New Mexico: Touring Puye Cliff Dwellings and Los Alamos

Day Three

We started another amazing day in New Mexico with a bus ride up to the Puye Cliffs. Despite stopping at the wrong visitor center, we eventually made our way to the cliffs. Alex, our tour guide, taught us about the types of minerals the Santa Clara Pueblo people used to construct their mountain dwellings and about how life was “back in the day.” As we neared the top of the cliff, we also learned that New Jersey does not have a monopoly of snow, as the white precipitation insisted on falling as we climbed. It subsided after only a few minutes, but it was still an unwanted reminder of a snowy winter.

After a quick lunch, we hopped back on the bus and drove to Los Alamos, the test site for atomic bombs during World War II. We spent a little while walking around a museum before touring the town on foot. Afterwards, we continued touring the town on the bus before heading back to Santa Fe.

After another tiring day, we relaxed in our rooms for a while before breaking up for dinner. Some of us returned to the Cowgirl Restaurant. Others tried a local Japanese restaurant, the Shohko-Cafe. The rest settled in for a pizza. We ended the day with a few rounds of cards before calling it a day.

2014 Experiences, Exploring Pueblo Cultures,