Road Trip: Dash to Las Vegas, Nevada: Part 1: On the Way There

Before landing in Tucson, I never had the desire to visit Las Vegas (Nevada, not New Mexico.)  But shortly after I arrived here, I kinda got hit in the head with the gobsmacking news that Las Vegas is not a far drive away. It got suddenly put on my list of places called "It'd-be-a-shame-not-to-check-out-if-I'm-so-close."


Then not long ago, it got pushed to the list called "I will go next month."

This is because one of my students, who lives in Vietnam, was coming to the US for a business trip, and then visiting a friend outside of LA, who had promised my student a look-see over in Vegas, and I allowed as how Las Vegas wasn't all that far from Tucson, and we sealed the deal: He and his friend would come to Vegas from LA, and I'd come to Vegas from Tucson.

I'll call my student "Sinh," which really is a Vietnamese name, because it seems fitting for the Las Vegas milieu.

 On my way to Las Vegas, I saw some stuff.

Sacaton Rest Area, I-10, Arizona. December 2019.

Sacaton Rest Area on I-10, between Tucson and Phoenix

I am fond of trees with smooth, muscular trunks, so I felt immediately attracted to a particularly handsome palo verde tree standing along the entry path to the restrooms.

Sacaton Rest Area, I-10, Arizona. December 2019.

I am not alone in my admiration, as evidenced by this blogger's 2015 post on the trees at the rest area.

Arizona remodeled the Sacaton Rest Area in 2018 and proudly released this grand re-opening video re: same:




The refurbished restrooms are nice, but I feel disappointed when accessible stalls fall short of the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and perhaps even the letter of the law.

In the case of the Sacaton rest area, there seemed to be ample room within the stall for a person to enter and maneuver in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the door latch on the inside was difficult for me to turn to lock or unlock, so anyone with mobility issues in their hands, wrists, or arms might have a hell of a time getting out of the stall. This may appear trivial to those without a disability, but if you can't lock or unlock your own toilet stall, then you are denied independence that other users take for granted.

As I wonder when on tiptoes for restroom mirrors hung inexplicably high, why don't installers (or Arizona Department of Transportation, who paid for and had administrative oversight of the completed work) think to invite someone with a wheelchair (and those with arthritic hands) to test out these spaces?


But moving on!

Hassayampa Rest Area, on Highways 60/93, between Surprise and Wickenburg, Arizona

My bladder and I next stopped at Arizona's Hassayampa Rest Area.

Hassayampa Rest Area, Hwy 60/93, Arizona. December 2019.

Since my return home, I've learned that the rest area is a sweet spot for birders. From this article's author:

There are many riparian corridors in Arizona, and many roadside rest areas, but this is the only roadside rest area in a riparian corridor where I would stop and expect to see Vermilion Flycatchers in the parking lot. The Hassayampa River riparian corridor is a migration route for birds crossing the desert that can be a good place for a quick stop along the highway. Some 230 species of birds have been recorded in the area.

What enchanted me was the idea of an "upside down river," in which much of stream's water flow is under the sand. This blog offers a still-photo tour along much of the Hassayampa River's length.

The lush ground cover at one side of the rest area's parking lot reminded me of Louisiana's lushness.

Hassayampa Rest Area, Hwy 60/93, Arizona. December 2019.

All so quickly, I was off again for Las Vegas.

Along Highway 93, I saw this:

And this:

Driving through a moonscape, it was, above.

Very Large Array, New Mexico, Part 2: Geeky Wonderfulness

Very Large Array, Highway 60, near Magdalena, New Mexico

Getting to the Very Large Array (VLA) requires a pretty serious investment in time and gas, so listen up:

If you happen to be driving by (only likely if you're using the lonely Highway 60 to get from Socorro to, say,  well, never mind, Highway 60 isn't an efficient way to get to anywhere unless your destination is Pie Town) ....

So let me approach it this way: If I made a special trip to the VLA, I would make damn sure it was on the first Saturday of the month, when I can go on the 11:00, 1:00, or 3:00 tour.

If you don't go on a tour, then sure, you can walk over to one of the dishes, and visit the small (and cramped, truth be told) visitor's center and gift shop, but if you're like me, it will feel pretty low-calorie.

With the free tour, however, you get to: 

• Watch a pretty interesting movie;
• Listen to a knowledgeable docent and ask her geeky questions; 
• Go into the building with the Control Room (with the avocado phones!);
• Talk to the Control Guy on duty; 
• See the Real Live Geeky Computer Stuff in the Control Room; and  
• Go out on the balcony overlooking the dishes. 

The tour took about an hour and a half, so plan a solid two hours for your on-site visit. Figure close to an hour to get from Socorro to the VLA.

Uh, what's VLA about? Radio astronomy.

Whirlpool Galaxy. Credit: National Radio Astronomy Observatory

And now I need to amend what I said about there being nothing along Highway 60. I was kicking myself for not planning an overnight stay in Magdalena or even Socorro because I passed these really intriguing spots that I didn't have time to explore on a one-day trip to/from Alamogordo:

• Water Canyon
• The Box

And when I turned onto Highway 52, and saw a road sign pointing to Winston, NM, only 59 miles away, I was really kicking myself, because there's a story there that I want to hear, having to do with Victorio's great-great granddaughter ....but it will keep for another day.



A slide show of the Very Large Array:

#30

Highway 60, New Mexico: Stories at a Shrine

Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine, Highway 60, near Socorro, New Mexico

On my way to the Very Large Array the other day, I caught sight of a tiny building and a large cross out of the corner of my left eye. I was in a dash to arrive at the VLA in time for the 1:00 tour, and I promised myself I would check it out on my return home.

Miniature church on Megobroba Street, Rustavi, Georgia

Miniature church, Rustavi, Georgia

What attracted my attention was that it reminded me of the tiny churches in Georgia, constructed by an individual or family.










So on my way back from VLA, I re-located the little monument (between mile markers 131 and 135), and as I pulled off the highway saw a car and a man visiting the place. Oh, damn, I thought. Company. But I continued anyway and pulled up to the little fenced-in place, and got out of my car.

Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine, Highway 60 near Socorro, New Mexico

And that's when I learned the stories of this place.

The man's name was Ernie Silva. The shrine, devoted to Santo Nino de Atocha, used to be over on the other side of the highway, up aways, but when they built a new bridge, Mr. Silva's family got permission to relocate the shrine to its current location.

Mr. Silva's mother conceived of the shrine - she had it made as a promise to God to bring her son, Nicanor, back safely from World War II. On the crucifix is a photo of Nicanor and his wife Edith. Both are now deceased, but Nicanor Silva did, indeed, come home safely.

Ernie Silva and another brother later served in the Vietnam War. Mr. Silva is the youngest of 14 children. He's now 71 and his oldest-living sister is 96.

In addition to the crucifix and the pink shrine is a white memorial. About 10 years ago, a man was found dead on the lane that is beside the Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine. He had been murdered. His name was Peter Lopez. The homicide remains unsolved.

Mr. Silva pointed to the spiral notebooks inside the tiny chapel. He said people from all over leave their names in the notebooks. When Mr. Lopez was found killed, the police took the notebooks to see if they could find any clues that would point them to the killer.

Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine, Highway 60, near Socorro, New Mexico

Mr. Lopez' mother asked the Silvas for permission to erect the memorial to her son, and they agreed.

Many people visit the Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine. Sometimes they leave items as part of a prayer for safety for themselves or loved ones.

Santo Nino de Atocha Shrine, Highway 60, near Socorro, New Mexico

Mr. Silva was at the shrine to complete some maintenance work there.

I asked Mr. Silva where Atocha was, and he didn't know.

So, of course, I have now looked this up and in the process, have discovered Southwest Crossroads: Cultures and History of the American Southwest. From this rich resource comes one little girl's story about her need to kidnap and hold hostage the Santo Nino: The Miracle of the Santo Nino.

Here is a website devoted to information about the Santo Nino de Atocha.

There's some question about the origin of "Atocha." Was it: "... Antioch [in present-day Turkey], and that St. Luke the Evangelist was the sculptor of the first mother-and-child image. .."?

Or was it in honor of Atocha, a Madrid suburb that was home to a large men's prison in the 15th century, where sprang up a legend: "... Those prisoners who had no young children to feed them were being visited and fed by a young boy. None of the children knew who he was, but the little water gourd he carried was never empty, and there was always plenty of bread in his basket to feed all the hapless prisoners without children of their own to bring them their food. He came at night, slipping past the sleeping guards or smiling politely at those who were alert. Those who had asked the Virgin of Atocha for a miracle began to suspect the identity of the little boy. As if in confirmation, the shoes on the statue of the child Jesus were worn down. When they replaced the shoes with new ones, those too were worn out. .... "

So now I feel lucky that Mr. Silva was at the shrine when I arrived.