Mesas and Atom Bombs

I started the day in Los Alamos which is where I ended it last night.  Well when in Los Alamos you have to explore the history of the creation of the atomic bombs.  First I went to the Historical Museum, which never opened, but not to worry, they had a walking tour with labels.  I did find several of the labels.  It was an interesting game of hide and seek.  The area of the History Museum, which now also contains an Art Center, was the first housing for the scientists from all over the world.  They came in secret to a completely new town that didn't exist to the outside world.  All mail, packages, food and people were filtered through Santa Fe under strict security procedures.  Comings and going were narrowly restricted.

The Bradbury Science Museum went into great detail on the development of the bombs against the timeline of the war.  The have models of the housing for the bomb and the detonator.  They have a movie on the whole program from inception to the dropping of the bombs on Japan to the surrender.  They also have incredible displays about all the new uses to which they are putting nuclear research.  It all either was over my head or overwhelmed me with too much information.  It was beautifully done.  Great propaganda and I'm sure it is true that we are reaping huge benefits from the research they are performing.

I made a decision not to go to Abiquiu as it was a long way in the wrong direction and I wouldn't be able to get into Georgia O'Keeffe"s home.  It is only open to groups on a pre-arranged basis.  I figured I has seen Ghost Ranch once and I could live without going to Chimney Rock.  It would be more interesting to go to the Aztec National Monument.  This required hours of driving through mountains with hairpin turns, 360 degree turns, snake turns, 20 mph turns.  The mountains were magnificent, too bad I couldn't stop and take pictures.  Though at one point there was a break and you came to the very old enormous caldera called the Valle Grande.  After all the dark pines of the mountains the soft greens on the caldera plain was so striking it took your breathe away.  It was a nice break from driving.

It was getting late by the time I got to Aztec so I continued on to Farmington, where they had a hotel.  It was almost 5:30 my time by my arrival.  Tomorrow I will get to Aztec and Shiprock and into Colorado, hopefully.