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Sunday, September 10, 2000 Day 14 |
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Roswell NM - Amarillo TX
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This Sunday was a rather uneventful day. There are not too many attractions along the way to Amarillo. After arriving, I drove
down what's left of Route 66. Although most of the famous road has been replaced by Interstate 40 in this area,
there's a short section in Amarillo that still remains.
Then, I went to the Western outskirts of the town, where the famous Cadillac Ranch can be found. After taking
some pictures, I sprayed my name on one of the buried cars using a dumped aerosol can that was not quite empty.
To conclude the day, I went famous
Big Texan Steak House
(picture)
where you can order a 72 oz (approx 2 kg) steak - and you don't have to pay for it if you manage to eat it
completely - including all side dishes - within 1 hour. Of course, I didn't even attempt this task. I had a very good 12 oz
steak instead.
Amarillo
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Population | 225,000 | Elevation | 3,672 ft (1,119 m) | Links |
Amarillo Economic Development Corporation Visitor guide Cadillac ranch Big Texan Steak Ranch and Motel List of movies filmed in Amarillo |
My pictures | Picture gallery of Amarillo |
Amarillo is the focal point of a region known as the Texas High Plains in the northwestern part of Texas. Amarillo was founded just over a hundred years ago, but there's a rich history here. Prehistoric cultures inhabited the Amarillo area thousands of years before Spanish explorers, searching the region for treasure, came upon Native American tribes roaming the region. Ranchers began settling the area in the mid-1800s, and the advent of rail service to transport cattle to eastern markets led to the city's formation in the 1890s. When a huge oil and gas field was discovered nearby in the 1920s, Amarillo was firmly established as the region's capital city.
Cadillac Ranch
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As a tribute to America's best automobile, a collective of artists called Ant Farm decided to place 10 Cadillacs, ranging from a 1949 Club Coupe to a 1963 Sedan, in a wheat field located west of Amarillo, Texas. Mr. Stanley Marsh 3, a local helium tycoon, provided some place for the cars to rest. Ten big holes were dug and the cars were driven with their front end into them. Some people may think of this as sacrilege, as many of these cars are now much sought after collector's items. However, in the seventies, when this piece of art was constructed, a 1959 Cadillac was not as hot as it is today. Had the cars not be used for the Ranch, they would most likely have ended up in an obscure junk yard. | |
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| Directions | 18 miles west of downtown Amarillo on Interstate 40, between Hope Road and Arnot Road exits (62 and 60, respectively). | |
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| Operating hours | Visitors are welcome any time, day or night | |
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| Admission | free | |
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| Links | Cadillac ranch home page | |
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| Pictures | My Pictures of the Cadillac Ranch | |
| Accommodation |
Best Western Santa Fe Inn 4600 I-40 East Amarillo TX 79103 USD 66.70.-- per night |
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Monday, September 11, 2000 Day 15 |
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Amarillo TX - Albuquerque NM
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I started the day by visiting the
Cadillac Ranch
again. I wanted to take some pictures from different angles in early morning light. And since this piece of art is
located West of Amarillo, it was on my way back to New Mexico anyway.
After leaving the buried cars, I was heading west, back to New Mexico, where I arrived around noon. After lunch, I
went to
Old Town,
which is basically a square surrounded by historic buildings. Most of them are now occupied by souvenir shops or restaurants.
| Albuquerque
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Population | 450,000 | Elevation | 5,326 ft (1,623 m) | Links |
City of Albuquerque Convention and Visitors Bureau Kirtland Air Force Base National Atomic Museum List of movies filmed in Albuquerque |
My pictures | Picture gallery of Albuquerque |
Albuquerque is a city with a rich history. Evidence of inhabitation dates back as long as 25,000 years.
That is the estimated age of bones recovered from a cave in the northwestern sector of the Sandia Mountains in 1936.
(Skeptics and scholars have since widely revised the estimated age to something more like 10,000 years.) Anasazi
Indians were the next to settle in the area. They lived here for two centuries, from 1100 to 1300, and
established several communities throughout orthwestern New Mexico connected by sophisticated transportation and communication
networks.
Map
| National Atomic Museum | My page about the Atomic Museum | ||
| Accommodation |
Best Western Rio Grande Inn 1015 Rio Grande Boulevard Albuquerque NM 87104 USD 109.71 per night |
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Tuesday, September 12, 2000 Day 16 |
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Albuquerque NM - Socorro NM -
VLA
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Socorro NM - Albuquerque NM - Santa Fe NM
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Today, I intended to once again focus on Science. First, I visited the
National Atomic Museum
where the history of nuclear warfare can be explored. Apart from replicas of several nuclear weapons including
Little Boy
and
Fat Man,
the bombs dropped on Hiroshimaand Nagasaki respectively, a lot of information about the technology of these systems is
provided. Of course, you will find absolutely no information about state of the art weapons, since these are, of course,
strictly confidential.
After that, I drove south to have a look at the
Very Large Array
radio telescope near Socorro. The array, consisting of 27 antennas arranged in Y shape, is one of the world's
premier astronomical radio observatories. The visitor center provides some information about the facility. Then, there's
a short self - guided walk to one of the antennas. Finally, the antenna assembly building can also be viewed. It's pretty
impressing, although you can't actually go in.
Although I originally had planned to spend the night in Socorro, I decided to drive back north right away since it was only
about 2 pm when I left the VLA, and Socorro is not exactly a town that offers a lot of attractions to spend the afternoon.
So I was back on the freeway before long, and I even made it all the way to Santa Fe instead of just Albuquerque.
| Santa Fe
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| Population | 70,000 | Elevation | 6,718 ft (2,048 m) | Links |
City of Santa Fe Santa Fe Convention and Visitors Bureau Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce List of movies filmed in Santa Fe |
My pictures | Picture gallery of Santa Fe |
Santa Fe is nestled in the foothills, at the southern tip of the Rocky Mountains. The city occupies 33.4 square miles in a valley above the Rio Grande amongst mountains that reach to over 12,000 feet (3,660 m. Thousands of acres of National Forest and wilderness surround the city, and yet it is only an hour's drive to the Albuquerque International Airport. Known as the City Different, Santa Fe supports both historic culture and modern technology, while offering an outstanding quality of life for both young and old. It is the oldest state capital in the country, founded in 1610, and at one time all lands west of the Mississippi were governed from the Palace of the Governors on the Santa Fe Plaza.
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| Accommodation |
Travelodge 3450 Cerillos Road Santa Fe NM 87505 USD 65.81 per night |
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Wednesday, September 13, 2000 Day 17 |
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Santa Fe NM - Los Alamos NM -
Bandelier National Monument
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Los Alamos
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After taking some pictures of downtown Santa Fe, I drove up to Los Alamos, the town that developed from an initially temporary -
and highly confidential - camp where America's top scientists developed the atomic bomb.
First, I visited
Bandelier National Monument
approximately 8 miles outside of Los Alamos. The monument features some amazing cliff dwellings created by an ancient civilization
more than 3,000 years ago. Visiting the monument is not only recommended for these dwellings but also for the great views of the
canyon from the road into the monument.
After returning to Los Alamos, I learned that I had chosen the accommodation wisely, since the hotel was located only about half a
mile from the
Bradbury Science Museum.
So I walked to the museum and learned a lot about science in general and specifically about the use of nuclear power - both for
peaceful and for hostile activities.
Bandelier National Monument
Geography
Bradbury Science Museum
Los Alamos
Population
20,000 Elevation
7,355 ft (2,242 m)
Links
Los Alamos Visitor Guide
Virtual Los Alamos
List of movies filmed in Los Alamos My pictures
Picture gallery of Los Alamos
Los Alamos sits on the Pajarito Plateau, a consolidated mass of volcanic tuff from the Valles and Toledo eruptions
(1.4 to 1.1 million years ago). The town-site is built on a series of fingers of land (locally referred to as mesas)
separated by deep canyons. The canyons result from water runoff from the Sierra de los Valles (a branch of the
Jemez Mountains, one of the southernmost extensions of the Rockies) which border the town, and range up to several
hundred feet deep. Most of the town is located on the top of the mesas, at an elevation around 7,500 feet (2,286 m) above sea
level. In addition, the community of White Rock sits at the base of the mesas, around 7,000 feet (2,133 m).
History
Proud Past, Dynamic Future is the slogan of Los Alamos County, as it reflects the role Los Alamos has always seen for
itself. The town started out as a boys school run by Ashley Pond, but was taken over by the US government during WWII for the
express purpose of designing and buliding a nuclear weapon. A quick-and-dirty townsite was thrown together for this effort; the
army assumed that Los Alamos would be abandoned after the war years. However, the laboratory (and thus the people) stayed around,
although it wasn't until 1950 that the fences surrounding the town were taken down, and Los Alamos became open
to the public (to much complaining from the residents at the time!). The county of Los Alamos finally incorporated in 1968. Since
the beginning, Los Alamos has remained much the same size, and kept much of its unique and independent atmosphere.
Getting to Los Alamos
Los Alamos is located about 25 miles north-west of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The easiest way to get to Los Alamos from out
of state is to fly into Albuquerque, and drive to Santa Fe on I-25. From Santa Fe, take NM Highway 84/285
North to Pojoaque, and then NM 502 from Pojoaque to Los Alamos. Alternatively, you could take NM 44 to San Ysidro and NM 4
to Los Alamos. This drive through the Jemez Mountains is a bit more scenic, but also takes about a half-hour longer (for a total trip
of two hours).
Area map
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Bandelier National Monument
My Bandelier National Monument page
Bradbury Science Museum
My Bradbury Science Museum page
Accommodation
Best Western Hilltop House Hotel
400 Trinity Drive
Los Alamos NM 87544
USD 87.74 per night
Phone
(505) 662 24 41
Fax
(505) 662 59 13
Internet link
Click here
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