Santa Fe via Los Alamos

Mommy and Aunt Holly made a day trip from Santa Fe to the nearby town of Los Alamos.  They visited Bandelier National Monument.  Ancient Pueblo Indian homes are preserved here where they are carved into the side of volcanic rock.  It was a hot day of hiking and climbing, but they had lots of fun!

This is what's left of a kiva, an underground chamber made by the Pueblos for ceremonial rites.  

They really liked this structure as it looks like a face!  Can you see it?

The main walking path included several steps in narrow places.

You can climb up into these living areas and see how the Pueblos lived.  It was very cool in there.

There were a few petroglyphs to be see along the way.  Daddy would have been happy to see these.  The last time he saw petroglyphs Mommy made him climb up a very tall flight of steps to view them!

The big attraction at Bandelier is the Alcove House 140 feet above Frijoles Canyon.  Mommy and Aunt Holly weren't sure if they were going to be up for this adventure or not.

If you look closely, you can see three of the four staircases which you have to climb in order to reach the top.  The first ladder is off to the left.  The second ladder (in the center of the picture) is the tallest.

It's a long way up!  When looking at this ladder, we can sort of understand why Mommy didn't take us with her on this trip.  We would have had a bit of difficulty navigating these steps.  Of course, if Daddy was there, he would have held our leashes as we sat in the canyon and waited for Mommy to return!

This is the view at the halfway point!

Along with this friendly reminder . . . 

Look!  THEY MADE IT!!!  They were so stinkin' proud of themselves.  Kind of like we are when we catch a treat thrown to us.

Don't you just want to reach into this picture and pat their heads with a "GOOD GIRL!" thrown in for good measure??  In another second, we're sure their tongues would have been hanging out.

There was another kiva at the top of this long climb in the Alcove House. And a beautiful view.  Mommy and Aunt Holly took a few minutes to catch their breath and then began the slow climb back down the ladders.  They are so glad they didn't skip this opportunity.

From Bandelier National Monument, Mommy and Aunt Holly traveled into the city of Los Alamos.  They stopped along the way for this beautiful view.  Mommy is a mountain girl and could feel herself breathing easier with each new view!

The city of Los Alamos is considered to be the home of the atomic bomb.  Scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project lived in this fence enclosed "city" while working on this world changing scientific development.  The average scientist was 26 years old!  Does that seem young to anyone else?  Scientists were allowed to bring their families to stay with them, but no one could travel more than a 100 miles radius while working on the bomb.  Everyone who lived in the city of Los Alamos used PO Box 1663 in Santa Fe as their address! 

There isn't much to see at this National Park.  Most of the remaining buildings used during this time period are falling down and behind the fence of the still operational Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Everything and everyone had to pass through this gate on the way to Los Alamos.

 

The first scientists to arrive for the Manhattan Project lived in the Los Alamos Ranch School, now called The Lodge.  The school was a private boys school that offered a strong academic curriculum and rigorous outdoor activities.  When the US government came in and purchased the property, the school year ended early!

On the way back to Santa Fe from Los Alamos, Aunt Holly noticed this rock formation.  Mommy turned the car around so they could get a closer look.  Can you tell what it looks like???  It's called Camel Rock.  And coincidentally, it just happened to be Hump Day!  BOL . . . bark out loud!!

There was a great view of the mountains in the distance.  You can see the rain too!  It's monsoon season in New Mexico.  Seriously! (Anyone else think this is weird for what Mommy thinks of as a desert state??)  It's not unusual to experience sudden downpours in the afternoons and even flash floods.

Happy Hump Day from Mommy, Aunt Holly, and us!
Dixie, Jenna & Ruger