Roswell UFO Museum

Above, the UFO Museum in Roswell. Note the interesting street lamp. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Rather than trying to see the Roswell UFO Museum tomorrow or Saturday and fight the UFO Festival crowds, Jess and I went to the museum today.

It was an interesting museum. Author Donald R. Schmitt (Witness To Roswell) gave an overview talk about the Roswell incident, particularly on the government's cover-up (giving four different cover stories over the years). He also had a table where he autographed copies of his books. Unfortunately, one moron fanboy in an orange t-shirt kept people from being able to chat with Schmitt by hogging up Schmitt's time.

There was also a big figure of Gort from The Day The Earth Stood Still.

I took a bunch of photos inside the museum. Here's some of them:

Above, a model of the Roswell crash. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the famous front page of the Roswell Daily Record. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Los Angeles Herald Express front page. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, what the government says the alien bodies actually were.
But those didn't exist until 1952. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Gort with yours truly. Photo by Jess.

Above, Gort ready to blast someone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, an alien body. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, an alien body. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, aliens and their space ship are about to launch. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, props from a Roswell movie. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Research Center. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, author Donald R. Schmitt during his talk. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Made It To Roswell!

Above, yours truly with the Welcome To Roswell sign. Photo by Jess.

Jess and I made it to Roswell, New Mexico today.

It was a 160-mile drive from Moriarty, New Mexico. We got to the city at around 11:00 this morning.

Above, Jess with the welcome sign. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The first stop we made after reaching the city limits was to take pictures at the Welcome To Roswell sign.

Above, Jess in front of the RV park office and store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, one of the aliens in front of Trailer Village. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

After the stop at the welcome sign, we headed down Main Street to get to the Trailer Village RV Park on Second Street. Along the way, we noticed many businesses with alien figures in front of them. Roswell has really embraced the 1947 UFO crash, which is all the more remarkable since the Army threatened many witnesses to the crash and their viewing of the debris and bodies. Trailer Village also has their share of aliens in front. They also have a gift shop filled with alien goods. Inside the office, is the famous front page of the Roswell Daily Record.

Above, the famous front page of the Roswell Daily Record. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The Roswell Trailer Village RV Park is a nice park on Second Street, about a mile and a half from the UFO Museum (more on the museum in another blog post).

Above, our campsite. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The UFO Festival begins tomorrow.

Happy Trails RV Campground Review

Above, The Beast at Happy Trails RV Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

My review of Happy Trails RV Campground in Moriarty, New Mexico has been posted at RV Park Reviews.

Above, the neighboring campsite's connections are just ourside the coach door. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In a nutshell:

We were on our way to Roswell, New Mexico for the UFO Festival and decided to stop half way. Happy Trails RV Campground was dead center between home and Roswell. It is an older RV park that is undergoing refurbishment. The spaces are close to each other. So close, my awning covered the water and sewer outlets for the neighboring campsite. There are picnic tables, but not at each campsite. They are arranged in a circle in the center of the campground. I've never seen such a configuration before. Since the price was very reasonable, I'm not complaining. It is within easy walking distance to restaurants. The owners are very friendly and helpful (they escort guests to their campsite). The campground is fine for an overnight stay. Despite the closeness of the sites, I would stay here again. We camped at Happy Trails RV Park LLC in a Motorhome.

Above, the picnic tables in a circular area in the center of the campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The price: $28.00/night.

To go to the campground's review page, go here. 

"No Evidence" Smaller Airline Seats A Safety Hazard

Above, the Economy section of an Airbus A380. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you were hoping that a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) study would either halt the shrinking of airline seating due to safety issues or make them larger, those hopes were dashed.

TravelPulse reported:

In what Judge Millet dubbed “the case of the incredible shrinking airline seat,” the suit was filed by the organization Flyers Rights, which argued that smaller seat sizes could affect the ability of passengers to evacuate an aircraft safely in case of an emergency. The organization also said smaller seat size could lead to increased risk of blood clots in air travelers.

A three-judge federal panel, led by Millett, ordered the FAA to undergo a “properly reasoned disposition” of safety issues related to seating configurations. 

This week, the hopes of the flying public have been dashed, after the FAA announced it would not impose new restrictions on the airline industry. 

The agency said it “has no evidence that there is an immediate safety issue necessitating rule-making at this time,” in a letter sent Monday. It also cited “research” indicates emergency evacuations aren’t slowed down by tighter seating. Instead, the choke points created by the emergency exits is what slows evacuations.

To read more, go here. 

Tradition!

Above, cookin' cheeseburgers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Along with fireworks, firing up the outdoor grill (a barbecue, for those of you in an airhead neighborhood) is an American tradition on the 4th of July.

This evening, I fired up the Weber barbecue at the Happy Trails RV Campground and cooked cheeseburgers for Jess and I. They (if I do say so myself) came out great!

Supposedly, we're to have 30% chance of scattered rain and thunderstorms before midnight tonight. I would be one happy camper! I haven't seen a good thunderstorm in a long time.

USS Arizona Memorial Still Closed, Repairs Mulled

Above, the USS Arizona Memorial in 2016. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii remains closed as officials mull over how to repair the dock anchoring system.

The Los Angeles Times reported:

As the nation celebrates the Fourth of July, thousands will visit Pearl Harbor to learn about the surprise attack Japan unleashed on Dec. 7, 1941, and to pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the battle that hurled the United States into World War II. 

However, this year, tourists won’t get to set foot on one of the most revered sites here, the USS Arizona Memorial, which has been closed since May 6 over safety concerns. 

The National Park Service had hoped to reopen the site by the holiday, but it’s taken longer than anticipated to figure out how to repair the dock that allows visitors to board the memorial, which rests on pilings over the sunken battleship. The memorial is one of the most-visited tourism sites in Hawaii, and it’s unclear when it will be reopened. 

“The problem is the anchoring system that holds the dock in place has partially failed,” said Jacqueline Ashwell, the superintendent for the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument. 

The floating dock has been moving as much as 10 feet away from the memorial, when it’s only supposed to move about 2 feet. The dock is anchored by chains attached to concrete blocks embedded in the harbor floor, about 50 feet deep. Any repair work must be done very carefully.

To read more, go here.

On The Road To Roswell: Happy Independence Day!

Above, on the road to Roswell. Sierra is perched on my shoulder. Photo by Jess.

Jess, Sierra and I left Jamestown about 9:30 this morning. We are now halfway between Jamestown and Roswell, New Mexico in the town of Moriarty (about 160 miles from Jamestown and Roswell).

We are currently at the Happy Trails RV Campground.

Above, The Beast at the Happy Trails RV Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The campground is about half full. The sites are a bit on the narrow side and close, but for an overnight stay at $28/night with full hook-ups, I'm not complaining.

It is a bit hot and muggy here as the monsoon clouds are over the area. We may have some thundershowers this evening.

Above, Sierra in one of her favorite spots in the RV. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We will leave Moriarty tomorrow morning and will reach Roswell at about noon or so. The owner of the Happy Trails RV Campground said that he would have gone to the UFO Festival in Roswell, but he has to work the RV park.

One of my neighbors is already camping in the Roswell area. We may meet up.

It will be interesting if anyone around the RV park decides to shoot off fireworks tonight. There are huge fireworks businesses in Moriarty. We saw one in a giant tent with a crowd of people inside.

Happy Independence Day!

Roswell UFO Festival: Ready To Go!

Above, The Beast is ready to go. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Everything's been loaded into The Beast except for Jess's suitcase, my travel bag and Sierra (that will be the most difficult as I have to get her harness on her and put her in her carry box).

I was checking the weather reports for the places we'll be staying and it appears that it will be hot outside with monsoon humidity and 30% (+) chance of thunderstorms. If we get rain, then at least The Beast will get a wash.

One of my neighbors is camping at a state park near Roswell and we may meet up somewhere in Roswell. They've a 5th wheel trailer.

It should be a fun trip. 

National Park Camping Tips

Above, The Beast at Yosemite's North Pines Campground. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Are you planning to camp at one of our national parks?

Montana's KULR-8 has some tips for national park camping.

They begin with:

Camping at one of our beautiful National Parks? 

Before you hit the road, here are some tips to give you a fun but safe experience. 

Requirements for back country camping vary by park, but general rules include removing all trash and camping at the designated camp sites.

To read more (includes a video), go here. 

2018 Roswell UFO Festival News

New post on Official UFO Festival Roswell Website Garrett Wang to join the 2018 UFO Festival by UFO Festival We are excited to announce that actor Garrett Wang will be joining us at the UFO Festival in 2018. Wang is most noted for his series regular role as Ensign Harry Kim on Star Trek: Voyager, which ran from 1995 to 2001. In 2005, Wang played the role of Chow Ping in the TV miniseries Into The West, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg. He played the part of Garan in the 2007 fan production Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, saying, "it’s always more challenging for an actor to play the bad guy." Learn more about Garrett

National Parks: Everything You Need To Know

Above, a walkway in a Yosemite Valley meadow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are many of us who are "old hands" at visiting national parks. But, believe it or not, there are some out there who have never even set foot inside a national park.

This post is for those people.

Luckily, People magazine's website has an article on everything you need to know before visiting a national park that will be a great help in getting started.

It begins with:

It may seem like leaving your house this summer may be ill-advised, but there’s only so much Netflix you can watch before losing your mind. Luckily, you don’t need a huge budget or a week off from work to take an amazing vacation – there’s a national park not too far from you, allowing you the opportunity to get outdoors (spending time in nature has shown to have lasting benefits such as lessening stress and improving mental health) and get amazing content for your social media feeds. 

The Instagram accounts for the National Parks Service and U.S. Interior are stocked with stunning inspiration for any possible trip you might want to take. And recently, as a guest of the National Park Foundation, I had the opportunity to bike, hike and float down a river in Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, enjoy a “night sky” activity and see some historic national battlefields – accompanied by rangers, who had plenty of expert advice on making the most out of your trip, no matter how long your trip or with whom you travel. 

If you’re still resisting the thought of breaking a sweat in the great outdoors, rest assured that there are a number of unique (and affordable!) parks that don’t require too much physical effort and still afford you the opportunity to try something new this summer.

To read more, go here.

Mount Fuji Climbing Season Opens

Above, a view of the summit of Mt. Fuji from the timberline. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Are you planning to visit Japan anytime soon and also planning to climb Mount Fuji?

If so, you're in luck! Climbing season has started!

Japan Today reported:

YAMANASHI - The Mount Fuji climbing season opened on Sunday morning on the Yamanashi side. 

About 150 climbers were at the summit to view the sunrise at 4:28 a.m., Fuji TV reported. The Shizuoka side will open to climbers on July 10. 

Huge numbers of climbers are expected in July and August. Last year, more than 220,000 people climbed the 3,776-meter mountain, according to Yamanashi and Shizuoka prefectural government officials. 

As they did last year, the prefectural governments are asking climbers to pay a fee of 1,000 yen on a voluntary basis. The money will be used to help preserve the area's natural beauty.

To read more, go here. 

Japan's 10 Best Cultural Experiences

Above, Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Visitors to Japan have many things to see and do. There are some that may a bit on the unusual side, but fun nonetheless.

Japan Today has an article on ten best cultural experiences as chosen by travelers.

It begins with:

TOKYO - When you travel to Japan, it’s all well and good to see the country, but it’s even better if you can experience it. Thankfully, Japanese travel providers have a wealth of what’re called taiken (“experience”) tours and activities that let you actively participate in aspects of traditional and contemporary Japanese culture. 

Of course, the downside to having a wealth of choices is that there simply isn’t time to do all of them. So to help travelers narrow down their selection, the users of TripAdvisor, hot off putting together a list of their favorite restaurants in Japan, have let their voices be heard in an annual ranking of the best activities and tours in Japan, and below are the top 10 (by the way, all of the organizations listed here have English-speaking staff and websites, and we’ll have links for you at the end of the article).

To see what they are, go here. 

2018 Roswell UFO Festival News

Above, The Beast getting readied. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

With heavy clouds coming in from the south, and with them a few rain sprinkles, I started getting The Beast ready for the upcoming trek to Roswell for the 2018 UFO Festival.

The main packing will be taken care of tomorrow.

Speaking of the Roswell UFO Festival, here's some news from the organizers about the opening ceremony:

New post on Official UFO Festival Roswell Website Opening Ceremony by UFO Festival Join us at 9 a.m. Friday, July 6 for the opening ceremony in front of the International UFO Museum and Research Center.  Help us celebrate Stanton Friedman Day!  After the ceremony, peruse the museum at your leisure in air conditioned comfort. The UFO Festival begins downtown at 12 noon!

Tokyo and Kyoto: History and Culture

Above, Kinkaku-ji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For those considering visiting Japan, The News-Review has a good article on Tokyo and Kyoto.

For modern Japan, Tokyo is the place to visit. For history and culture, Kyoto is the place to go.

They wrote:

Japan is a great choice for travelers who have Asia on their bucket list. It’s a relatively small country with a high-speed train network that makes it easy to cover a lot of ground in a short period of time. 

Tokyo, the bustling, cosmopolitan capital, will be your entrée to modern Japan, while Kyoto, the former imperial capital, will immerse you in the country’s ancient history and culture.

Above, the Sumida River and the Asahi Beer Hall in Tokyo from the Skytree. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The article includes places in each city to visit.

To read more, go here. 

Trip To Roswell

For the trip to Roswell, New Mexico for the UFO Festival this week, the plan was to go at least half way to Roswell and spend a night at a campground.

That is still the plan, but I was going to "wing it" and not make reservations. But, common sense prevailed. Since it will be July 4, many campgrounds and RV parks may be booked up. So I checked around and found one and made a reservation. It was either that or boondock somewhere. But I think we will need electrical hook-ups to run the air conditioner as it will be hot (Sierra is coming), so boondocking became out of the question.

The price was right, $28/night. 

"The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga" Official Trailer

Above, Jonathan Bellés at Ginza Crossing in Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Now available on YouTube (and here, below) is the official trailer for The Dawn of Kaiju Eiga, a documentary film on Godzilla by Jonathan Bellés.





For more, go here.

How To Cope With Western National Park Crowds

Above, Old Faithful Geyser erupts. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're now in July, which is the busiest month during the summer vacation season at some of our western national parks.

How does one cope with the crowds?

The Los Angeles Times has an article how to cope with the crowds in national parks in the west.

They begin with:

What if the entire population of the United States decided to visit America’s national parks? 

In essence, it did. 

In 2017 the parks welcomed 331 million people, almost the exact population of the U.S. 

No wonder last summer Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks sometimes felt like teeming cities, with all the crowding, traffic and frustration that comes with living in a metropolis. 

Welcome to July, the busiest month of the year for many of our national parks. 

It’s easy to tell complainers to visit the marquee parks in the off-season or go to the less-visited parks. But many people can undertake a road trip only in the summer months. Although many of less-visited sites are spectacular, there’s only one Yellowstone and one Grand Teton.

To read more, go here. 

Solitude and National Parks

Above, Lassen Peak peeks over a hill and meadow. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Want to visit a national park but don't want to be mired in wall-to-wall people?

The Los Angeles Times has an article on national parks where solitude can still be had.

They wrote:

America’s most popular national parks receive more than 100,000 visitors a month during summer. But other parks fly under the radar. 

Visitors to lesser-known parks can enjoy uncrowded scenic areas, unpressured ranger interactions and may be able to camp without a reservation. These parks are more remote, and services may be limited. 

Above, I was able to camp at Lassen's Manzanita Lake Campground without making any prior reservations. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

To read more, go here. 

Roswell 2018 UFO Festival Opens In 5 Days

In five more days, the Roswell 2018 UFO Festival opens.

I will be attending the festival for the first time. It will be interesting to see what exhibits they have and to listen to the guest speakers.

According to the official website:

We realize 2017 will be hard to beat, but we have worked hard on some exciting additions in 2018 to make this festival even bigger and better than ever. Be sure to join over 34,000 subscribers at the bottom of the page for updates!

This year the Festival will be held July 6-8, 2018 – make plans to attend now! Many hotels are already filling up with reservations, so we recommend making reservations immediately!

The City of Roswell invites UFO enthusiasts and skeptics alike to join in the celebration of one of the most debated incidents in history. The three-day event will feature guest speakers, authors, live entertainment, a costume contest, parade, a pet costume contest, parade, family-friendly activities and more.

The majority of big events are free.  These include the Free Movie, Pet and Human Costume Contests, Light Parade and so much more.  No charge to take selfies in the NASA suit, free alien autopsies, alien hat making and crafts.  Some of the vendors, the UFO Museum and the Roswell Planetarium charge nominal fees.

The festival committee has posted the schedule on their website.

To access their website, go here.

Dollar Finishes June and It Is Up

Today is July first, 2018 is half over.

It has been a while since I took a look at how the U.S. dollar is doing in Tokyo trading. So, here's the latest from Jiji Press.

They reported:

Tokyo, June 29 (Jiji Press)--The dollar rose above 110.50 yen in Tokyo trading Friday, backed by yen sales for euros that followed a European Union refugee deal. 

At 5 p.m., the dollar stood at 110.63-63 yen, up from 110.33-33 yen at the same time Thursday. 

To see more, go here.