We went to the Three Rivers Petroglyph site. There are thousands of rock drawings clustered on a hilltop out in the middle of the desert. It was along a route that the ancients traveled and they left their mark here. The petroglyphs haven't really been interpreted. Who knows maybe it was just ancient graffitti. We had the chance to go to the Trinity site. This is where the first atomic bomb was tested. The scientists came down from Los Alamos to the White Sands Missile Base to do the test. The trinity site is in the north central portion of White Sands and is still in an area of active military testing. Twice a year they let civilians in to the site to look at the artifacts they have there. The obelisk made out of the black lava rock found near the site is where ground zero was. The amount of radiation in this area is supposedly the same as having an xray taken. There is green crystally rock on the ground -- it is called trinitite and is radioactive. You aren't allowed to pick any up.
We also enjoyed some interesting eating and drinking establishments while in the Alamogordo area. The Nuckleweed Place is a restaurant in a converted mobile home. You need to call for reservations and sometimes even call ahead to order. We also had a beer at the No Scum Allowed bar in White Oaks. White Oaks is an old gold mining town that is almost a ghost town except for the 50 residents who keep it going.
We have now traveled from New Mexico to Minnesota. We will be staying in the Twin city area until the last weekend in April. We will then finish the last leg of our journey up to Lake Kabetogoma.
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