Santa Fe, Taos and home

Los Alamos

On our way to Santa Fe, we went via Los Alamos.

Los Alamos was the secret town where the Atomic Bomb was developed during WWII. It was a closed town until 1957. It still has major nuclear research laboratories on the outside of town, but the center of town is now open to all. Although no longer used, this was the main entrance to the town.

Before the scientists moved in, there was a boys school here - The Los Alamos Ranch School. The government took over all the buildings and this is all that remains of the school.

This is Ashley Pond Park. Many of the houses and research buildings were within walking distance.

Oppenheimer and Groves, the two men, one a civilian, one a career army man, who made it all happen.

OK - only an Engineer, but I could have helped

One of the houses on "Bathtub Row" where the senior scientists and their families would have lived.

Footprints of occupants of this house and others made in the 1950's. The blue print on the bottom left is of Enrico Fermi

Bandelier National Monument

After leaving Los Alamos, we stopped at Bandelier National Monument. It's a really pretty valley with cave dwellings created by what used to be known as the Anasazi People, but apparently that term has fallen out of favor. There are also the remains of a circular village

After visiting the cave houses, the trail led us back to the Visitors Center along the shaded valley floor.

Santa Fe May 5, 6 and 7

We spent three days in Santa Fe. The old town surrounds the Santa Fe Plaza.

We visited the Santa Fe Art Museum, which didn't have a great collection, but was a nice adobe style building.

We also visited the (supposed) oldest house in Santa Fe (around 1740)

and the oldest church in the USA, The San Miguel Chapel, supposedly built between 1610 and 1626

We also visited the Railway Station, where we thought there might be a market, but it was closed that day, as was everything else!

Taos

On our third day, we took a day trip to Taos, which is well known as an artists colony

Like Santa Fe, everything was clustered around the Plaza

This house was a little different

And of course, adobe style buildings everywhere as well

Amarillo, TX, Decatur TX, Rushton, LA, Slidell, LA - May 8-11)

After leaving Santa Fe, we basically pushed for home, with no real stops other than to sleep and eat. The one roadside attraction we did stop at was the Cadillac Ranch just outside Amarillo, Texas.

It was originally supposed to be a genuine work of art, although created by a bunch of art hippies in 1974. Now the cars have been stripped and anyone and everyone who passes by adds their own graffiti to the many layers of paint now caked on the cars.

Our last run home, from Slidell to Orlando, was 612 miles and a VERY long day. That night , exhausted, we collapsed into bed, happy to be home.