Ground zero itself is stark. There isn’t much growing in the area, but on ride in we saw yucca plants dotting the sandy ground, and old blossoms and stalks stand upright reaching even farther upwards. But at the site itself, the ground is still empty of vegetation.

Just outside the gate, there’s Jumbo. The bomb that was tested there, where the black lava stone obelisk marks ground zero, involved two explosions. A conventional TNT explosion would go off first, to be followed by the nuclear explosion. But there was a serious concern. If things didn’t go as planned, there was a possibility that plutonium could be blown all over the area. The result was Jumbo – a 214 ton container to hold the bomb, and if necessary, hold the unexploded plutonium. Although you can see what’s left of Jumbo at the Trinity Site, in fact, Jumbo was never used. In the end, it was decided that Jumbo wasn’t needed, so it stands at the entrance to ground zero as kids run up and down its insides. The ends are missing as a result of detonation of 8 500-pound conventional bombs going off inside.

For the semi-annual open house, historic photos are mounted on the fencing surrounding the obelisk, and volunteers come with samples of Trinitite – an eery green glass created by the explosion. Although a crime to remove it, punishable by fine and/or jail, despite peering at the ground and pebbles, we saw not a speck of the green fused glass compound. The only ones to be found were at a portable display set up near the entrance.

Photo by Edward Cardona The real history is at the Schmidt/McDonald ranch. The farm sits out in the open spaces with the blue misty mountains as a backdrop. Sere brown grasses, what was once a reservoir, ranch buildings, ice house, and a small vintage tin-roofed farm house complete the image. On July 12th, the two halves of the plutonium sphere were brought to the now-vacant house. Visitors can walk through the house and see exhibits and photos from that era. Although not a shred is left from the families who lived there, there is still a sense that people once called it home. A simple room has a ceiling border of white flowers against a pink background. The brown trim is still on the doors and windows contrasting with the warm green walls.

The house has been restored back to the way it looked on the July morning in 1945. After the test, which blew out the windows, the house was left empty and slowly deteriorated. In 1982 the U S Army stabilized the house, and with the help of the Department of Energy and the National Park Service, restored the building back to its 1945 appearance.

But it is clear that this was once a home, before it became the site of the assembly of the first atomic bomb.

The site is only open for one day in April and one day in October, generally the first Saturday. There is no cost to visit. The time capsule, describing the restoration of the Schmidt/McDonald Ranch will open during the October Open House on October 3, 2009.

For more information call the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce at 505-437-6120 or visit the website Alamogordo-Trinity

The GPS coordinates for the Trinity Site: N 33.40.636 W 106.28.525

Schmidt/McDonald Ranch – Trinity Site, National Historic Landmark at Alamagordo There’s an odd disconnect I felt as I visited the Trinity Side at Alamagordo/White Sands. The black stone obelisk marking the place where the first atomic bomb was detonated on July 16th, 1945 is a site of devastation, albeit military importance. The place of more history is the Schmidt House/McDonald Ranch. And that’s where my sense of incongruity surfaced . The simple rooms in a 1930s era farmhouse, became the assembly space for a bomb. As I looked around at the remnants of ranch life, what I also felt was nostalgia for a era now gone. Ground zero itself is stark. There isn’t much growing in the area, but on ride in we saw yucca plants dotting the sandy ground, and old blossoms and stalks stand upright reaching even farther upwards. But at the site itself, the ground is still empty of vegetation. Just outside the gate, there’s Jumbo. The bomb that was tested there, where the black lava stone obelisk marks ground zero, involved two explosions. A conventional TNT explosion would go off first, to be followed by the nuclear explosion. But there was a serious concern. If things didn’t go as planned, there was a possibility that plutonium could be blown all over the area. The result was Jumbo – a 214 ton container to hold the bomb, and if necessary, hold the unexploded plutonium. Although you can see what’s left of Jumbo at the Trinity Site, in fact, Jumbo was never used. In the end, it was decided that Jumbo wasn’t needed, so it stands at the entrance to ground zero as kids run up and down its insides. The ends are missing as a result of detonation of 8 500-pound conventional bombs going off inside. For the semi-annual open house, historic photos are mounted on the fencing surrounding the obelisk, and volunteers come with samples of Trinitite – an eery green glass created by the explosion. Although a crime to remove it, punishable by fine and/or jail, despite peering at the ground and pebbles, we saw not a speck of the green fused glass compound. The only ones to be found were at a portable display set up near the entrance. The real history is at the Schmidt/McDonald ranch. The farm sits out in the open spaces with the blue misty mountains as a backdrop. Sere brown grasses, what was once a reservoir, ranch buildings, ice house, and a small vintage tin-roofed farm house complete the image. On July 12th, the two halves of the plutonium sphere were brought to the now-vacant house. Visitors can walk through the house and see exhibits and photos from that era. Although not a shred is left from the families who lived there, there is still a sense that people once called it home. A simple room has a ceiling border of white flowers against a pink background. The brown trim is still on the doors and windows contrasting with the warm green walls. The house has been restored back to the way it looked on the July morning in 1945. After the test, which blew out the windows, the house was left empty and slowly deteriorated. In 1982 the U S Army stabilized the house, and with the help of the Department of Energy and the National Park Service, restored the building back to its 1945 appearance. But it is clear that this was once a home, before it became the site of the assembly of the first atomic bomb. The site is only open for one day in April and one day in October, generally the first Saturday. There is no cost to visit. The time capsule, describing the restoration of the Schmidt/McDonald Ranch will open during the October Open House on October 3, 2009. For more information call the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce at 505-437-6120 or visit the website Alamogordo-Trinity The GPS coordinates for the Trinity Site: N 33.40.636 W 106.28.525 Photos courtesy of Edward Cardona © 2008
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Schmidt/McDonald Ranch – Trinity Site, National Historic Landmark at Alamagordo