Tuesday, April 16, 2013

March 2013 AL-AZ Part 2

Steller's Jay
Titan II Missile
Desert Wildflowers
Lost Dutchman SP
Pat, Sue, Julie, & Tom
Montezuma Castle


We did some good hikes in the Guadalupe Mountains NP. The Butterfield Express ran though this area. It was the first successful attempt to link the East with the West with a reliable transportation and communication system. In NM we attended a parade of horse riders from Mexico and New Mexico commemorating Pancho Villa’s raid into Columbus, NM on March 9, 1916. This was the last time foreign troops attacked the continental United States. At Kartchner Caverns SP in AZ, we toured the cave and found out that it was outstanding for two reasons: 1) it was never vandalized, as most caves are before they are protected and 2) it is a living cave, i.e., the formations are still forming. The state went to considerable expense to prevent the cave from drying out, by isolating the moist inside environment from the very dry air outside. Nearby we visited the Titan Missile Museum. A deactivated missile stands in the silo. We went down into the silo to the launch room. The history of the Titan II Missile Program from 1963-1982 and the Cold War was explained. Some of you may remember those bombing drills in school, where you hid under your desk. Who knew those desks were bomb proof!




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