Texas

Yesterday I decided to sight see in Albuquerque because it didn’t seem like there was much between Albuquerque and the rest of New Mexico. I went to Piedras Marcades Canyon and took a 1-1/2 mile hike to see Indian petrogylphs. They said there were over 400 petrogylphs in this canyon. Since they didn’t point them out, and I apparently wasn’t paying attention, I only saw maybe 50. These were made by the Pueblo, between 1300-1680 and were carbon dated (just in case you think they look like your grandkids’ drawings).

If you were in a hurry, you’d only see the bird/elk in the foreground, and probably miss the hands further back.

Next I went to the Museum of Nuclear Science. I guess I expected something completely different than all the missiles and bombs that were there. It reminded me of the World War I museum we went to early on with the RV caravan, and how I didn’t really want to be there.

This was a recreation of the types of machines and bomb prototypes in the making of a nuclear bomb. I think the bombs are those round objects in the silver bowls.

This weapon casing is identical to that used for the Fat Man Atomic bomb. In 1945, the Fat Man prototype was tested in the New Mexico desert. Fat Man was the 2nd, and last nuclear weapon used in warfare. It was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945.

Cranes, for healing, after Fat Boy. I didn’t pay attention to the rest of the exhibits. I did wonder about the rest of the people there eagerly absorbing every detail.

Since I left Lake Tahoe 2 weeks ago, it has been nothing but sage brush. Sometimes it’s sage and Joshua trees, or sage and juniper, or sage and cedar, or just sage. But after I crossed the Texas border, grass started showing up within the sage. Then it got to be all grass. The grass gave way to some agriculture, and then I started to see shrubs. And wow, trees began to appear!

I stopped for the night in Tucumcari, New Mexico and stayed at the Elks Lodge there. Lots of cowboy hats there.

On today’s drive, I stopped halfway in Amarillo, Texas. I chose to take a break at the Amarillo Botanical Gardens.