Sierra County, New Mexico – home of Spaceport America – has been named by Popular Science magazine as one of the top five of 25 “Best Nerd Road Trips” in the United States (August 2013).
The article based their top 25 list on how “curious, mysterious, or otherwise beguiling the destination was to satisfy a person’s inner science-history geek.” The two writers, Geoff Manaugh and Nicola Twilley, toured a total of 150 sites in the U.S. then narrowed their favorite to 25; all of which are open to the public and perfect for a late-summer road trip.
“Truth or Consequences in Sierra County was once dubbed the ‘hot springs capital of the Southwest’ and the County is now referred to as the home of Spaceport America, so being identified as one of the ‘best nerd road trips’ is a welcome notch on our belt,” said Juan Fuentes, Truth or Consequences City Manager.
Among other comments, the article said of Spaceport America in Sierra County: “...those without money to burn will have to settle for ticketed tours of the firms’ future spaceport...”
Follow the Sun Inc./FTS Tours – the official tour operator for Spaceport America – has been offering guided exclusive access tours to the spaceport site for over two years. The 3 1/2 hour tours, which typically sell out, offer guests an in-depth look at Sierra County’s Old West ghost towns and provides an up-close-and personal encounter of the Spaceport only available during the pre-operational phase.
FTS Tours are available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tour prices are $59 for adults 18 and over; $49 for teens ages 13-17; and $29 for children 12 and under. Reservations and a minimum of three guests are required per tour. For reservations, call 575-740-6894 or visit spaceplacenm.com.
The Popular Science article included two other New Mexico sites – Socorro, NM's the Very Large Array (No. 4) and Las Cruces, NM's Chile Pepper Institute (No. 24) – in its list.
Contenders in the top 10 include (by ranking): Soudan Underground Mine State Park (Soundan, Minn.), Aeorjet-Dad Rocket Facility (Homestead, Fla.), National Radio Quiet Zone (W.Va-Va. Borderlands); McMarth-Pierce Solar Telescope (Tuscon, Ariz.), Fort Irwin National Training Center (Fort Irwin, Calif.), Cinder Lake (Flagstaff, Ariz.), Bay Model (Sausalito, Calif.), and Koreshan State Historic Site (Estero, Fla.), among 15 others.
The article can be read in its entirety on the FTS Tours website at: ftstours.com/pdffiles/Aug13_PopSci.pdf, or on the Popular Science website at popsci.com/category/tags/august-2013.
Popular Science magazine focuses on cutting-edge science and technology, among other topics. Readership is more than 1.3 million per month.
For more information about Sierra County and the Spaceport America site, visit sierracountynewmexico.info.