Ancient Anderton Wenatchians: New Mexico II

New Mexico II - Albuquerque

Had a nice visit to the local church for Sacrament Meeting. Very friendly people. The Church is the same no matter where we go it seems and we have gone a lot of places. We stayed in our church clothes and visited a couple of places that seemed more Sunday-friendly. The first was the Albuquerque Museum, a interesting combination of art and the history of the region. It is located adjacent to Old Town. Unfortunately, we were almost done with the exhibits when we realized we had done them backwards. No wonder they made no sense. Don't bother with this place unless you have some real gaps in your schedule. I thought the best part was the sculpture garden outside.

KR Outside the Albuquerque Museum

Windshield Art

One nice thing about Albuquerque is the nice freeways and the road system in general. The city is compact and very easy to get around, with fast-moving traffic. Most of the touristy things are located close to one another and you can see a lot in one day. Our final Sunday stop was the National Nuclear Museum of Nuclear Science and History, and much more to my liking. With nearby Los Alamos being the nerve center for the Manhattan Project, Albuquerque makes sense as the site of this museum. It is filled with interesting artifacts detailing the advent of the nuclear age. We literally spent the rest of the day here enjoying the videos, movies, displays and reading about the rich history of nuclear power. The museum is fairly new to this building and is still a work in progress, but well worth the visit. If this sort of thing is of interest to you, leave a big chunk of time.

KR at the Entrance

The Actual Bombs Accidently Dropped on Spain and Later
Recovered - It Happened As the Result of an In-Air
Refueling Accident Known as the Palomares Incident

We were up early on the 30th, anticipating a full day around Albuquerque. Our first stop was the Petroglyph National Monument. It is located within the city limits and has various trails where you can enjoy hundreds of petroglyphs. Unfortunately, many have been defaced by gunfire, where the older, dark-stained basalt has been chipped away and the petroglyphs along with it. Sad. The ranger in the visitor center was kind of grumpy, but maybe within reason when we saw the sign on the inside of the door (see below). She said a local rattler sometimes curls up on the mat outside the door. Okay, we will watch where we are stepping!

Petroglyphs Along the Trail
With Gun Damage on Top Left Corner

One of the key features of Albuquerque that hadn't occurred to me before is the presence of the Rio Grande right in the middle of town. In fact the presence of that river is the reason Albuquerque exists. There is a rich history here that spans many cultures and you can feel the age of the place all along the Rio Grande. Everything just seems OLDER. There is the part of the city hard by the banks of the river where the original settlement took place, called Old Town, and they have turned it into a tourist hub. The architecture was nice, the weather was perfect, and we enjoyed our walk around the 6 or 8 square blocks that make up the area. I can't be as enthusiastic about the contents of the stores, however. Touristy and repetitive.

I Finally Found a Hat
As Big as My Head

KR in an Interior Garden

Main Square of Old Town,
San Felipe de Neri Church

Old Town Has Various Galleries, We Like
The Copper Works in This One

Near Old Town is the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center. With the balloon festival starting next week, the schedule of live events this week was kind of light, as it appears they were gearing up the crowds to come. We decided to check it out, however, because we are museum people. So-so exhibits. They need some updating. The restaurant, however, was excellent, as we decided to stay for lunch. You can eat here without paying to enter the Center itself, so if you are just hungry, the food and service are highly recommended. Check it out!

Our last stop of the day was the Sandia Peak Tramway. It is located on the eastern edge of town. You exit the east-west freeway on Tramway Boulevard, then head north to the terminus of the road and follow the signs. It is the longest tram in the world (2.7 miles) and climbs to the top of Sandia Peak (10,378 feet).