Oppenheimer

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I'm fascinated with Robert Oppenheimer and the whole story of the Manhattan Project. I don't want to get political about the use of the atom bomb, the story behind the making of it is what piques my interest.

It started when we visited the Atomic Museum in Albuquerque. It's a powerful spot, a place that will certainly get you thinking. Then we visited the Missile Museum at White Sands, then, the Trinity site (you can read about it here and here). And finally, we visited Los Alamos.

All of these sites talk about Oppenheimer, so I started doing a bit of research on my own. A tall, slim intellectual, he was a involved with many "left wing" folk before being tapped to head the project. While he may not have been their first choice politically, he was so brilliant that there was no one else who was so well suited for the role he played in the Manhattan Project.

The story of the Project and what happened to Oppenheimer afterwards is an engrossing tale of the United States and our history. It bears examination by everyone. It's a story well worth remembering

If you have any interest in either the Manhattan Project or Oppenheimer, I can fully recommend the following.

Oppenheimer
starring
Sam Waterston

An excellent adaptation of his story. A 1980 miniseries (I believe it was a Masterpiece Theatre) it follows Oppenheimer from Berkeley to Los Alamos, then on to Princeton. Sam Waterston nails the charismatic Oppenheimer.

the Day After Trinity

This is a fine documentary. It successfully fleshes out the whole phenomenon that was Los Alamos in the 1940s.

If you'd rather read than watch, 109 East Palace and the Making of the Atomic Bomb are both insightful and educational.

The folks who did this work were really pioneers, working for what they believed in. What they achieved in a short period of time is a real success story. If you find yourself traveling in New Mexico, all these sites offer a chance to peek into our not so distant past.

It's this kind of thing that I love about RVing. You never know what you'll find and what direction it will take you in.

Los Alamos

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So there we were in Los Alamos, home of so many amazing people over the years. We've wanted to come here ever since we visited the Trinity site years ago, and finally we made it.

We visited the Bradbury Science Museum, a fine place to spend an afternoon. We came out of the Museum to find that the usual afternoon monsoon had arrived, giving everything a gentle bath and making the air smell clean and sweet.

The monsoons
are something to experience.
They come,
it rains, often pours for a while,
then the skies look like this.

After the museum,
we visited Fuller Lodge,
a lovely old structure
that once housed a boys school.

They say all the logs were hand picked
by the builders.
The patina of the wood
gives the interior a lovely glow.

They also have various
artifacts on display.

I really liked this concho belt.

Usually, they're made of shell or silver.
This is the first one
I've seen made of ceramic.
It was quite beautiful.

There's also a small history museum.
I don't know
what fascinated me so much
about this shot,
but I like it a lot.

As always, you can click to enlarge.

In back of the museum,
there's a rose garden.

Other flowers are scattered
around the grounds.

But I loved the roses
with just a touch of rain
the very best.

If you come to the area,
I would definitely
put a day in Los Alamos
on your to do list.