new mexico geek sightseeing checklist

Inspired by my trip to Trinity Site this last weekend, I thought I'd put together a list of geeky sight-seeing stops in New Mexico. Additions, and any other comments (even just a list of the ones you've visited) are welcome.

• Very Large Array
• National Museum of Nuclear Science and History
• National Solar Thermal Test Facility
• Trinity Site
• New Mexico Museum of Space History
• National Solar Observatory/Sacramento Peak
• Explora

I've been to all of them except the Solar Observatory, although it's been a long while for some of them. I get bonus points for having been to the Atomic Energy Museum when it was still on Kirtland -- it moved after 9/11 prompted higher security -- and the old site, along with the Solar Thermal Test facility, are no longer available to the public.

I also realize that this list is tilted towards technology geeks; there are more tech things I'd add, but many of them are probably not open to the public (parts of Los Alamos, the Sandia "Z Machine"). There are of course also a huge number of natural wonders in the state (Carlsbad Caverns, various Malpais, arches) and cultural wonders (Cliff Dwellings, Pueblos, Missions). I'll leave those to someone else to fill in.

trinity site photos remix

I got so annoyed at the "pop open a new window for every picture" style of official Trinity Site pictures index that I spent a fair chunk of time (maybe an hour or so?) making my own:

http://scrye.com/~tkil/trinity/pics.html

Anyone else do stuff like this, or is my OCD showing?

And in case people didn't notice that the pic in my weekend writeup was a link, I have three galleries from my visit to Trinity Site:

1. Ground Zero
2. McDonald Ranch House
3. 800 West Bunker