Blast off for fun

ALAMOGORDO, N.M. - At first glance, this Southwest town of nearly 36,000 residents appears fairly nondescript. It possesses a motel or two, some interesting-looking Mexican restaurants and a few pistachio and pecan farms on the outskirts.
    But initial impressions can be deceiving. The reality is there are enough interesting things for a family to see and do in Alamogordo that it would be easy to spend four or five days doing some exploring.
    And, because summer can be hot in this town near White Sands National Monument and the place where America's space-exploration program began, between now and June and the fall months are the best times to visit.
    The first thing you need to know about this area is that it played a key role in developing the rockets and technology in the U.S. Space Program. The White Sands Missile Test Range and Holloman Air Force Base remain key players.
    "As far back as the 1930s, rocket research was being done here," said Cathy Harper of the New Mexico Museum of Space History, one of Alamogordo's major tourist attractions. "Even today, this is the home of the White Sands Space Harbor, a backup landing location for the space shuttle. There is a lot of research and development in New Mexico to support NASA and commercial space programs."
    The museum celebrates this legacy.
    It is the home of the International Space Hall of Fame, honoring about 140 space pioneers from around the world.
    The outdoor John P. Stapp Space Garden - named after the man who rode a high speed test track at 632 miles per hour at nearby Holloman AFB - features a number of rockets, space capsules and other displays outside the museum.
    The excellent space museum includes one of only three Sputnik satellites, a moon rock and numerous hands-on exhibits, an IMAX theater and planetarium named after Clyde Tombaugh, who discovered Pluto. The facility, which overlooks the Tulerosa Valley above Alamogordo, draws close to 100,000 visitors each year.
    Visitors get to meet volunteers such as Mike Smith who have worked in the space program and offer all sorts of interesting bits of information.
    "White Sands and AlamoÂgordo pioneered the space mission for the U.S.," said Smith. "They began testing the V2 rocket on this range in the mid- to late 1940s. There is lots of uninhabited land. There has been tremendous military activity. The Army, Air Force and even the Navy tested here."
    Visitors start the tour of the museum on the fourth floor and work their way down a winding ramp. Inductees into the International Space Hall of Fame are posted on the walls. Kids and adults especially like trying their luck on the space-shuttle landing simulator, and kids enjoy a Legos space exhibit.
    "Each summer, we have one of the most exciting summer science-education camps in the country," said Harper. "There is a shuttle camp, weeklong programs, day camps and overnights where kids do science experiments, take field trips, build and launch a rocket and just have a blast, no pun intended."
    Science buffs also flock to Alamogordo on the first Saturdays in April and October to visit the Trinity Site, where the first atomic bomb was detonated.
    But there is more to this little town than just the space museum.
    Nearby outdoor attractions - the town of Cloudcraft, White Sands National Monument with its acres of sand dunes, and Oliver Lee State Park for camping and hiking - are draws.
    So are the pecan and pistachio farms such as Eagle Ranch and the Nut House on the outskirts of town, where tours and gift shops are popular attractions.
    "They do tours of Eagle Ranch where you learn about male and female trees," said Diana Meier, promotions and membership director for the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce. "They give a fantastic tour."
    There are a number of other great kid-oriented attractions as well.
    The Kid's Kingdom playground is a huge playground filled with all sorts of interesting activities for the younger set. The Alameda Park features the oldest zoo in the Southwest, housing 300 animals of 90 species, and a toy train depot that gives kids rides through the park on a miniature train.
    All these activities make Alamogordo a surprisingly interesting destination for visitors touring New Mexico.
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    * TOM WHARTON can be contacted at wharton@sltrib.com. His phone number is 801-257-8909. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com.
   
   Alamogordo attractions
   
    * ALAMEDA PARK ZOO: (ci.alamogordo.nm.us/coa/
    communityservices/zoo.htm): This is the oldest zoo in the Southwest. Established in 1898, it contains 300 animals representing 90 species.
    * THE CLOUD-CLIMBING RAIL TRAIL: (www.nmrailstotrails.
    org): About 10 miles of the old abandoned Alamogordo and Sacramento Mountain Railroad Grade to Cloudcroft have been converted to rail trails that feature 100-year-old wooden trestles and great views of the surrounding area.
    Source: Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce
   
   More Alamogordo attractions
    * DESERT LAKES GOLF COURSE (www.desertlakesgolf.com): This is an 18-hole golf course flanked by the Sacramento Mountains.
    * FOUNDERS PARK: Started in 1898 during the city's centennial celebration, the park honors the people and cultures who founded Alamogordo.
    * KID'S KINGDOM: This is a free play area with all sorts of slides, ropes and tunnels for kids to enjoy.
    * LINCOLN NATIONAL FOREST (www.fs.fed.us/r3/lincoln): Known as the birthplace of Smokey Bear, the forest covers a large swath of land in southeastern New Mexico with a variety of recreational possibilities.
    * OLIVER LEE MEMORIAL SHOP (www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/oliverlee.htm): At the mouth of Dog Canyon in the Sacramento Mountains south of town, the state park with its permanent water source is popular with hikers and campers.
    * OLD TOWN ALAMOGORDO: The retail shops on New York Avenue feature early 20th-century architecture.
    * NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY (www.spacefame.org): This ranks among the best museums of its kind in the U.S., featuring the International Space Hall of Fame, an Omnimax Theater and planetarium, and a model 2001 space station.
    * THREE RIVERS PETROGLYPH SITE AND RECREATION AREA: The number and concentration of petroglyphs here make it one of the largest and most interesting sites in the Southwest. More than 21,000 glyphs have been found.
    * THE TOY TRAIN DEPOT (toytraindepot.homestead.com): This toy train ride leaves every 30 minutes from the depot, circling Alameda Park. Hundreds of model and toy trains are on display inside the 100-year-old depot.
    * ALAMOGORDO MUSEUM OF HISTORY (alamogordomuseum.org): Adjacent to the Alameda Park Zoo, the museum has a large display of articles from the area.
    * WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT (www.nps.gov/whsa): The glistening white sands cover nearly 300 miles of desert, providing camping, places to play in the shifting sands or to view the night sky.