The Los Alamos Loop

Los Alamos makes a great side trip from Santa Fe. I actually enjoyed it more here than there. This would be a great experience for a learning trip.

Bandelier National Monument--See ancient pueblos, burial and religious sites of the Anasazi tribe. Learn about their culture too.

White Rock--Eye-popping scenic overlook. Take pictures or meditate.

Bradbury Space Center--History of the nuclear testing at Los Alamos and the Manhatten Project. Other science stuff too.

Los Alamos Historical Museum--Visit and understand the history and culture of Los Alamos through the ages.

The Art Center at Fuller Lodge showcases the talents of local and regional artists. You can buy their work as well as view it.

Quick Tips:

If you're planning to do the day-trip from Santa Fe, be sure to stop at the tourist center before you make your stops. The people who work there are extra-friendly and will show you which sites you might be interested in seeing. No back-tracking, you just take the loop through town and head home.

You might want to plan to visit Bandelier before or after the afternoon because it gets so hot. We wanted to travel further along the trail, but we didn't bring enough water and we weren't used to the altitude.

Visit the Los Alamos' website at: www.losalamos.com

Best Way To Get Around:

Car--It gives you freedom to see what you want, when you want. And you'll be covering a lot of miles too.

Bandelier National Monument has a small campground for those who want the comfort of flush toilets while enjoying the wilderness. The campsites are large, but covered mostly in sand. I suspect this is to prevent the spread of fires which are prevalent during the summer months. When we visited, plenty of the area had just been destroyed by fire so a no-fire ban was ordered.

The Bradbury Science Museum is structured around the atomic research that took place years ago in Los Alamos. There are many hands-on exhibits for the younger crowd. Nuclear and atomic enthusiasts will enjoy this museum. A short film is shown made from actual footage taken while Project Y were underway. I particularly am not interested in this kind of stuff, but I'm sure others, like my dad, would love visiting here.

The Art Center at Fuller Lodge seeks to support local and regional artists by selling and displaying those artists' work. Membership includes over 70 artists and the lodge also teaches classes and workshops for adults and children. The mission of the center is to educate through exhibits, classes and gallery talks.

Fuller Lodge was once a ranch school for boys. A small part of the lodge is now the art center. Works from New Mexican artists are shown and sold here. Some of the art is good, some of it not so good. Still, it's worth a pass through, especially if you're visiting the historical museum next door.

Located inside the Fuller Lodge also is the Los Alamos Historical Museum. It depicts the area's history and culture through the ages--from Native American artifacts to bomb testing memorabilia. The museum is overcrowded with items and needs more room. The presentation is unique and refreshing.

Bandelier National Park is owned by the National Park Service. You can see Anasazi cliff dwellings, pueblos and cerimonial sites built by them hundreds of years ago. First, stop at the visitors center and explore the small museum they have exhibiting items from the Anasazi Native Americans. A short film is shown telling us how and why we should respect the land where the Anasazi lived so long ago.

Several tours are given throughout the day. The particular tour I went on was wonderful. Our guide was an ancestor of the Anasazi. She told us how vital the water was to them when they lived in Bandelier National Park. I learned that the Yucca plant could be used to wash your clothes or your hair. You can braid it to make shoes. And you can eat it too. She told us two folk tales her grandmother taught her. Then she ground corn with rocks as they used to.

After that, go explore the area. You'll see kivas--ceremonial pits used for worshipping. We saw a burial mound. The most exciting part is climbing to the cliff dwellings and going inside an actual one. It's hot and you'll realize how good it feels to be inside the cool dome.

I strongly caution anyone who has medical problems to try to stay out of the sun. They may not want to walk up the numerous stairs to see the cliff dwellings either. I'm in fairly good shape, but I needed a lot of water and I was out of breath. The altitude will get to you. Take it slow and don't try to do it in the heat of the day.

Park and walk just a few feet to see a spectacular panoramic view of the river valley area. It's a great picture or picnic spot. Rest and relax while soaking up the view. If you've been in the car for a while, White Rock Overlook will also give you a chance to stretch your legs.