Open twice per year - check…read morehttps://home.army.mil/wsmr/contact/public-affairs-office/trinity-site-open-house - this is one of those things that Americans should experience along with Times Square, Hollywood Boulevard, the Sixth Floor Book Depository, the National Mall and the Arizona Memorial. This is the site where the first nuclear weapon was developed and tested, literally the first Ground Zero that ushered in the Atomic Age. We arrived at the Stallion Gate at 7:15, forming part of a queue that was already about two miles long. The gate opened at 8:00 and we cleared at 9:15 after showing ID and answering that we had no alcohol, drugs or weapons in the vehicle. Fifteen miles later (this place is MASSIVE!) we arrived at the parking lot. Port-a-potties, a dude selling barbecue and someone selling tshirts. We walked in the sun the quarter mile to the obelisk. Yes, this is the exact spot where "The Gadget" was detonated. If you've seen the Oppenheimer movie, it's well-detailed there. Radiation is elevated but still safe for a brief visit - there are signs showing it in comparison to an X-ray or a plane flight. After that, a bus ride to the McDonald ranch house where the gadget was assembled. Very interesting modern history here and well worth the long journey. Note that you will need identification. I believe you must be a US citizen. And bring water/food as it's a long way from refreshments. [Review 20546 overall - round number 100 in New Mexico - 1527 of 2023.]

The world's first nuclear explosion occurred on July 16, 1945, on what was then called the White…read moreSands Proving Ground, a base established for a specific use by the Army following the attacks on Pearl Harbor, when a plutonium implosion device was tested at a site located 210 miles south of Los Alamos, New Mexico, on the plains of the Alamogordo Bombing Range, known then as the Jornada del Muerto. The code name for the test was "Trinity." Hoisted atop a 100-foot tower, a plutonium device, called "Gadget," detonated at precisely 5:30 am over the New Mexico desert, releasing 18.6 kilotons of power, instantly vaporizing the tower and turning the surrounding asphalt and sand into a green glass, called "trinitite." Seconds after the explosion, an enormous blast wave sent searing heat across the desert, knocking observers to the ground. Reports from witnesses came from as far as 200 miles away. A forest ranger 150 miles west of the blast said he saw a flash of fire, an explosion and black smoke. An individual 150 miles north said the explosion "lighted up the sky like the sun." A U.S. Navy pilot flying at 10,000 feet near Albuquerque, New Mexico, said it lit up the cockpit of his plane and was like the sun rising in the south. When he radioed Albuquerque Air Traffic Control for an explanation, he was simply told, "Don't fly south." After the test, the Alamogordo Air Base issued a press release that stated simply, "A remotely located ammunition magazine containing a considerable amount of high explosives and pyrotechnics exploded, but there was no loss of life or limb to anyone." The actual cause of the blast was not disclosed until after the U.S. bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, on Aug. 6. The success of the Trinity test meant an atomic bomb could be used by the U.S. military and it marked the start of the Atomic Age. The Trinity Site is now part of the White Sands Missile Range and is owned by the Department of Defense. Ground zero is marked by an obelisk made of black lava rock, with an attached commemorative sign. A slightly depressed area several hundred yards across surrounds the monument, indicating where the blast scoured the ground. Most of the northern Tularosa Basin is still used for missile research. WSMR is home to the DoD's largest, fully-instrumented, open air range, missile defense system, which provides America's Armed Forces, allies, partners, and defense technology innovators with the world's premiere research, development, test, evaluation (RDT&E), experimentation, and training facilities to ensure our nation's defense readiness. But inside this basin are also enclosed numerous areas that are not military land (like the NPS's White Sands National Park which I could not fit in. Unlike a typical desert that is composed of quartz, the White Sands area here is named...well...for its white, which is made of gypsum and calcium sulfate. This allows the desert sand to look like snow and feel cold to touch, and is protected by the state of New Mexico as a National Monument! Everyone should experience these hollowed grounds that changed history.

Mesilla Plaza is the center point of the old and historic town of Mesilla located next to Las…read moreCruces, New Mexico. Mesilla is known for the Spanish style architecture of its buildings. The plaza is located right across from the Basilica of San Albino and is surrounded by numerous boutique shops and restaurants. Mesilla isn't very big, so you can definitely see the whole historic area in a short amount of time. The plaza is somewhat plain, but it is highlighted by a gazebo displaying the US and Mexico flags, as well as benches to sit on to take in the sights. While the plaza isn't worth seeing specifically, it is one of the reasons why Mesilla is worth visiting.

Cute plaza with great shops and nice places to eat. Dog friendly!! Easy to find when visiting Las…read moreCruces.

This is a small museum that has some very interesting history exhibits as well as live reptiles and…read moreinsects. It has a number of exhibits that are specifically designed for children. It only takes about 30 minutes to slowly wander around, so not a huge time commitment to visit. They have a unique exhibit of a trackway from the Permian period. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall worth a look.

It's free with a lot of information for kids to learn about. For example dinosaur, the su and artread more

Great place for children & adults to explore. We loved the owls as you enter the museum. Great to…read moresee the animals too!

Well worth the stop! Husband and I really enjoyed it! Was awesome seeing the stomping grounds of…read moreBilly the Kid. Very interesting.

As a dinosaur lover, this museum is super cool! So many fossils from thousands of years ago. It's…read morecrazy to imagine a time period where the massive creatures roamed the earth. There are also other interesting collections, but you'll have to come see for yourself!

Wow! On our last visit to Las Cruces, the Zuhl Museum was on my "to see" list, but we weren't able…read moreto squeeze it in. So once again visiting Las Cruces, we decided to check it out. Now I realize it should have been first on my list. Who knew petrified wood could be so beautiful and interesting? The Zuhl Collection is the largest collection of petrified wood on display in the country. In addition to petrified wood, they have fossils, minerals, and even a meteorite. Over 1,800 specimens are beautifully displayed in this small museum on the campus of the New Mexico State University. We had the place to ourselves when we arrived on a Thursday afternoon. There is much to see, so it was nice to be able to wander at our leisure. This is truly a fantastic place; don't miss it. Move it to the top of your "to see" list, and go. Admission is free, but donations are welcomed.

This review is for Pine Tree Trail which was a ~4.2 miles round trip that took ~2.5 hours to…read morecomplete. Pine Tree Trail was located 45 minutes away from White Sands National Park. This was on the way back to Las Cruces which was a good stop for a second hike. This hike was done counterclockwise; trail was a narrow path of dirt and rock with plenty of inclines! Stunning views of the surrounding mountains and desert terrain! Short video of the hike for those interested! https://youtu.be/9wHTPd_FhNo

I came here on a whim to explore the mountains close up. This is a fee area of $5 per car, but if…read moreyou have an annual National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass it's a participating site. You can either show the person in the visitor center to get a receipt or display it in your car on the dash or hangtag. The person in the visitor center was helpful. The park closes at sunset (with the chance of fees if you don't leave by then) and so there's a whiteboard with the exact time you need to leave. There are a bunch of trail maps and the maps that prohibit dogs are also clearly marked. The worker recommended the La Cueva trail as there wasn't enough time for us to do the trail originally planned and gave us the back story behind it. He seemed very knowledgeable! There are gorgeous views and the trails seemed well maintained with gravel/dirt.

We saw an excellent exhibit of art from border artists that was very thought provoking. The museum…read moreis small but well designed and it adjoins the Nature and Science museum making is easy to browse both.

This small city museum is free. There are seasonal exhibits for the public to enjoy. The…read morepaintings from the Impressionism was quite impressive.

I have to admit I wasn't sure about this place when we first pulled up, but it ended up being an…read moreinteresting stop. It's dog friendly and the volunteer working when we visited was quite gregarious and offered our dog some treats that she makes herself to bring in for the pups that visit. Our dog is very picky so she didn't eat it, but it was very sweet and thoughtful. You could tell that the volunteer genuinely loves the museum and was super excited to have visitors to share it with. She chatted with us quite a bit and it was almost like a personal tour where she was giving us information on everything inside. During our visit only one other couple stopped in, they had a dog also, and she was just as warm and friendly to them. It's nice to hear stories from someone who really cares about the history and is clearly knowledgeable. For me, the highlight was getting to touch things that had been on the moon and returned to Earth. How many people can say they have touched something that has been on the moon? My husband thought seeing all the old astronauts food in toothpaste styled tubes was interesting. There's something about vintage space travel that's kind of fascinating and almost funny; it's interesting to see how far we've come. The murals were fine, but the museum and artifacts were probably more enjoyable to me personally. It's not a huge place but there's definitely a lot to see. We got a souvenir coin on our way out which serves as a nice little memento. It's definitely worth stopping in even if you just have a mild interest in space because the price of admission can't be beat, it's free!!

Saw this museum on our way to the New Mexico museum of space history. We had to stop and sooo glad…read morewe did! Had so much interesting information! The lady that works there is awesome!!! So friendly and knowledgeable! We would like to go back when we have more time because I know we could spend all day there. Is a must stop if you like the history of space.

Interesting place, we'll kept up with historical information inside and out. Nice information and a…read morestate about the Buffalo Soldiers. Not much about the Apaches or the effect of the Camino Real on Native Americans. Worth the visit.

Cool place and lot of history here in New Mexico and I hope I get to see it all before I move to…read morethe next job