Thirty minutes later we arrived, barely on time, at the VLA (Very Large Array). If you've seen the 1997 movie Contact, starring Jodie Foster and Matthew McConaughey, then you've no doubt seen the VLA.
We however are going to get an up close and personal look at the VLA today on a self-guided walking tour. Before going out into the field however there is a short movie for us to watch to get a better understanding exactly what it is we'll be looking at today. The film is narrated by none other than Jodie Foster!
You can watch the exact same 24-minute film we did by clicking on this LINK, it's well worth your time to watch. If you're really interested there are four other short films to watch using the same link.
Another cool item to see here is the Bracewell Radio Sundial. I've included a LINK to a 4-page brochure explaining how the sundial works, but even after reading it I still couldn't figure it out.
VERY LARGE ARRAY
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back on the road and heading west we're headed for the small town of Datil, NM. According to our Gas Buddy app they have one gas station in town, but no one has reported what their current price is. Doesn't matter much at this point because our final destination for the day is Pie Town just another 20-miles down the road and they don't show any gas stations in town.
We found the gas station in Datil, but they're not open on Sundays and there are no credit card readers on the pumps. This is beginning to look like a problem that will have to wait until tomorrow for a solution.
Upon arriving in Pie Town we spotted the Pie-O-Neer Pie Shop and Restaurant where we plan to have dinner. But first we need to secure a campsite for tonight. Plan A included staying for in the city park's FREE campground.
The problem with that is the entrance to the park looks like a big mud bog just waiting to swallow up the tires of anyone trying to enter. With the heavy snow they had here three days ago, and the warmer days since, there is a lot of moisture all over the ground.
Plan B is to head over to the only RV Park in town and see if there are any vacancies for tonight. When we located the park we were happy to see there was only one RV currently occupying a site. The instructions at the check-in station say if you don't have a prepaid reservation you need to call before setting up in a site, in case someone is scheduled to arrive later with a reservation.
We called and found out that any site other than #2, where the RV was, is available for tonight. We chose Site #8, which is a back-in site on the other side of the campground from Site #2. Just $35 for water/electric and sewer is a pretty good rate. The park is nothing fancy, but we don't need fancy, just a place to safely park for the night.
Now that we have a place to sleep tonight it's time to head back to the Pie-O-Neer Shop and get something to eat.
We didn't unhitch THE POD from ROVER so we took both back to the pie shop and parked in a vacant field next door.
We had no idea what we were in for as we approached the front porch of the restaurant.
Small tables, large family tables, booths and even bar stools or a comfy chair.
I got lucky, because what was for dinner today was Chicken & Dumplings, one of my favorites!
The meal consisted of a large bowl of Chicken & Dumplings, a small fresh salad, green beans, a cornbread muffin, a Key Lime tart and a Pie Cookie, plus a beverage of your choice.
We were both stuffed by the time we finished eating and we hadn't even tasted the Pie Cookies. When they were clearing the table next to us I heard them ask, "Would anyone would like seconds"? Unbelievable!
This occurs every Sunday at the Pie-O-Neer and each week it's something different for dinner.
Would you like to be notified of new blog posts?