber, foil, and sticks. He contacted local authorities who contacted the military who ultimately came to the site and issued a public statement that a flying saucer had landed in Roswell.

Roswell Incident © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The government changed its tune and deemed the UFO a “weather balloon” but many suspect the object was a device intended to spy on Russian nuclear development. To this date, the incident is still a subject of controversy and the town of Roswell celebrates this incident with a UFO Festival run by the City of Roswell.

Roswell UFO Museum © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Though Roswell may not have been the land of first contact, the town has since leaned into the notoriety and become the greatest alien theme town on the planet. It is home to the International UFO Museum and Research Center and has a McDonald’s shaped like a UFO. The city hosts an annual UFO festival that’s become a pilgrimage for self-proclaimed “UFOlogists.” Whether you’re a believer or not, the town is a goofy, cheezy place, a fantastic slice of Americana.

This is a special year for the Roswell UFO Festival! In 2022, the town marks the 75th anniversary of the Roswell Incident. UFO Festival takes place on July 1–3.

Highway 89A © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Jerome-Clarkdale-Cottonwood Historic Road

From the intersection of state routes 260 and 89A in Cottonwood (Arizona), do NOT follow the signs to Jerome. That leads you out of town via the bypass. Follow Historic 89A which will pass Dead Horse Ranch State Park with hiking trails, fishing lagoons, horseback rides, and RV camping before proceeding through Old Town Cottonwood. Here you’ll find galleries, restaurants, and wine tasting rooms housed in Prohibition-era buildings. Outside of town Tuzigoot National Monument, an ancient Pueblo ruin, perches atop a limestone ridge overlooking the Verde River.

Tuzigoot National Monument © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Then you drive through quaint Clarkdale, Arizona’s first company town. Built by the owner of Jerome’s largest mine, Clarkdale was designed with precision planning and technological advancements far from the norm in the early 1900s. Don’t miss the Copper Art Museum featuring 5,000 objects, copper art, and collections dating to the 16th century.

Jerome © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Leaving Clarkdale behind, the road merges with the bypass (see all you would have missed?) and begins a short ascent into the foothills of the Black Mountains. Soon you’re climbing the shoulder of a hogback ridge with houses above you hanging off the edge. You sweep around the old high school now a collection of art galleries and follow the final twists and turns into Jerome.

McKinney Falls State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

McKinney Falls State Park

Enjoy the best of nature and city life at this beautiful urban park located on the edge of Austin. McKinney Falls sits along rocky Onion Creek and is a local hotspot for hiking, mountain biking, road biking, bouldering, geocaching, and picnicking. So hot, in fact, that the park frequently experiences capacity closures on nice weather weekends. McKinney has 81 campsites, all with water and electric (12 with 50-amp connections). The campground is located away from most of the park’s attractions so there’s plenty of peace and quiet even when the park is busy.

McKinney Falls State Park campground © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

But, hey, if the park does get too crowded for your taste, escape to downtown Austin and explore the city’s vibrant culture including its top-notch restaurants, art museums, and legendary music scene.

If you’re looking to stay in the Austin area with quick access to the city without feeling like you’re in the city, this is the spot. While it’s only a few miles off of a main highway, once you enter the park, you feel like you’re nowhere near an urban area.

Petrified Forest National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Petrified Forest Road

Petrified Forest National Park features trees dating back more than 200 million years that have turned to stone by absorbing minerals from the water that once surrounded them. The park also includes fossilized flora and fauna, petroglyphs, wildflowers, colorful rock formations, and wildlife.

Painted Desert © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The trip from one end of the park to the other is about 28 miles. There’s so much to see from the Painted Desert in the north to the southern half of the drive where most of the petrified wood lies. Hiking trails along the way take visitors close to the sights. Starting in the north at Exit 311 off I-40, stop at the Painted Desert Visitor Center to see an 18-minute film, hands-on exhibits, and a short walking trail.

Crystal Forest Trail © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The drive passes through a variety of environments, colorful rock formations, and scenic pullouts with spectacular views. At the Crystal Forest Trail, petrified logs can easily be seen within steps of the parking area. It’s possible to spot wildlife along the drive as well.

Lassen Volcanic National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Lassen Volcanic National Park

California is filled with some of the most iconic—and crowded—national parks in the nation including Yosemite, Sequoia, and Joshua Tree. One park that miraculously flies under-the-radar though is Lassen Volcanic National Park, the least visited in the state with only 359,635 visitors in 2021. (for reference, Yosemite saw 3,287,595 in 2021).

Lassen Volcanic National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Nestled in central Northern California, this sleeper hit has a lot of elements similar to Yellowstone: your bubbling mud pots, hot springs, and freezing royal-blue lakes. Another thing the two share? The potential for volcanic eruption at any moment! Lassen Peak is an active volcano, though the most recent eruptions took place back in 1917, so there’s (probably) nothing to fear as you trek up the mountain and drink in the views of the Cascade Range. If you’d rather keep things closer to sea level, try paddling on pristine and peaceful Manzanita Lake or exploring the Bumpass Hell area, a hydrothermal hot spot filled with billowing basins and kaleidoscopic springs.

Blue Bell Ice Cream © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Brenham, Texas

The main attraction in Brenham is the Blue Bell Ice Cream factory which opened in 1907. Visitors can stop by the creamery’s Ice Cream Parlor for a generous scoop, learn about the history from the visitor’s center, shop at the Country Store, and watch the production from the observation deck. Be sure to take a photo with the statue of the brand’s iconic logo, a little girl leading a cow on a rope.

Blue Bell Ice Cream © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

While the ice cream alone is worth the trip, Brenham is also the main hub of Washington County with a plethora of attractions within in a 12-mile radius. Highlights include the Texas Cotton Gin Museum and Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed on March 2, 1836, liberating the state from Mexico. Located on the scenic Brazos River, the park includes The Star of the Republic Museum, which details the Texas Republic period, and Barrington Plantation, the home of the last President of the Texas Republic.

Other highlights include feeding the alpacas at Peeka Ranch Alpacas and sipping a glass of wine at the family-owned Saddlehorn Winery.

Wilson Arch © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Stop by Wilson Arch

Wilson’s Arch is a natural sandstone arch. The arch takes its name from a 19th-century pioneer named Joe Wilson. The natural feature is red-tinted, huge, and surrounded by desert—cutting a dramatic picture.

Wilson Arch © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Unlike many attractions, the Wilson Arch is completely free to access. Visitors can pull straight off of Route 191 and park at the Wilson Arch Scenic View Area—making the short hike up to the rock feature if they wish. Wilson Arch is only a half an hour drive from Moab and located just after the turn-off for La Sal. If you visit the mountains, it is worth the detour.

Worth Pondering…

It is the month of June, The month of leaves and roses, When pleasant sights salute the eyes and pleasant scents the noses.

—Nathaniel Parker Willis

Should We Be Taking UFO Sightings More Seriously?

There is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone

In April, military officials released footage of three Navy videos that they say show “unidentified aerial phenomena” or in layman’s terms, unidentified flying objects (UFOs). The videos which were released previously by a private company show the objects which were not identified flying quickly through the air. They were recorded by infrared cameras.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

The videos were published by the New York Times in 2017. Two had been recorded in 2015: the other was captured in 2004. One person is heard on a clip saying that an object could be a drone.

From 2007 to 2012, the Pentagon had studied UFO encounters but was stopped because other programs needed funding. But the former head of the program said: “There is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone.”

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

“These aircraft—we’ll call them aircraft—are displaying characteristics that are not currently within the US inventory or in any foreign inventory that we are aware of,” Luis Elizondo said in 2017.

These physics-defying aerial phenomena elevated the UFO conversation from Bigfoot Reddit forums to Bloomberg opinion columns. Here are a few prominent people saying we should take UFO sightings more seriously: 

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

1. Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Twitter: “The U.S. needs to take a serious, scientific look at this and any potential national security implications. The American people deserve to be informed.”

2. Economist Tyler Cowen for Bloomberg: “Humanity has a long history of being caught unawares by outside arrivals, and so we should pay more attention to that bias in ourselves.”  He cited the “technologically superior” Spanish invasion of the Aztec empire as an example. 

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

3. Political scientist Alexander Wendt to Vox: “Whether it’s alien life, who knows? It’s a plausible explanation. My point is that we should be agnostic about this and simply study it scientifically. Let’s do the science and then we can talk about what we found.” The overarching argument: Strange phenomena should be investigated, whether the end goal is to protect ourselves from cone-headed extraterrestrials or just to learn something new.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

+ If you want to learn something new…here are a few of the UFO sightings taken seriously by the U.S. government. Mysterious lights. Sinister saucers. Alien abductions.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

Between 1947 and 1969, at the height of the Cold War, more than 12,000 UFO sightings were reported to Project Blue Book, a small, top-secret Air Force team. Their mission? Scientifically investigate the incidents and determine whether any posed a national security threat.

> Here is one of their most fascinating cases along with the latest on alien abduction insurance.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

The Roswell ‘UFO’ Incident

In the summer of 1947, a rancher discovered unidentifiable debris in his sheep pasture outside Roswell, New Mexico. Although officials from the local Air Force base asserted that it was a crashed weather balloon, many people believed it was the remains of an extraterrestrial flying saucer; a series of secret “dummy drops” in New Mexico during the 1950s heightened their suspicions. Nearly 50 years after the story of the mysterious debris broke the U.S. military issued a report linking the incident to a top-secret atomic espionage project called Project Mogul. Still, many people continue to embrace the UFO theory and hundreds of curiosity seekers visit Roswell and the crash site every year.

What Really Happened at Roswell? Click here, for the rest of the story…

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

Alien Abduction Insurance Policy

Did you know you can purchase alien abduction insurance? Seriously! According to a Geico blog post, a London-based firm has sold over 30,000 policies throughout Europe. Like other insurance, alien abduction policies can be used to cover medical or psychiatric care, lost wages, or additional damages caused by an alien abduction. But, contrary to many life insurance policies, these insurance claims can be filed if abductees are considered missing and never return.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

If you’re a believer and alien abductions are a concern, you might be interested in learning more about this. However, you should consider that filing a claim will require proof of the occurrence. This would likely include providing specific information about the aliens and spacecraft involved, a detailed description about the incident, passing a lie detector test, providing video footage and alien signatures, and including statements from a third-party witness. Also, coverage will only include a single abduction so if you have “frequent flier miles” on alien spacecraft, you won’t benefit from a policy.

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

$10,000,000.00 ALIEN ABDUCTION INSURANCE

The “Perfect Policy for Anyone Who Thinks They Have Everything Covered

You can’t be turned down regardless of your Age or Frequent Flyer Status. Only if you don’t …*

UFO Museum, Roswell, New Mexico © Rex Vogel, all rights

Worth Pondering…

Don’t Leave Earth…Without It

What Really Happened at Roswell?

The Roswell UFO Incident

One morning around Independence Day 1947, about 75 miles from the town of Roswell, New Mexico, a rancher named Mac Brazel found something unusual in his sheep pasture: a mess of metallic sticks held together with tape; chunks of plastic and foil reflectors; and scraps of a heavy, glossy, paper-like material.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Unable to identify the strange objects, Brazel called Roswell’s sheriff. The sheriff, in turn, called officials at the nearby Roswell Army Air Force base. Soldiers fanned out across Brazel’s field, gathering the mysterious debris and whisking it away in armored trucks.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

On July 8, “RAAF Captures Flying Saucer on Ranch in Roswell Region” was the top story in the Roswell Daily Record. But was it true? On July 9, an Air Force official clarified the paper’s report: The alleged “flying saucer,” he said, was only a crashed weather balloon. However, to anyone who had seen the debris (or the newspaper photographs of it), it was clear that whatever this thing was, it was no weather balloon. Some people believed—and still believe—that the crashed vehicle had not come from Earth at all. They argued that the debris in Brazel’s field must have come from an alien spaceship.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

It turned out that the Army knew more about Brazel’s “flying saucer” than it let on. Since World War II, a group of geophysicists and oceanographers from Columbia University, New York University, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod had been working on a top-secret atomic espionage project at New Mexico’s Alamogordo Air Field that they called Project Mogul.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Project Mogul used sturdy high-altitude balloons to carry low-frequency sound sensors into the tropopause, a faraway part of the Earth’s atmosphere that acts as a sound channel. In this part of the atmosphere, sound waves can travel for thousands of miles without interference, much like under the ocean. The scientists believed that if they sent microphones into this sound channel, they would be able to eavesdrop on nuclear tests as far away as the Soviet Union.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

According to the U.S. military, the debris in Brazel’s field outside Roswell actually belonged to Project Mogul. It was the remains of a 700-foot-long string of neoprene balloons, radar reflectors (for tracking), and sonic equipment that the scientists had launched from the Alamogordo base in June and that had, evidently, crashed in early July 1947.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Because the project was highly classified, no one at the Roswell Army Air Field even knew that it existed and they had no idea what to make of the objects Brazel had found. (In fact, some officials on the base were worried that the wreckage had come from a Russian spy plane or satellite—information that they were understandably reluctant to share with the public.)

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The “weather balloon” story, flimsy though it was, was the simplest and most plausible explanation they could come up with on short notice. Meanwhile, to protect the scientists’ secret project, no one at Alamogordo could step in and clear up the confusion.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Today, many people continue to believe that the government and the military are covering up the truth about alien landings at and around Roswell. In 1994, the Pentagon declassified most of its files on Project Mogul and the dummy drops and the federal General Accounting Office produced a report (“Report of Air Force Research Regarding the Roswell Incident”) designed to debunk these rumors. Nevertheless, there are still people who subscribe to the UFO theory and hundreds of thousands of curiosity seekers visit Roswell and the crash site every year hoping to find out the truth for themselves.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell was organized to inform the public about what has come to be known as “The Roswell Incident” and other unexplained phenomena related to UFO research.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Every July, the UFO Museum celebrates the famous Roswell Crash of 1947 by hosting several guest speakers who give lectures to thousands of people over the course of three days. During those three days, the Museum sees on average 12,000 visitors from all over the globe.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic brings concern for near-future events. The safety and well-being of our employees, speakers, visitors, and community remain a top priority. With all of that being said, the decision was made to cancel the 2020 UFOlogist Invasion. Although it was a difficult decision, it was the responsible one, according to the website.

International UFO Museum & Research Center at Roswell exhibit © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

We hope to see you all at the 2021 UFOlogist Invasion.

Worth Pondering…

Well, at least my mom knows what species I am.