Very Large Array (VLA) in New Mexico
by brandon on Mar 12, 2011
Ride Dates:
| Start Date: | Mar 12, 2011 |
| End Date: | Mar 12, 2011 |
Distance: 280 mi
Rode on:
"Suzuki SV650"
Rides for this Report:
Ride Report Discussion:
Go to the discussion thread!
Go to the discussion thread!
Today I decided to head down to the Very Large Array near Magdalena, New Mexico. I've lived in Albuquerque since '06 and hadn't been down to see it yet. I figured this would be a great time to go. I left my house around 9:00am, fueled up and filled the tires with air and set out.
The majority of the ride is on the interstate, unfortunately. I stopped somewhere between Belen and Socorro at a pretty nice rest stop. After that, I continued south on I-25 to Socorro where I exited and followed 60 toward Magdalena. When I reached Magdalena I had to fill up with gas, as I was already at about 120 miles and the VLA was still another 20 miles away.
You can see the satellite dishes of the VLA from about 5 miles away. When you reach 52, head south and follow the signs to the VLA area. Just before turning into the VLA, you can stop near some train tracks (the tracks they use to move the dishes around) and get some good pics of the dishes.
From there, head to the vistor's center where they have a bunch of information about the Very Large Array. There's also a walking tour that takes you around and has information placards explaining how the system works. After walking around and taking more pictures I packed up and started heading back home.
If you have a little extra time, continue West toward Datil, as they apparently have some of the best pies in the world. I'll have to hit that up next time.
If you do this ride from Albuquerque, I'd suggest filling up in Socorro before heading out to the VLA. It's about a 90 mile round trip from Socorro to the VLA and the gas in Magdalena is about 20 cents more than it was in Socorro. There are a lot of restaurants in Socorro, ranging from fast food to local sit-down joints.
The majority of the ride is on the interstate, unfortunately. I stopped somewhere between Belen and Socorro at a pretty nice rest stop. After that, I continued south on I-25 to Socorro where I exited and followed 60 toward Magdalena. When I reached Magdalena I had to fill up with gas, as I was already at about 120 miles and the VLA was still another 20 miles away.
You can see the satellite dishes of the VLA from about 5 miles away. When you reach 52, head south and follow the signs to the VLA area. Just before turning into the VLA, you can stop near some train tracks (the tracks they use to move the dishes around) and get some good pics of the dishes.
From there, head to the vistor's center where they have a bunch of information about the Very Large Array. There's also a walking tour that takes you around and has information placards explaining how the system works. After walking around and taking more pictures I packed up and started heading back home.
If you have a little extra time, continue West toward Datil, as they apparently have some of the best pies in the world. I'll have to hit that up next time.
If you do this ride from Albuquerque, I'd suggest filling up in Socorro before heading out to the VLA. It's about a 90 mile round trip from Socorro to the VLA and the gas in Magdalena is about 20 cents more than it was in Socorro. There are a lot of restaurants in Socorro, ranging from fast food to local sit-down joints.
on May 20, 2012
by