Alien Encounters and Ghostly Spirits on a Paranormal Road Trip Through the Southwest

Deciding what to do with teenagers for a family vacation is challenging enough. I mean, what on Earth can you do to tear their attention away from their screens? We’ve always tried to align our trips with their interests (and ours) so that we can all have an enjoyable time, but it gets more difficult as they get older. Amusement parks are “boring.” The beach can be “too sandy.” Art museums are just too blah.

We hit upon the perfect solution during a weekend visit to Portland, where we did a ghost tour. Our teen absolutely loved it — glued to the stories the tour guide was telling and keeping an eye out for weird things in the near-dark. That’s when it hit us: We’d take an old-fashioned American road trip with a paranormal twist — visiting haunted hotels, doing ghost tours, and scanning the sky for aliens. Arizona seemed like the perfect place since it was just a quick plane ride away, and because it’s hard to beat the combination of Old West mystique and dark skies we could scan for UFOs.

Who am I: I’m Mike, a freelance photographer and writer based in Seattle. I’ll admit it, I absolutely love all things freaky and out there and I’ve definitely been known to binge watch Ancient Aliens or any number of those ghost hunter/unsolved mystery/Bigfoot shows on the streaming service of your choice.

We didn’t want to be too on-brand with the soundtrack for this trip — no “Monster Mash” or “Ghostbusters” for us (but no judgment if you add those songs). My tastes lean towards ’90s indie, and there are plenty of songs in that catalog that add to an American West kind of vibe. Neko Case’s “This Tornado Loves You” always sounds good on open highways. The Pixies’ “The Happening” is perfect for the alien vibes, Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta” is great for singing along, and I had to include Linda Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good,”if only to honor her Tucson roots. And because a good playlist is always fluid (and because you can’t have too many Pixies songs), I dropped in “Havelina” after visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and seeing their herd of javelinas sleeping in the sun.

Since this was a paranormal ghost trip, we obviously needed some kind of tool like the ones they use on ghost hunter shows so we’d know when we were experiencing something paranormal. We opted for a simple and inexpensive electromagnetic field (EMF) detector from ghoststop.com. It sells for under 30 bucks and turned out to be a really fun and useful tool. We used it while wandering around haunted hotels — our heart rates spiked and the hairs on the backs of our necks stood up every time the little red lights lit up!

We flew into Phoenix but chose to grab our rental car and head south to Tucson since we were anxious to get to our first haunted hotel, the Hotel Congress.

But first, lunch. We knew we had to stop at the James Beard Award-winning Fry Bread House, and it did not disappoint. I went with the green chili beef Native taco, the fry bread was the perfect combination of fluffy and crisp, with a delicious filling. It was massive — about the size of a vinyl record — and as much as I wanted to finish every last bite, I just couldn’t. I had to save room for dessert, after all. Sampling local ice cream is a must, and Lix was the perfect choice as the afternoon heat started to build. One scoop of their coconut cream pie flavor hit the spot.

Once we got to the Hotel Congress, the front desk clerk, Melissa, slid us the key to Room 220 — the one rumored to be haunted by a friendly ghost named Vince. She confirmed what I’d already read: Vince checked in back in 1965 for a short stay but lived there until his death in 2001. Known for his odd habit of stealing butter knives after breakfast, he used them to fix things around the hotel and would mischievously leave the knives hidden around the hotel. Once he passed, knives still kept mysteriously turning up in odd places around the property.

Melissa pointed to a black-and-white photo taped to the desk next to her. “That’s Vince there,” she said. Now we had a face to go with the legend.

Excited, we walked up to our room. The vibes in the hotel were definitely on the spooky side: Many of the original 1919 features were still intact; the floors creaked like my old, aching back, and maybe weren’t entirely level; our door squeaked softly when we used the old key to unlock it. This place had character — it was no generic chain hotel with their fancy card keys and stock art on the walls. In fact, our room had a rather beautiful framed homage to Vince hanging between the double beds.

We turned the EMF detector on, and it spiked slightly to yellow — especially near the bathroom. I half-imagined a butter knife clinking to the floor, but all we heard was the street noise outside our window.

The real action, however, was apparently happening down in Room 242. That’s where a female ghost who was supposedly done wrong by her man interrupts the sleep of women she believes are trying to seduce her lover. We were told that guests usually leave that room between 4 and 5 a.m., when she’s most active. Our ghost meter, in fact, went wild near the doorframe of that room.

Knowing we wouldn’t experience any ghostly activity in late afternoon sunshine, we headed down the street for some nourishment. You might not expect a paranormal twist on a pizza outing, but Reilly Craft Pizza delivers more than just great food. Before becoming the somewhat upscale pizzeria it is today, the building had a very different life,as a funeral home. Who knew grabbing a slice could come with a side of haunted history? And for dessert, we found a place that matched both the theme and our cravings: the Screamery. I got a scoop of Sweet Cream Honeycomb, and it was so good we went back for another round before leaving town.

Later that evening, eager to uncover the spooky secrets of Tucson’s haunted past, we signed up for the Freaky Foot Tours Ghosts of Downtown Tucson Haunted History Tour. The experience truly hinges on your guide — and lucky for us, Monk was charming, witty, and a masterful storyteller who brought Tucson’s ghostly tales to life.

Worth the Detour:
Vist the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in the morning before it gets too hot. I was fascinated by the blooms on the tall, spindly ocotillo cacti that dotted the loop trail, but I kept an eye out for the herd of javelinas that were supposed to roam the gardens. For some reason, I expected them to be running loose among the saguaros and agave, but they were safely behind a fence, mostly sleeping in the shade beneath small bridges that crossed the washes.

The drive to Bisbee isn’t too far, so it made for a leisurely day. On the recommendation of several people, we started our morning at Amelia’s, which delivered exactly what I was craving: a great breakfast burrito.

Heading south out of Tucson, we made a fun and fascinating stop at the Pima Air and Space Museum. No UFOs in sight, but what you will find is just as impressive — like the Douglas VC-118A that served as President Kennedy’s Air Force One. The museum’s massive outdoor exhibition space is also a highlight, packed with historic aircraft and plenty of room to explore. It’s a must-visit for aviation buffs and makes for a great place to stretch your legs.

It was hot when we arrived in Bisbee, so we walked around for a bit, checking out the massive copper mine pit at the edge of town. Nearby, we stopped at Dot’s Diner for lunch, a retro spot tucked next to the Shady Dell Trailer Park, where you can spend the night in one of several restored Airstream trailers. I had wanted to eat there ever since staying at the Dell a few years ago, but the diner had been closed at the time. I told our waitress I’d been waiting years for this meal. She laughed and said, “Well, don’t get your hopes up!” She wasn’t wrong — it was your basic road trip fare: burgers, shakes, and fries. But sitting outside under an umbrella in the desert, staring at the beautifully restored 1957 Valentine Diner, made the stop entirely worth it.

The town itself is perched on an assortment of hills, crevices, and small cliffs. Roads aren’t laid out in any sort of grid but instead flow like rivers through the dusty rock, which makes for a great walking town to explore. Start on Main Street, checking out shops like Classic Rock Couture to shop for cool t-shirts and one-of-a-kind jewelry. Across the street, on the ground floor of the Object Hotel, you'll find the Object Trading Post. It features a curated selection of treasures from local artisans and designers, along with a variety of vintage items.

When you’re ready for a break, stop by Earl’s Cafe at the Warner Hotel. The wide-open interior feels more like an abandoned movie set than your regular neighborhood coffee shop. An elderly man dressed all in white sat on a blue sofa, quietly surveying the room, his white beard barely concealing his pale lips. If I didn’t know better, I would say he was the first ghost I saw.

In the evening, we visited Bisbee’s most famous haunted attraction: the Copper Queen Hotel. As we entered the building, it looked a little past its former grandeur and felt more empty than eerie. But as we walked the hallways and made our way up to the third floor, we had our most tangible ghostly experience. Walking down the hallway, my daughter and I suddenly looked at one another.

“Did you hear that?” I asked. It sounded like someone was right over my shoulder, just past my line of vision. They were whispering something I couldn’t understand.

“YES!” she exclaimed. Our eyes grew wider, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up. We were told there were numerous spirits that lived in the hotel and it could have been any number of spirits trying to tell us something.

After that encounter, we enjoyed a delicious dinner at Bisbee's Table, tucked inside the charming Copper Queen Plaza. The atmosphere was pleasantly relaxed, welcoming, and full of character. I don’t usually go for meatloaf, but theirs, served atop a bed of creamy mashed potatoes, completely won me over. I’d definitely come back just for that dish.

Fuel up for the road ahead at the Bisbee Breakfast Club, a local favorite. Step onto the street and you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back to 1955 — the entire block seems frozen in time.
This is a long drive, so you might consider breaking it up over two days. Las Cruces, New Mexico is a great place to stop — spending the night at the charming Hotel Encanto de Las Cruces and taking a dip in their beautiful pool is a relaxing way to recharge. And of course, no road trip leg is complete without a quirky roadside attraction — Las Cruces doesn’t disappoint with its claim to fame: the World’s Largest Chile Pepper.

Once you arrive in Roswell, it’s almost impossible to resist the urge to pull over and dive headfirst into the wonderfully weird world of alien kitsch — and honestly, you should. There’s a McDonald’s shaped like a flying saucer, a tire shop with aliens trying to sell you wheels, and even street lamps topped with glowing alien faces. Quirky doesn’t even begin to cover it. We wandered into every tacky souvenir shop along the main drag, but the standout by far was Hangar 209. Sure, they’ve got the usual magnets and keychains, but they also offer locally designed t-shirts and gifts that feel like genuine treasures from another planet.

Then, head directly to the International UFO Museum and Research Center. It’s gotten an upgrade since the last time I was here 20 some years ago. The alien autopsy diorama is still there, but it’s tucked in the back of the room now and not the main focus. This place has become popular, and with popularity comes more funding to create elaborate displays telling the supposed history of the UFO crash that happened here in 1947, as well as other alien encounters. Yes, the kitsch is still alive and well, but it also provides a more in-depth look at the historical roots of Roswell. Chain hotels abound in Roswell, so we opted to drive to nearby Capitan (home of the original Smoky Bear) where the very basic Smoky Bear Motel proved to be an ideal road trip motel. And it turned out that we had one of our best meals on the trip at the Oso Grill — check out the award-winning green chile burger.

We continued into the heart of New Mexico to see the Very Large Array past the tiny hamlet of Magdalena. The sign upon entering Magdalena tells you that you’ve reached the “end of the trail” but go 20 miles beyond that and you’re at the VLA. If you’ve seen the 1997 movie Contact with Jodie Foster, you know this place — it’s a radio astronomy observatory that consists of 27 individual radio antennas that look like giant satellite dishes pointing up to space. Witnessing the scale of this place definitely makes you feel like there must be life beyond this planet. Make a pit stop at the charming Tumbleweeds Diner in Magdalena for a great roadside meal.
 

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