My first Moon landing.

The conspiracy theories of the Moon landing being a hoax have been greatly exaggerated.

Does it seem lately like there is a resurgence of Moon landing deniers? I realize this is becoming an increasing problem in our society and I don’t want this essay to add to chaos so I will cut to the chase. I didn’t go to “The Moon”. I attended an event in Pine Hill, New Mexico called The Moon Landing Gathering.

Conspiracy theory 1: shadows in the Moon landing photos prove the images were faked

In my experience, the shadows did appear very weird in person in New Mexico. I think it was because of the dust storms, the comet and the aurora borealis.

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Conspiracy theory 2: why are there no stars in pictures of the Moon landings?

In New Mexico, I attribute this to the laser light shows and huge bonfires that caused light pollution which makes it harder for stars to appear on camera. In person the stars were amazing. This part of New Mexico is consider a designated “Dark Sky Place”. I am not an astrophotographer so I did not take pictures of the stars. This requires specialized gear and techniques. The exposure latitude that a camera can achieve is more limited than that of the naked eye.

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Back in October, my wife Emma and I drove 1000 miles each way to attended the event presented, or should I say masterfully curated, by the fine folks at The Journal of Lost Time. I realize that the actual Moon is 240,000 miles away so this should have been easy, but a 1000 mile straight shot on Americas highways and byways is a feat of endurance for the two of us. I have done a lot of miles in my career as a traveling musician, storyteller and photographer. I am sure I am over a million miles racked up by now. Emma and I have done almost 200,000 in the past 3.5 years. We are good at it. We like to meander and take the backroads and discover the happy accidents of the bypassed and forgotten small towns of America . These experiences get harder to achieve everyday. Small towns and the small businesses that go with them really are disappearing. We try to witness as much as we can. Trips like this though we are mostly relegated to interstate travel. Deadheading from point A to point B. Trips like these are very frustrating for me. Much like a wasted meal, you only have so many in life. We got on the road in the afternoon and drove straight through to Colorado Springs all on interstate. I pulled over in a parking lot and slept for a few hours and then got back on the road and drove to Albuquerque where we met a couple of #vanlife friends for late afternoon coffee. We got back on the road and made it to the general vicinity by dusk. As we started winding down a small road into the area near the El Morro National Monument we saw a sign that said to watch for elk on the road. A split second later there was an… ELK ON THE ROAD. Out of nowhere and seemingly the size of a house, Emma slammed on the brakes, narrowly missing the beast. We saw at least a dozen more in the next 45 miles. We arrived safely, after dark, to the middle of nowhere. We knew we were in the right place because of all the other vehicles tucked in along the cliff. We settled in for the night and waited for the event to start the next day.

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Conspiracy theory 3: the Apollo 11 US flag is waving in the wind... but there's no wind on the Moon

Well there is definitely wind in New Mexico.

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Emma was attending the Moon Landing Gathering event in an official capacity. She is a writer and editor for The Journal of Lost Time and Storyteller Overland and at this particular event was in charge of sponsor activations. Since I was tagging along anyway, I was engaged as an official photographer for the event. After decades of being behind the scenes of events as a musician and a photographer I am much more at home when I have assigned duties at any sort of gathering otherwise I don’t know what to do with my hands.

This was the third annual Moon Landing Gathering, it was our first. I’m speculating, but I think the event is called that because of the remote and isolated location, surrounded by the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation and it is not easy to get to (much like the Moon). The terrain is covered with a fine Moon-like dust. The combination of those factors along with the presence of the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, the intense Aurora Borealis and sporadic dust storms created out of this word vibes for the 4 days we attended.

The Moon Landing is a gathering of nomads. Mostly motorized vehicle conveyed nomads. We attended in our Storyteller Overland Adventure Van (camper van). There were people there in self built trucks and vans. There were converted school busses as well as luxury coaches. The Walks of life ran the spectrum from victims of circumstance, living in their cars out of necessity to millionaires in 6-7 figure custom builds who are looking for escape. Whatever the case, this is one community and when parked out in the desert it is a level playing field. We were all there for an adventure and to meet people, tell stories and learn about other ideas and perspectives.

The Journal of Lost Time provides a loose itinerary and plenty of games, workshops and entertainment. There were musicians (I am hoping to be asked back in that capacity sometime), DJs, comedians, artists, tattoo artists. There was a health and wellness tent that offered guided meditation, yoga, stretching, and various other mindfulness workshops and exercises. There was a blessing from one of the local Native American Elders who was from there and whose ancestors have been on that land for generations. It was comforting knowing we were welcome there. He and his family came back on the last day and made Indian Fry Bread for anyone who wanted it.

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Conspiracy theory 4: if we really went to the Moon in 1969, why have we never been back?

We have, at least we have been back to the Moon landing gathering in Pine Hill New Mexico.

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We very much enjoy these type of gatherings and the community of people who live this nomadic lifestyle. We consider ourselves part time nomads and just get a taste from time to time. Some of these people have been living on the road for years. We have attended similar “van gatherings” in Bisbee Arizona, Evergreen Colorado, the solar eclipse in Arkansas, Vanfest in Florida and Utah and multiple trips to Baja Mexico as well as many other locations. Many of them include a cross country “convoy”esque caravan type component. I have been honored to be the musical performer on stages or around campfires. There is something very magical about the fellowship and camaraderie that happens at gatherings like these. They are welcoming to EVERYONE. Throw a sleeping bag in the minivan and join us sometime.

Maybe now we can put these conspiracy theories to rest. If you still aren’t convinced I suggest you drive to New Mexico.

Remember the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative!

I am proud to be a part of a group of more than 50 professional writers from across the state. Dip into what we’re covering in this roundup of recent articles.

Here are a few of my favorites if you want a sample:

Douglas Burns: The Iowa Mercury, Carroll

Rachelle Chase : Reading with Rachelle, Ottumwa

Arnold Garson: Second Thoughts, Okoboji and Sioux Falls

Julie Gammack: Julie Gammack’s Iowa Potluck, Des Moines and Okoboji

Beth Hoffman: In the Dirt, Lovilla

Wini Moranville: Wini’s Food Stories, Des Moines

The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative + The Holiday Party

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