Las Conchas Trailhead, New Mexico

Today we started out in Albuquerque touring the Rio Grande Nature Center in the morning and then we checked out of our hotel and head to Santa Fe.  We decided to take the scenic way as we had planned on hiking the Las Conchas Trail located in the Jemez River canyon up at the 8423 ft elevation.  The weather was a bit iffy and by the time we arrived, it was 41 degrees and raining...we ran into another group of hikers that had just returned to the parking lot because of the weather, so we decided not to attempt the hike.   

All of the sudden we found ourselves going through the Los Alamos area most famous for the National Laboratory which brought us the the atomic bomb...and then a checkpoint where they asked me to put my camera away and not to take any photos. 

Then it was on to Santa Fe, through the backdoor...I'm so glad we drive the backroads and not the freeway!  We checked into our hotel and toured the town by foot...enjoyed the shopping and food.

More photos from today on flickr.