Pictures from Our Trip to Los Alamos, 2001
Back to our Home page
You will need to use your browser's "BACK" function to get back to this page from each picture
Eleni & John spent the week of their 22nd wedding anniversary in Northern New Mexico, where John had to work most days at Los Alamos National Lab.
Due to a navigational error, we missed going up the Jemez Mountain route on the way to Los Alamos (LA) from Albuquerque airport. So we decided to find Chimayo and visit the the Sanctuario di Chimayo, the Lourdes of America. Sometime in the early 1800s, a friar there saw light "bursting" from the hillside. He dug at the spot and found a wooden crucifix which he brought to a nearby church. The crucifix disappeared in the night and was later found back underground. The hillside was declared a holy place, and a chapel was built over it. Miraculous healings followed and today pilgrims go there to spoon dirt from the floor. (Note text lifted from "Onward Christian Tourists.")
Icons inside the Sanctuario de Chimayo
The entrance to Sanctuario de Chimayo
Another view of the entrance to Sanctuario de Chimayo
Healing sands at Sanctuario de Chimayo
At the Sanctuario de Chimayo, people had woven these stick crosses into the chain link fences everywhere.
The courtyard of the famous Rancho di Chimayo restaurant, where we ate our anniversary (22) dinner.
Close up of the Monk at Rancho di Chimayo
Dinners were the big events of the week. We ate at O'Henry's in White Rock twice because the food was so good. We also went back to El Paragua in Espanola, site of Eleni's birthday dinner last Fall.
On one of her day hikes, Eleni hiked the East Fork Trail in the Jemez Mountains.
East Fork Trailhead
A meadow on the East Fork trail in the Jemez Mountains
Some rocks on the East Fork trail in the Jemez Mountains
Jemez Falls
Another day hike, in the LA area, included White Rock Canyon, Bandelier, and Tsankawi Ruins.
White Rock Overlook
The canyon at Bandelier
Caves at Bandelier
Inside the cave with the kiva at Bandelier
A ladder at the Tsankawi ruins
Dwellings at Tsankawi. Note the foot steps worn into the rock.
On the way back to the Albuquerque airport, we DID take the Jemez Mountain route. Along the way, we saw the Valles Caldera.
Here is information about the Valles Caldera
We stopped to hike to the hot springs along the way. Here is Eleni on the trail to the hot springs.
John, sitting on a rock, on the trail to the hot springs
Eleni in the hot springs in the Jemez Mountains
John almost in the hot springs in the Jemez Mountains
Back to our Home page
8/31/01