Albuquerque, New Mexico
5/16/2019 & 5/17/2019
A nice campground, Lots of traffic and lots of wind
Thursday 5/16/2019 Our next stop was 236 miles away in Bernalillo, New Mexico near Albuquerque. We are staying at the Coronado Campground. What we found most unique about this campground were the adobe looking picnic table shelters. Every site was equipped with one. We didn't take advantage of it because both days here were extremely windy and we didn't eat outside, but I think they would be very useful under the hot summer sun. I spotted a Valvoline Instant Oil Change when we were checking out the surrounding area and decided to have the truck's oil changed. This area was a very heavy traffic area with many, long stop lights and to stop at any stores or gas stations you had to use U-turn lanes. Our campground was next door to a casino but we didn't even feel like going inside. Also, adjacent to the campground was the Coronado Historic site. These were ancient ruins from the Tiwa Indians and a location where there were confrontations between Francisco Coronado and the Native Americans. We stopped in but were too late in the day to take a tour. So we snapped a few photos and planned to return in the morning.
Friday 5/17/2019 This morning we arrived back at the Coronado Historical Site in time for the 10 am tour. Basically, a docent volunteer guides you through the grounds and explains the ruins. They were mostly just remnants of the Native American's housing units. They resembled an ancient apartment complex. The most interesting part of the short tour was a structure called a Kiva. This is an adobe square-shaped building that you had to access from a wooden ladder, first up onto the roof and then down a ladder into the Kiva. Inside the Kiva were many re-created murals. Some of the original murals were on display in another building but we weren't allowed to take any photos inside the Kiva or inside the museum. After the tour, we went for a stroll on their grounds down along the Rio Grande River.
Immediately after visiting the Coronado Historic Site we drove about 15 miles into Albuquerque. We planned to take the Sandia Peak Tramway. The Sandia Peak Tramway is an aerial tramway located adjacent to Albuquerque. It stretches from the northeast edge of the city to the crestline of the Sandia Mountains and has the world's third longest single span. It is the longest aerial tram in the United States. We arrived at the entrance for the tramway and sadly were turned away by the attendant. The tramway was closed due to very high winds. I was very disappointed and had been looking forward to the ride.
The next stop on our agenda for today was The National Museum of Nuclear Science and History which was only 15 minutes away. The museum presents through permanent and changing exhibits and displays, the diverse applications of nuclear energy in the past, present and future along with the stories of the field’s pioneers. Originally known as the National Atomic Museum, it was established in 1969 as an intriguing place to learn the story of the Atomic Age, from early research of nuclear development through today’s peaceful uses of nuclear technology. We roamed around and looked at their displays and read many interesting facts about nuclear uses. Then we went outside to their back lot and walked among airplanes, jets, spacecraft, and missiles. Then we just drove back to the trailer for the night.
Saturday 5/18/2019 Today we are heading to Holbrook, Arizona which is near The Petrified Forest.
Questions or comments? Contact us today.