We finally had a couple of good rain storms but nowhere near where the annual rainfall totals should be. When it does rain we usually get a few smallish mushrooms but nothing like these monsters that have sprouted up:
I wonder if the Smurfs are setting up shop to begin their sequel. I had better send Indy out to investigate…
On July 30th we joined a local El Paso Mini club, EPMINIS for a rally to the Sunspot National Observatory just outside of Cloudcroft NM.
The rally started at 9:30 with everybody meeting at Starbucks off of I-54 for a quick drive to Alamogordo New Mexico. In Alamogordo there was a a brief lunch break at Alameda park before we headed into the Lincoln National Forest towards Cloudcroft.
We were driving our Jeep and don’t have a Mini but we were given a nice “Honorary Mini” car-magnet to identify us as part of the rally. The El Paso crew was joined by some New Mexico Mini-ers, so there was quite a turnout.
The drive to Cloudcroft is pretty quick with a nice change in elevation as you enter the forest. The roads are curvy and the Minis were cruzing at a good clip on the way to Sunspot. We wound up in the middle of the pack so I did my best to keep the Jeep in the mix and not slow anybody up. The Jeep handles really good for a large SUV, supported by a new stiffer uni-body construction and airbag suspension. The 5.7 HEMI helped too:)
First stop was the National Solar Observatory (NSO). Their mission statement from their website:
“The mission of the National Solar Observatory is to advance knowledge of the Sun, both as an astronomical object and as the dominant external influence on Earth, by providing forefront observational opportunities to the research community. The mission includes the operation of cutting edge facilities, the continued development of advanced instrumentation both in-house and through partnerships, conducting solar research, and educational and public outreach. “
It was a nice facility with plenty of parking and a visitors center.
After a brief explanation of the facilities purpose, which included an overview of the structure of the sun, we were given a tour of the grounds by a astronomy student who works there. The tallest on site was the Dunn Solar Telescope:
After viewing the inside and getting a overview of how the scope works, we exited and toured the rest of the site wrapping up at about 3:00 PM. From the NSO we motored over to Apache Point Observatory (APO) where one of the EpMini club members, Garrett worked and was going to give us a tour. APO is a private facility partnered with the NSO and New Mexico State University.
Garrett’s job at APO was keeping the 2.5 meter telescope operational. He explained the telescopes capabilities and showed us the work that goes into the fiber optic cartridges that are used to do spectral analysis on stars, planets and other space objects. Garrett gave us a lot of info and really showed some enthusiasm for his job. I would imagine working here to be pretty chill, you get to look out into space seeing things that few people get to experience, coupled with the calm forest surroundings.
One of the best parts about the APO tour was the view from the Sacramento Mountains down into the valley. The Who’s “I can see for miles” sums it up best:
We were finished at APO at about 5:00 and it was time to head back home. I would like to thank the EPMINIS group for letting an ol’ Jeep tag along, it was good to get away from the heat in El Paso. For more pictures of the NSO and APO sites see my Flickr set here: Sunspot Rally 2011
If you do any traveling on I-10, chances are you have seen McKinney Wrecking across from UTEP.
As far as I know, it’s the only recycled building materials lot in El Paso (the only interesting one anyway.) The main building that houses their offices was once part of Prices Dairy and was moved to its current location next to Globe Mills some time in the 80’s. If a large building is torn down in El Paso, chances are any historically significant pieces (valuable too) will wind up here.
From used claw foot tubs, doors, cabinets and lighting fixtures, if it can be reused they’ve got it.
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You want some beer and nacho soaked seats from Dudley field? You’d better hurry, they only have 3 rows left! Are you tired of the neighbors parking in front of your driveway? Set up a large no parking sign:
You will need to supply your own “No” though. Fun fact, this sign is from the parking garage that used to be at Mills and Oregon, prominently used in the the first “The Getaway” movie. It has since been demolished and replaced with a bigger garage.
You can wander around the lot for hours and any given time you stop by you are guaranteed to see something new. When I was walking around I noticed something on one of the Globe Mills silos that I hadn’t noticed before:
It’s almost baked off but the faint remains of an old Cream of Wheat sign can be seen on one of the silos. I walked around a bit more and snapped a few more pictures, of which you can see here: McKinney Wrecking
El Paso’s downtown area is kind of unique. Many if its buildings have remained relatively unchanged since their initial construction. Sure, businesses have come and gone and some new buildings have replaced old dilapidated or damaged structures. For the most part though, we have retained in continual use many of the buildings and homes that date back to the early 1900’s.
The neighborhoods in central El Paso and in the Sunset heights area retain their older character as well. As they say, you can’t stop progress and with construction of the I-10 freeway, it would obliterate a few hundred homes and businesses that ran along its route.
On both sides of Prospect St. were it croses over the freeway there are 2 distinct areas were a few remnants of these buildings once sat.
Parking up on the north side of prospect, you find the first set of stairs to nowhere:
What’s fascinating is that in addition to the stairs the foundations are largely intact. The walls may be long gone but somebody still resides here:
On the south end of Prospect St. there is a larger area that was once apartments. There may be some other reason that they are no longer standing as they seem to be situated closer to the historic San Francisco neighborhood and out of the range of the freeway.
This plat of land had more of an archaeological dig feel to it. Large sections of sidewalk and wall foundations are easily identifiable.
And just like the other side there are various signs vagrant activity. Old shoes, mattresses and camp like sites were butted up against the few remaining walls.
The tile entryway in one of the buildings was still intact, you don’t find build quality like that anymore:
I had to split as I was parked illegally on Prospect St. but I did get a few more interesting shots that can be found here: Lost Foundations
If you are traveling west on I-10, one building that stands out in the Sunset Heights neighborhood is the Sunset Grocery.
Sunset Grocery
The distinctive green and white color scheme make spotting the three story building from the freeway easy. The bottom store is filled with various antiques and other items but does not appear to be a real store. I “Googled” looking for any information about the building and came up empty with the exception of a dubious Facebook page. (Update 11/7/2012: I have come across a new Facebook Page that appears to be legitimate and is worth checking out for the history and other photos)
Faded Sunset
The painted signage that was once prominently displayed on the brick facade is almost completely faded away. The building sits at a off square intersection, so its footprint is kind of unique, I don’t think there are any right angles.
Not square
The apartment entrances are in the back with a few parking spots so if you want your next rental home to be in a historic neighborhood you can give them a call.
For Rent
Full Flickr set here: Sunset Grocery
