Santa Fe, NM 9/21 - 9/29

Our spot was not available the first day we arrived at Santa Fe Skies RV Park.  But they were wonderful and put us in a courtyard spot.  It was a lovely spot especially at night when the luminaries along the wall lit up!!  Sadly, I don't have a good evening photo.

The TV show "Manhattan" sparked our interest in the work at Los Alamos National Lab, where 6,000 scientists and support personnel worked to design and build the atomic bombs.  The central mission of the Laboratory is to ensure the safety, security and reliability of the US nuclear deterrent while reducing the global threat of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

 

This is an actual photo of the Trinity test.  The "gadget" was assembled in Los Alamos and then transported to Trinity Site 220 miles south near Socorro, NM.  The trinity test occurred on July 16, 1945.

 

 

From 1942 - 1946 the Manhattan project was under the direction of Major General Leslie Groves and Robert Oppenheimer was the director of the Los Alamos Laboratory that designed the actual bomb.

 

 

Speaking of bombs, here is Little Boy that was dropped on Hiroshima

 

And, here is Fat Man that was dropped on Nagasaki

 

It was under the code name "The Gadget"

 

It was really interesting to see a Nobel Prize - this one for the detection of the Neutrino, as well as the list of Nobel Laureates connected to Los Alamos.

 

Bandelier National Monument is in the nearby Frijoles Canyon

 

 

The Ancestral Pueblo People built their homes in these rocks. 

 

Its just a short climb up a ladder to get to the dwellings.

 

Some of the inside rooms are quite small.

 

 

But there are some dwellings that have quite a few windows!!

 

We hiked the entire trail around this monument that dates back 10,000 years.  The average life expectancy was about 35 years.  The average woman stood about 5 feet tall and five feet six for the average man.

 

 

This structure is what is thought to remain of the stone walls of Tyuonyi. 

 

Here is an artists rendering of the plaza of Tuyonyi.  The three circular areas in the back area are kivas that are below the ground.  The kiva was the center of the community, not only for religious activities, but also for education and decision making.

While in Santa Fe, I took a flight to Philadelphia to join my family for the celebration of my Dad's 94th birthday on September 26!!

 

 

It was a quick turnaround for a trip to Millbrook, NY to visit my granddaughter Avery at boarding school.  She's 14 and taller than I am!!

 

 

Here is Avery with her room mate Caroline in their Public Speaking Seminar Class.  I am so proud of these two as they are the only girls in this class!!

 

 

Every semester each student has a community service unit.  This semester Avery had community service in the school zoo.  She was responsible for feeding a Marmoset.

 

 

 

I had the opportunity to attend all her classes for the day.  Here she is in honors geometry.  I was blown away by the professor as it was well beyond what I had in high school!! 

 

 

I finished this phenomenal day watching Avery play goalie with the girls junior varsity field hockey team.

 

 

I flew back to Santa Fe late on the 28th with one more day left at this stop.  We made a trip down to the beautiful Santa Fe Plaza.

 

 

We finished this stop with a wonderful dinner at La Plazuela at La Fonda on the Plaza.  The dining area is just amazing with these beautiful trees growing in the center of the patio.

 

They offered La Plazuela's famous tableside guacamole - it was unique and I love guacamole so it was a "no brainer."

 

 

Had to grab a photo of our dessert as it was just so beautiful!!

 

 

It was quite the stop in Santa Fe.  Next stop: Roswell, NM!