Just a few minutes from Bandolier National Monument sits Los Alamos. I hadn't planned on heading there, but my curiosity got the best of me. Ranger Cheryl said the Science Museum was very good, so off I went.
Another gorgeous drive took me to Los Alamos. It really is a charming town, in a weird kind of way. Lots of hiking and trails, adorable downtown, created by that ol' military-industrial complex. But, even so, kind of quaint.
Imagine my surprise when I hit a security checkpoint. Imagine my shock when a guy in head to toe camouflage and flak jacket, carrying a huge gun stopped me to inspect the car. I suppose you can't be too careful given what happens in the labs here, but, yeesh, kind of startling.
Shockingly, the Los Alamos Nuclear Laboratory does not give tours to the public. Go figure. Instead, they run the Bradbury Science Museum . Highly pro-government with a creepy war on terror display, it was none-the-less interesting to see the history behind the Manhattan Project. It was really neat to learn how the labs were built in the middle of nowhere in near secrecy, and the role of the WAC and civilians in the research effort. Fascinating. I picked up a book about it, which I'll get to right after I finish the one I just got today on Biosphere 2! Now, where did I put that pocket protector...
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Los Alamos is a shockingly nice city for being basically created by the military.
It should also be your eden. A more concentrated area of nerds would be hard to find. More PhDs per capita than any other place in the U.S.
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