Kim: Day 9

With home base set at Bernalillo for the next couple of days, we ventured north to explore Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, Los Alamos and Santa Fe.  Bandelier National Monument was originally on the list, but we scrapped it for more time at the other places - a good move - we really enjoyed everywhere we went today.

Kasha-Katuwe was so blazing hot - even at 9:30 am - but the beauty and simplicity of the desert surroundings and hoodoo structures made it all worhtwhile.  And I think the heat even kept the rattlesnakes away!

The ride to and from Los Alamos was just beautiful with watercolor landscape everywhere you looked as far as the eye could see.

The visit to the Atomic City - better known at Los Alamos - was very worthwhile.  The Bradbury Science Museum made the topic of nuclear bombs interesting and intruiging.  It is amazing to think that the entire city was build in such a short amount of time and under total secrecy to support the Manhattan Project.

Santa Fe is just too cute for words!  What local flavor!  We ended up seeing capitol Building, the oldest church structure in the US, at St Miguel, the Loretta Chapel (outside only - it was closed), the Cathedral Bascilica of St  Francis of Assisi, and the downtown square area.

New Mexico State Capitol Building

San Miguel Church

Loretta Chapel

Around Town

Cathedral Bascilica of St. Francis of Assisi

We ended our evening eating authentic Southwest cuisine picked out by Guy himself - gotta love Triple D!

Our sunset hunting was cut short by approaching storms, which gave us very cool skies.  Eventually we did see some of that New Mexico color on the drive home.