Got up at 4:45am to drive to ABQ for my first Balloon Fiesta. It. Was. Awesome. It’s going on all week and I just might head back for more pictures.
As an added bonus, I give you a short YouTube video taken by me:
Tag: New Mexico
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Right ascension 18 hours 36 minutes 56 point 2 seconds
Visited the Very Large Array outside of Socorro, NM. It was awesome. There’s a self-guided walking tour and pictures from the filming of Contact. Definitely one of 7 Nerdy Wonders of the World.
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Las Conchas wildfire outside of Los Alamos, NM
Earlier today a fire broke out 12 miles southwest of Los Alamos. The wife, the Cat and I are okay but we’re prepared to evacuate if necessary. Links to info about the fire are listed at the bottom of the post.
View of the Las Conchas Fire from a residential street in Los Alamos, CA. 
View of the Las Conchas Fire from the corner of Diamond Drive and University Drive. Los Alamos, NM. 
Local emergency crews from Los Alamos en route to help with the Las Conchas fire. 
The sun breaks through the fire plume of the Las Conchas Fire. 
The Las Conchas Fire seen from NM state road 4 near Bandelier National Monument. 
The Las Conchas Fire seen from NM state road 4 near Bandelier National Monument. 
View of the Las Conchas Fire from Pajarito Ski resort outside of Los Alamos, NM. 
View of the Las Conchas Fire from Pajarito Ski resort outside of Los Alamos, NM. 
View of the Las Conchas Fire from Pajarito Ski resort outside of Los Alamos, NM. 
A plume of smoke from the Las Conchas Fire extends over Los Alamos County. 
View of the Las Conchas Fire from an area burned by the Cerro Grande Fire of 2000. Los Alamos, NM. Links regarding the Las Conchas Fire:
If you need to get a hold of me, text me at 310.425.5090 or email me at szapien@gmail.com (I’ll be checking both regularly). I’ll also be posting updates to the twitter and the facebook.
-sz
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Visiting the Valles Caldera
Not far from my new home is a collapsed volcanic crater named Valles Caldera. Comprised of grasslands, peaks, rivers and hot springs, the landscape is striking.
The Valles Caldera from NM Road 4 
Local fauna partake in the short grass of the Valles Caldera. 
Part of an elk skull hangs from a barbwire fence near the visitor center. 
Cerro La Jara, a lava dome, rises 250 feet from the caldera floor. 
A tree on the edge of Cerro La Jarra. 
A marker along the Cerro La Jara trail. 
New Mexico Cinquefoil. 
Western Blue Flag irises. 
Cattle graze in the Valles Caldera. 
Looking northwest over a pond in the Valles Caldera. 
The east fork of the Jemez River in the Valles Caldera. 
Walking back from the pond. The Valles Caldera Visitor Center can be seen just right of center. 
Horses in a meadow near Jemez Springs, NM. 
Battleship Rock, Jemez Springs.