What to do:
While a historical walking tour of Los Alamos can be done in under
three hours, it’s best to give yourself some extra time to really explore
the unique museums and shops. The highlight of your tour may be the
Bradbury Science Museum (lanl.gov/museum), operated by the Los
Alamos National Laboratory. The three main galleries here include items
and interactive exhibits that won’t be found anywhere else, covering
history, defense and research. It was highly recommended that I view
the short film covering the history of Los Alamos at the museum, and
I’m glad I didn’t skip it as I would normally have done. I walked out from
Front entrance to Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
this museum realizing how clueless I had been about this crucial time in
human history, feeling slightly ignorant, yet also fascinated by all that I
had learned.
The historic Fuller Lodge is also on the walking tour, and can provide
some humor and perspective on social attitudes of the last century.
Decades before the Manhattan Project rolled into town and kicked out
what few residents were here, The Boys Ranch School (losalamoshistory.
org/school.htm) was built as a place where big-city parents could send
their “sickly” boys to get “toughened up.” Considering one of the gradu-
ates from this bizarre curriculum was Gore Vidal, the effectiveness of their
policy where the young boys wore shorts year-round, even in the cold,
remains to be verified.
Less than an hour from Los Alamos, nature and art lovers must experi-
ence Ghost Ranch (ghostranch.org), near the small town of Abiquiu.
The Bar at Encantado on the outdoor dining terrace.
Ghost Ranch is a 21,000 acre retreat operated by the Presbyterian
Church (USA). I found little, if any, dogmatic elements here, but even a
devout atheist would find it hard to not feel spiritually touched by such
otherworldly beauty. Undoubtedly, the most famous resident of Ghost
Ranch was Georgia O’Keeffe. Visitors can enjoy a guided tour of the area
she loved, painted, explored and lived in for over 50 years. Although her
Ghost Ranch house is not open to the public, visitors can experience the
majestic vistas and colorful mountains she painted firsthand as a knowl-
edgeable guide references O’Keeffe’s famed works.
Where to dine:
The intimate Blue Window Bistro (813 Central Ave. Los Alamos. Tel: 505-
Terra, Encantado’s signature restaurant
662-6305) in downtown Los Alamos is the only fine dining destination in
town. Tasty steaks and hearty comfort food like fish-n-chips pair well with
The Blue Tower Lounge at Buffalo Thunder Resort and Casino
an extensive wine list. For the area, this is a fairly expensive restaurant,
with a three-course dinner for two costing upward of $100, including
wine, tax and tip. But after spending all day on your feet exploring the
town, a cold sandwich or greasy burger just won’t cut it.
Terra Restaurant at Encantado is an even finer example of what money
can buy. The regionally influenced American fare at this destination
restaurant is artfully presented without being overly handled. My main
course, called Three Little Pigs, typified all that I love in a dish, that being
pork, pork and more pork. Three different cuts of tenderloin, belly and
cheek—all prepared with southwest rubs and spices—lined my plate like
primary colors on an artist’s palette. While this analogy was probably con-
structed in my subconscious under the influence of a vivid New Mexico
sunset that hung just beyond my reach, the second glass of Pinot Noir
didn’t seem to mind.
november 2009 | RAGE monthly 53
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97