New Mexico Day 2 - Exploring the Santa Fe area

August 28, 2022

New Mexico Day 2 - Exploring the Santa Fe area

We started our day a bit early today to head to Bandelier National Monument. The reason for the early start is be able to park our car at the trailhead by the visitor center. If we come in after 9:00 am then we would have to take the shuttle in which we were trying to avoid.

We stopped at Dolina Cafe & Bakery to pick up a few items on the way out and made it to trailhead just in time at 8:44 am.

View from our balcony, 6:32 am

Tough choices to make at Dolina Cafe & Bakery

Made it to the visitor center shortly before 9:00 am

We were hiking the 2.6 mile out and back Alcove House trail. The first 0.5 mile is part of the Pueblo Loop Trail that will take the visitors up close to the ancient Pueblo cavates, or small alcoves. The second part of the trail which is the Alcove House trail will ascend 140 feet from the valley floor to a large alcove with a reconstructed kiva via four ladders. It took us a bit less than 2 hours to complete this trail with plenty of time for pictures. By the time we finished, the crowd has emerged and the park shuttles were rolling in.

Trailhead starts behind the bathroom of the visitor center

Trail starts on a nice paved path with the cliff dwelling in view

A day in nature

Reached the big kiva

MM enjoying the nature walk

Reaching the village of Tyuoyni

A brief explanation about the village

Making our way to the cliff dwellings

Looking back at the trailhead from the village

This narrow but well paved path leads us to the cliff dwellings

GG made it to the edge of the cliff dwellings

MM ready for the first ladder into the cavates

We were greeted by a little friend

Getting some shade by the cliff

Looking back down at the canyon village

A dramatic view looking back

MM at another ladder

Dramatic cliff dwellings

Making our way along the cliff

Walking along the Long House portion of the hike

Petroglyphs can be seen on this part of the trail near the end of the Long House

We descended from the cliff dwellings and crossed a small stream which took us to the end of the Main Loop Trail. The choice here was to turn back or continue to the Alcove House Trail. We had planned to continue to so we moved on towards the Alcove House.

Crossing a small stream after descending from the cliff dwellings

Made it to the Alcove House after a flat 0.5 mile walk from the stream crossing

Ready to climb a few sets of stairs

MM taking the lead

Coming up the first ladder

GG taking a photo op

Made it to the Alcove House after four sets of ladders

GG taking a break inside a cavates

MM enjoying the canyon view from high up

MM showing us the way down

MM celebrating the completion of the ascent to the Alcove House

Made it back to the visitor center

We left Bandelier shortly after 10:45 am and took the backroad to head to the town of Los Alamos.

The town of Los Alamos is a a short drive from Bandelier. But why would you visit the town of Los Alamos? The reason for our visit was to visit the Los Alamos History Museum.

Driving along the backroads of highway 4 and then 501 from Bandelier to Los Alamos, sites marked as classified can be seen throughout the drive.

Shortly before we entered the town of Los Alamos on the west side of the town from highway 501, there was a military checkpoint. The MP in full military fatigue with loaded weapons stopped us and politely asked us the reason for the visit. I answered we were here to visit the Museum. He took my drivers license information, informed us no pictures are allowed along the drive and waved us through politely.

As we entered the pristine town, we can see lab and engineering facilities all around us. We have entered Los Alamos National Lab or LANL, the research facility that developed the atomic bomb during WWII as part of the secret Manhattan Project. The Los Alamos History Museum is a museum dedicated to preserve this part of the history of the United States. Today, the lab has over 10,000 employees and continues to dedicate itself to important research of all kinds.

We located the inconspicuous museum which is on the property of the historic Fuller Lodge. The un-marked entrance was the guest house of the Fuller Lodge. We poked our heads in and was greeted warmly by the volunteer ready to tell us all about Robert Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and the town itself.

The Los Alamos History Museum

Looking through the old guest house window

The letter addressed to the director of the Los Alamos Ranch School that Uncle Sam will be taking over this facility for purpose of prosecuting the war. Signed by Secretary of War Henry Stimson

An artifact from the Ranch School

A brief bio of J. Robert Oppenheimer

GG watching a short video about dropping the atomic bomb in Japan to end the war

An old guest room bed on the second floor of the lodge

The Hans Bethe House where Cold War artifacts are displayed

P/N 301167-02, A nuclear warhead

An actual Nobel Prize

The original stove

and the original flooring and frig

The actual former residence of J. Robert Oppenheimer, it is not opened to the public at this point

A family of deer enjoying an afternoon out at Bathtub Row

A classic automobile parked behind the Hans Bethe House

After a 2.6 mile nature walk at Bandelier and visiting the Los Alamos History Museum, the traveling party has really worked up an appetite. We grabbed some tamales and horchata at the nearby farmer's market before we got some more food at the Los Alamos Cooperative Market. We sat in the market to cool off and drank soda to re-fuel before heading back to Santa Fe.

Lunch at the Coop Market

After getting back into Santa Fe, I decided to visit the Cross of the Martyrs but the entire gang was asleep. I parked at the nearby park and visited it by myself. We would end up returning to the cross tomorrow.

After getting back to our hotel, we managed to hit the gym again at the nearby Inn and Spa. Our final event for the night was the flamenco show - La Emi at the Lodge Sant Fen and a pre-show dinner at the fancy Casa Chimayo Restaurant.