ALONG THE TURQUOISE TRAIL. (Allow one day)
Take in majestic views along this scenic drive. The Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway (N.M. 14) links Santa Fe and Albuquerque with breathtaking views of mountains, canyons and forests. Prehistoric peoples, Spanish missionaries, and miners in search of glory have all thrived on this route.
From Santa Fe head south to Cerrillos, a ghost town turned artists' gathering. At their peak in the 1880s, Cerrillos mines produced gold, silver, lead, zinc, and turquoise is still mined today. The village is also home to the Cerrillos Hills State Park, a trading post, and a petting zoo.
Artists have turned Madrid into a community thriving with galleries, shops, and restaurants. Take in the Mine Shaft Tavern. Down the road a little way, take a side trip up the skyward drive leading to Sandia Crest with its incredible views of Albuquerque proper.
In Tijeras, visit the Tijeras Pueblo Archaeological Site, or continue past the Manzano Mountains (this is along the Salt Missions trail National Scenic Byways) to visit the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument where you can explore three separate sets of ruins of old Pueblo mission churches.
If I have omitted anything of interest, please add to comments for this post.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, June 10, 2012
New Mexico History 1993 - 2002
Even though the United States was building fewer nuclear weapons in the wake of the Cold War, the need to store these items securely was the country's biggest concern, a concern that was tragically reinforced by the rising terrorist threat and the events of September 11, 2001.
For years the military had stored much of its material at installations in the Manzano Mountains. The need for greater security led the Air Force to construct the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex which opened in 1994.
After years of producing and studying nuclear weapons and other items, tons of high and low level nuclear waste that had previously been stored in other dangerous locations found a new home. With the help of Sandia National Laboratories' scientists and engineers, a Waste Isolation Pilot Plan was built 2,150 feet below ground east of Carlsbad and opened in 1999.
In 2000, a "controlled" fire in the forest near Los Alamos grew out of control and burned 42,000 acres and destroyed large portions of the Pueblo Indian land and much of Los Alamos - but not its labs.
In the meantime tourists continued to arrive in New Mexico during one of the most prosperous decades in American history. Special celebrations continued to draw tourists to other towns across the state, including the Hatch Green Chile Festival, the Roswell UFO Festival, the Great American Duck Race in Deming, and of course, the Santa Fe Fiesta.
There are so many great places to visit and things to do in New Mexico that it is a wonderful place to spend your vacations or a lifetime.
For years the military had stored much of its material at installations in the Manzano Mountains. The need for greater security led the Air Force to construct the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex which opened in 1994.
After years of producing and studying nuclear weapons and other items, tons of high and low level nuclear waste that had previously been stored in other dangerous locations found a new home. With the help of Sandia National Laboratories' scientists and engineers, a Waste Isolation Pilot Plan was built 2,150 feet below ground east of Carlsbad and opened in 1999.
In 2000, a "controlled" fire in the forest near Los Alamos grew out of control and burned 42,000 acres and destroyed large portions of the Pueblo Indian land and much of Los Alamos - but not its labs.
In the meantime tourists continued to arrive in New Mexico during one of the most prosperous decades in American history. Special celebrations continued to draw tourists to other towns across the state, including the Hatch Green Chile Festival, the Roswell UFO Festival, the Great American Duck Race in Deming, and of course, the Santa Fe Fiesta.
There are so many great places to visit and things to do in New Mexico that it is a wonderful place to spend your vacations or a lifetime.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
New Mexico History (1983 - 1992)
There were several world events which had a deep, lasting impact on New Mexico. A democratic movement in Eastern Europe that caused the fall of one communist regime after another, detente, and disarmament treaties all made their impact felt on New Mexico.
The reduction in nuclear weapons, coupled with the 1979 disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, cut demand for uranium that was mined in New Mexico. Grants faced a sudden bust. The call for new weapons developed at the Los Alamos and Sandia national labs was questioned. Rumors flew about that air bases might be closed. New Mexico's over dependence on federal government projects and spending became increasingly evident.
New Mexico's reliance on its oil and gas industry was also clear. Competition with foreign oil producers and fluctuations in the world market caused economic instability in towns like Hobbs and Farmington. The state government suffered whenever oil and gas production declined. Some things haven't changed much since.
Taken from New Mexico Magazine.
The reduction in nuclear weapons, coupled with the 1979 disaster at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, cut demand for uranium that was mined in New Mexico. Grants faced a sudden bust. The call for new weapons developed at the Los Alamos and Sandia national labs was questioned. Rumors flew about that air bases might be closed. New Mexico's over dependence on federal government projects and spending became increasingly evident.
New Mexico's reliance on its oil and gas industry was also clear. Competition with foreign oil producers and fluctuations in the world market caused economic instability in towns like Hobbs and Farmington. The state government suffered whenever oil and gas production declined. Some things haven't changed much since.
Taken from New Mexico Magazine.
Monday, April 16, 2012
New Mexico History from 1973 - 1982
In a decade not known for national glory, New Mexico experienced a surge of creativity and achievements.
Rudolfo Anaya's Bless Me, Ultima (1972) is perhaps the most famous novel ever written about Hispanic culture in the Southwest. John Nicols's Milagro Beanfield War (1974) described the struggle to preserve the Hispanic lifestyle against modern development and personal greed. R.C. Gorman's paintings made him one of the most recognized young Indian artists in the country.
The Unser family have won no fewer than nine Indianapolis 500 races, including four in the 1970's alone. In 1978, three new Mexicans - Ben Abruzzo, Maxie Anderson and Larry Newman, became the first team to fly across the Atlantic in a gas balloon.
On the other side, the Watergate scandal rocked the nation; New Mexico Senator Joseph Montoya became nationally known as a member of the investigating committee whose scrutiny ultimately led to President Nixon's resignation. Closer to home, a scandal involving the recruitment of basketball players to the University of New Mexico led to convictions in what will forever be known as Lobogate. It would take years for UNM's basketball program to recover.
Taken from New Mexico Magazine.
Monday, March 26, 2012
New Mexico history 1963 - 1972
The 1960's can be remembered as a period of growth and conflict in the U.S. and in New Mexico.
The state grew as an integral part of what President Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex which included the space race. New communities, such as Rio Rancho, welcomed residents and hippie communes added countercultural elements to an already eclectic state.
New Mexico also experienced turmoil. Some Hispanics, frustrated by the loss of their land grants, turned to an individual, Reis Lopez Tijerina and his originally peaceful Alianza Federal de Mercedes which was founded in 1963; Lopez Tijerina resorted to increasingly violent measures that ultimately ruined his movement. Taos Pueblo residents non-violently defended their sacred Blue Lake in the Carson National Forest.
The Vietnam war divided the state: abroad New Mexicans served in the military and at home, anti-war protesters sometimes turned violent, as when they clashed with opposing factions on Albuquerque's Central Avenue and National Guard troops were sent to the University of New Mexico. Peace was restored in New Mexico only when peace was restored in the nation and in Southeast Asia.
Taken from the New Mexico Magazine.
The state grew as an integral part of what President Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex which included the space race. New communities, such as Rio Rancho, welcomed residents and hippie communes added countercultural elements to an already eclectic state.
New Mexico also experienced turmoil. Some Hispanics, frustrated by the loss of their land grants, turned to an individual, Reis Lopez Tijerina and his originally peaceful Alianza Federal de Mercedes which was founded in 1963; Lopez Tijerina resorted to increasingly violent measures that ultimately ruined his movement. Taos Pueblo residents non-violently defended their sacred Blue Lake in the Carson National Forest.
The Vietnam war divided the state: abroad New Mexicans served in the military and at home, anti-war protesters sometimes turned violent, as when they clashed with opposing factions on Albuquerque's Central Avenue and National Guard troops were sent to the University of New Mexico. Peace was restored in New Mexico only when peace was restored in the nation and in Southeast Asia.
Taken from the New Mexico Magazine.
Friday, March 16, 2012
New Time Line (1953 - 1962)
New Mexico was very involved in the Cold War which led to an ever-greater federal involvement in the state. The U.S. Government converted four WW II army air bases into Air Force bases (Cannon, Holloman, Walker, and Kirtland) that continued to train crews and test new planes and weapons. The White Sands Missile Range located in southern New Mexico consisted of 3,200 square miles which allowed for advanced testing of weapons and rockets.
The US created new nuclear weapons, including the hydrogen bomb, at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratories. Grants became known as the "uranium capital" of the nation.
The Cold War heated up into warfare with the Korean conflict of 1950 - 1952. Nearly 200 New Mexicans lost their lives in this "forgotten war."
Albuquerque's population skyrocketed when newcomers arrived to work in Cold War industries. Albuquerque's population grew from 35,449 in 1940 to 262,199 in 1960. Smaller towns, like Los Alamos, Alamogordo and Grants, experienced like growth. Modern highways, trains, and commercial airlines brought tourists to New Mexico in record numbers. Construction for homes, businesses, motels, and restaurants boomed.
Information taken from New Mexico Magazine.
The US created new nuclear weapons, including the hydrogen bomb, at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Sandia National Laboratories. Grants became known as the "uranium capital" of the nation.
The Cold War heated up into warfare with the Korean conflict of 1950 - 1952. Nearly 200 New Mexicans lost their lives in this "forgotten war."
Albuquerque's population skyrocketed when newcomers arrived to work in Cold War industries. Albuquerque's population grew from 35,449 in 1940 to 262,199 in 1960. Smaller towns, like Los Alamos, Alamogordo and Grants, experienced like growth. Modern highways, trains, and commercial airlines brought tourists to New Mexico in record numbers. Construction for homes, businesses, motels, and restaurants boomed.
Information taken from New Mexico Magazine.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
New Time Line - (1943 - 1952) New Mexico History
New Mexicans were active in the armed services during World War II, with nearly 50,000 serving and 2,256 suffering casualties; New Mexicans received seven Medals of Honor during the war. Navajo Code Talkers devised a secret military code that was used to help win battles in the Pacific. New Mexico native Bill Mauldin and Albuquerque resident Ernie Pyle won Pulitzer Prizes for their coverage of the war. On the home front, Army air bases were built in Hobbs, Carlsbad, Clovis, Roswell, Alamogordo, Albuquerque, and other towns.
The biggest contribution from New Mexico in World War II was a secret scientific community organized on the remote Pajarito Plateau which developed the world's first atomic weapons. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist and General Leslie Groves, along with other scientists of the Manhattan Project worked long hours to develop a bomb that was finally tested at the Trinity Test Site, southeast of Socorro, in mid-July 1945. Other bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, which caused mass destruction and led to the surrender of Japan one month after the Trinity blast.
It is arguable that New Mexico contributed greatly to the United States' final victory in World War II. Perhaps more so than any other state of its size in the Union. After the War, both the U.S. and New Mexico entered into a boom period thanks to returning service men who sought college educations and purchased homes. Of course, New Mexico residents also contributed to the post-war baby boom.
Taken from the New Mexico Magazine.
The biggest contribution from New Mexico in World War II was a secret scientific community organized on the remote Pajarito Plateau which developed the world's first atomic weapons. J. Robert Oppenheimer, a physicist and General Leslie Groves, along with other scientists of the Manhattan Project worked long hours to develop a bomb that was finally tested at the Trinity Test Site, southeast of Socorro, in mid-July 1945. Other bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, which caused mass destruction and led to the surrender of Japan one month after the Trinity blast.
It is arguable that New Mexico contributed greatly to the United States' final victory in World War II. Perhaps more so than any other state of its size in the Union. After the War, both the U.S. and New Mexico entered into a boom period thanks to returning service men who sought college educations and purchased homes. Of course, New Mexico residents also contributed to the post-war baby boom.
Taken from the New Mexico Magazine.
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