I have a certain fascination for The Thing, a roadside attraction since the 60’s. I’ve blogged about it frequently: The Thing. It used to be just a novelty that was worth a stop on your trip down Interstate 10 in southeastern Arizona. But now… now, it’s a destination! The new museum adds a tremendous backstory for The Thing. The museum used to a 50-cent tour through unheated pole buildings featuring old stuff – cars and farm equipment. Now it’s a beautifully done $5-tour ($4 with senior discount).
What if during Earth’s prehistory two clans of aliens vied for domination of the planet. What if after domesticating dinosaurs they had a falling out due to the increasing intelligence of the dinosaurs. Therefore the bad aliens (The Mylzerath) on their way out of town wiped out the dinosaurs by finally directing an asteroid into the Gulf of Mexico.
The good aliens (The Ammattria) stayed behind and helped mankind get started. The bad aliens returned and the conflict continued through WW2 to this day.
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- Aliens landed.
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- Domesticated dinosaurs.
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- Then had to annihilate them.
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- The Thing.
You should add The Thing to your bucket list. Did I mention that there’s a Dairy Queen there too? Watch their promotional video at Bowlin’s The Thing.
We got a day late start to Texas as I waited for the antibiotics to kick in. I blame the very cold return trip from Washington for the cold symptoms, ear infection, and more.
We ate at the Van Horn Cattle Company for dinner as we usually do. They were out of filet, but the ribeye was good. We are trying a new motel this trip having already tried and rejected Motel 6 (no hot water), EconoLodge, and Hampton Inn (too expensive). At B.A.S.I.C. Lodging, I got a discount for being a former pastor. A minor downside was the scorpion on the bed:
Not-so-minor downside, the railroad tracks are closer. Actually, turned out to be less-than-minor – no train noise during the night.