We drove from Santa Fe north through Los Alamos where the Manhattan Project was located and where Robert Oppenheimer was situated when the atom bomb was developed. Ironically his biography states that he picked the location which was a former school, because he loved the area so much and had ridden horses throughout all those mountains. He later was quoted as saying something to the effect that because he chose to locate the labs there, he ruined the land he loved. This seems like a sort of paradigm of the American way, for instance but not limited to Southern California, which must have been some incredibly beautiful place before we moved in and created urban sprawl, pollution and endless highways...

Anyway we drove southwest from Los Alamos to Jemez Springs, home of the Servants of the Paraclete, Villa Cor Jesu, the Bodhi Mandala Center, and the Jemez Springs Bath House featuring the hot mineral water of the area. There are several small eateries, but the most prominent and largest is Los Ojos. We ate there. The food was excellent, fresh, and freshly prepared.

Following lunch, we continued south to the land of the Jemez Pueblo. Surrounding the Pueblo is the reddest land I have ever seen. These photos do not do it justice but it is as though our little camera is just not able to meet the challenge of the intensity of this land.We parked the car and basked in the beauty surrounding us. We then headed south and east to Bernalillo and back up I-25 to Santa Fe. It was an amazing day, and amazing day trip which left us with images that will be remembered all our lives.