The Texas rebellion can be traced back to Napoleon Bonaparte, who placed one of his relatives on the throne of Spain. In 1808 the Spanish revolted and after a six-year fight succeeded in ejecting the French. In 1810, meanwhile, Mexico began its own revolution, and in 1821 the country became independent from Spain. At first, … More The Alamo

Most tourists of course begin their stay in San Antonio with a visit to the Alamo, which is probably the most famous building in Texas. But I decided to start with the Mission San Jose, located just a few blocks away from the Walmart where I am camped, because it is much more complete and … More San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

San Antonio skyline The weather here is much more Florida-like than it was in Albuquerque, which makes me very happy. San Antonio is of course most famous as the site of the Alamo. But there are also some nice museums here, and a zoo/aquarium. And rumor has it that texas is the barbecue capitol of … More Greetings From San Antonio TX

Some photos from my visit. The museum Inside the museum A 1930s quack medical device. You put a radium source inside, and it, uh, energizes the water and gives it healthy properties. This gadget from the 1950s used x-rays to help you fit your shoes. Since the top wasn’t shielded, it also gave you a … More The Museum of Nuclear Science and History

The Very Large Array, near Socorro NM, is one of the largest radio telescopes in the world. It is also something of a movie star, having served as a background set for the films “2010”, “Contact”, and “Terminator Salvation”. Contrary to the impression given by the movies, though, the VLA is not used for SETI … More The Very Large Array Radio Telescope

I met Carl online at a blog that we both follow. He’s a nuclear engineer who works on linear accelerators, so when I got to Albuquerque and wanted to visit the Museum of Nuclear Science, I met up with him there (after some schedule-finagling: he had just returned from a work trip to Chernobyl and … More The Nuclear Engineer

This is certainly not your average aviation museum. It may even be unique (I can’t recall of ever having heard of another one). The International Balloon Museum in Albuquerque NM celebrates those who fly without wings and without engines. It traces the history of manned balloons, from the first flight by the Montgolfiers to modern … More International Balloon Museum

As I walked across the local mall parking lot this afternoon to steal some wifi and get some lunch, I noticed a big section of the lot was roped off. It turned out to be a movie crew shooting on location, so I stopped to watch for a little while. The movie is “Soldado” staring … More A Movie Set

The Pueblo Indian Cultural Center in Albuquerque NM celebrates the history and culture of the Hopi Nation. Here are some photos from a visit to the museum. The museum Inside the museum Water jar with frogs and dragonflies Dancing costumes and ornaments A wooden loom for weaving textiles A copper trade kettle Sinew-backed bow Arrowhead … More Pueblo Indian Cultural Center Museum

Petroglyph National Monument, in Alburquerque NM, is a protected area connecting three canyons which contain ancient Native American rock art. In all there are at least 1,000 different figures which have been carved into large volcanic boulders. Most of them seem to date to 400-700 years ago, a few are more recent, and some might … More Petroglyph National Monument