The Very Large Array

I made a detour to find the Very Large Array, on the Plains of San Augustin, 50 miles west of Socorro, New Mexico (Altitude: 7,000 feet).

The Very Large Array is a project of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (www.NRAO.edu). The VLA consists of 27 25-meter diameter dish antennas that together make a single radio telescope system, taking detailed pictures of extremely faint objects in the sky. The first Saturday of each month, scientists give guided tours of the facility, with different themes each month. Although the Very Large Array has been featured in numerous films and videos (for example, Contact), visitors are reminded that the VLA is a scientific operation whose intent is not to contact "little green men." Self-guided walking tours of the VLA are available every day from 8:30 a.m. until sunset. Digital cameras are permitted, but all other personal devices must be turned OFF as the radio waves they generate interfere with VLA operations.

In addition to the VLA, NRAO operates other radio telescopes:

• Green Bank Telescope, West Virginia
• Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA), spread across the United States
• Atacama Large Millineter Array (ALMA), Chile

What I've Learned

Well, it's back to work; Spring Break is over, and it's time to reflect on what I've learned.

• I've learned that if you live there, you just say "I'm from Cruces," not "Las Cruces."
• If you sing Crazy, by Patsy Cline, you can get a big Mexican man to shout, "I'm loco for you!"
• People are nice; but sometimes because they want you to buy something.
• You can't do everything you want on any vacation.
• When traveling long distances, you should get gas earlier than you think you have to - pumps can be few and far between.
• If you drive 800 miles in one day, any price sounds good for a hotel room.
• There's no place like home.

Museums and Monuments

I visited the Branigan Cultural Center in downtown Las Cruces. The main exhibit there is Journey Stories: Traveling to and Through America. Everything you want to know about how the West was settled. The Center encourages visitors to share stories as well, and so I put a pin in the map on Ainsworth, Nebraska. It's worth a visit to explore Las Cruces and Mesilla, New Mexico history. The Las Cruces Museum of Art is next door, and right now is showing New Mexico: 100 Years of Art . I also tried to visit the Las Cruces Railroad Museum, which was closed. I found out this afternoon that people of Wal-Mart are the same no matter what state you are in...

Tuesday night I went to the Rio Grande Theatre to listen to The Big Band on the Rio Grande, a 19-piece band that played mostly swing pieces. The vocalist, an Asian woman, sang the German version of "Mac the Knife," because, as she explained, it was written by German immigrants and she is an immigrant, too.

I started Wednesday morning with a trip downtown once again to the local Farmer's Market. Everyone was quick to tell me that I should come back Saturday, when they have over 200 vendors. I traveled to Organ, New Mexico, an old mining town that is now mostly a restaurant and mercantile shop off of I-70. If you plan to visit, locals suggest calling first to see if they are open. I was walking around taking pictures, and the owner of the restaurant let me in to have some food. He locked the door behind me, but also let two other people in later.

The name of the restaurant has changed in the last year, and is now Renoo's Thai Delight.
The owners just got back from visiting Thailand and were going to re-open tomorrow. I had a nice lunch of Spring Rolls, Thai Shrimp Salad (Shrimp, fresh cilantro, tomatoes, onions, medium spicy, with steamed rice), and Diet Pepsi.

I had a great visit today to White Sands National Monument (Photo above from newmexicowanderings.com), and will have gypsum in my shoes and my car for a while! White Sands is in a bowl surrounded by mountains made of gypsum rock. The rain breaks down the gypsum into crystals which tumble and blow down the mountain to be polished by the wind. Animals and plants survive in this rugged terrain that is ever-changing. Worth the drive from Las Cruces, near Alamagorda, New Mexico. $3 buys you a ticket to drive the trails through the park for a week. For $10 you can rent a sled and go sledding down the dunes; you get $3 back when you return your sled. There were several children taking the opportunity to do that today, as this is their Spring Break.

I am going to sign off now and check out karaoke. I don't even need to drive; it's in the bar attached to the hotel. See you soon!

Janeen

Ghost Hunting

This morning I found the Zuhl Museum, which my Dad would have loved! Lots of fossils, gems, petrified wood, and even a meteorite! Then I walked down the block and across the street to the New Mexico University Chile Pepper Institute (Thank you, Deb!) and found some hot sauces and even brownie mix made from chile peppers. I also met two local women who gave me suggestions of things to do and see here in Las Cruces. I spent part of the afternoon in the Mesilla Valley Mall, home of the Las Cruces Museum of Natural History. Then I scouted out downtown Mesilla, near my hotel.

Tonight for dinner I went to the Double Eagle Restaurant in downtown Mesilla, which is one main reason I came this far for Spring Break. First of all I need to say the food was FABULOUS!

I started with a glass of Lohr Chardonnay, and green chile cheese wontons with pineapple mango salsa. Then I had pan seared scallops with avacado, tomato, and grilled onions, with green beans garnished with sesame seeds and capers. I also had a glass of pomegranate sangria. I don't know if it was because it took a long time to get my entree, or if it was because I told Anthony, my waiter, that I had travelled a thousand miles just to see the restaurant, but in any case, I was treated to a free creme brulee for dessert. Mmmm!

After dinner I was allowed to take a self-guided tour of the building, including THE Carlotta Salon, where spirits have been known to visit from time to time. Anthony was very helpful to give me a brochure with all of the important information about each room.

Check out this site for the story:

http://www.double-eagle-mesilla.com/history/ghost-story/

Tomorrow shall be no alarm clock day!

Janeen

Theme Music

Kelly:
This one's for you...

Click on the link below to play theme music for my blog.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JDZBgHBHQT8

Las Vegas, New Mexico

Woke up this morning in Las Vegas, New Mexico. I took advantage of the free breakfast of biscuits and gravy, muffins, an orange, and COFFEE! I found a Methodist church that was easy for Jill (my Garmin) to find without recalculating. The parishioners were excited to see me and even invited me to come to lunch with them.

Albuquerque was waiting, though, so I headed off to have lunch there at one of the restaurants that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives (Dishes marked with * below). I found Cecelia's Cafe and was excited to find that parking is free on Sundays...and walked down the corner to Cecelia's to find that they are closed on weekends.

A short drive away was the Standard Diner, where I had started with Brie and then had the *"Finer Loaf" - a gigantic piece of meatloaf wrapped in bacon on smashed potatoes with asparagus abd red wine gravy. Speaking of wine...yes, please. I tried the Milagro Chardonnay, from Corrales, New Mexico; and water with a cucumber slice.

Some of their other specialties:

Chicken Drummies

*Country Fried Tuna

*Bourbon Butter Burger

Gourmet Shakes (Espresso Guinness, Apricot Creme Brulee, and many more)

There was a wind warning all day long and winds were expected to be high until sundown. Between Las Vegas and Albuquerque wasn't bad, but south to Las Cruces there were times when the visibility was about a half mile or less. It was like being in a blizzard, but with tan-colored sand and tumbleweeds blowing across the road. I was happy to get settled into my hotel room for the night.

See you tomorrow!

Janeen

March 18, 2012

Here are pictures from the first couple of days. If you're on facebook, you may have already seen them.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3577136873985.2172530.1440027986&type=1&l=155ef37338


Janeen