Albuquerque Old Town Square, Los Alamos Day Trip

April 14. Monday.  My, my, I was right!  From the previous post about finding my favorite jewelry store in Albuquerque, I and my wallet did indeed get in trouble!!   Warpath Traders is located in Old Town Square not too far form the military base.   It is a pretty outdoor square with shops and restaurants around a grassy center square. 

The sales lady was so sweet, she helped lighten my wallet, A LOT!  All the Jewelry is Indian made, mostly Navaho and Hopi.  I love the turquoise stones, and I found a mixed brown color 3 piece set I was looking for.  The shop had so many beautiful things that I could have spent all day in there deciding what to buy!   I did buy some trinkets for the “gals” in the family.   But oh, what fun it was!  Good thing my next social security check is due! 
Centered around the plaza, Albuquerque's Old Town encompasses about ten blocks of historic adobe buildings. On the north side of the plaza is the San Felipe de Neri Church, the oldest building in the city, which was built in 1793. Surrounding the church, the city's settlers had built their homes, shops and government offices, many of which have since been converted into the restaurants, art galleries and shops that comprise Old Town today.  Old Town today looks much like it did when it was built centuries ago. Its Pueblo-Spanish style architecture with flat-roofed buildings and soft contours of adobe mirror the Southwestern landscape. Long portals (porches) line the fronts of most buildings offering shade from the New Mexican sun.  For almost three centuries Old Town has been the crossroads of the Southwest. It is the Historical Zone of the City of Albuquerque and home for many families whose ancestors founded the town.
Then April 15, Tuesday, we took a 75 mile day trip to Los Alamos, where the Atomic Bomb was developed.  We had been there before several years ago.  It is just such a really pretty drive up through the mountains and bluffs near Santa Fe.  Los Alamos, meaning "The cottonwoods" is built upon four mesas of the a plateau and the adjoining White Rock Canyon.   Los Alamos is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was founded to undertake the Manhattan Project, the development  of the Atomic Bomb.  In 1942, during World War II, the Dept. of War began looking for a remote location for the Manhattan Project.   All information about the town was highly classified until the bombing of Hiroshima.  All incoming truckloads were labeled as common items to conceal the true nature of their contents, and any outbound correspondence by those working and living in Los Alamos was censored by military officials. At the time, it was referred to as "The Hill" by many in Santa Fe, and as "Site Y" by military personnel.   After the Manhattan Project completed, White Rock was abandoned until 1963 when people began to re-inhabit and rebuild new homes and buildings.

On the way back down off the bluffs, we had some nice views of left over snow on top of the mountains across the valley above Santa Fe.  We tried to stop at the Old Town Square in Santa Fe, but just like our visit several years ago, parking was a nightmare so we gave up and headed home. 
 
So back out across the open land from Sana Fe to Albuquerque with desert views over the wide open spaces. 





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