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Road Trip 2007: Science and tech in the Southwest

CNET News.com's Daniel Terdiman visits sites from Las Vegas to Los Alamos, with a helping of Roswell in between.

8 min read
News.com special report:

Road trip 2007

CNET News.com reporter Daniel Terdiman is reprising Road Trip 2006 with a gadget-laden journey through the American Southwest. Five states in three weeks: Ride along as Daniel goes backstage at Cirque du Soleil and behind the scenes at Hoover Dam, dips his toes in Arizona's Meteor Crater, and investigates the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. He'll also go underground in Tucson, Ariz., where Titan missile crews lived and worked, visit New Mexico's Very Large Array astronomical observatory and much more.

News Stories and Blogs

Thousands of miles, tons of tech

Gear for the road trip--from zoom lenses to an EV-DO card--proved to be mostly impressive.
Photos: Gadgets pass the road testAugust 14, 2007

Seismic shift for S.F. Bay Bridge

The new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will include the largest self-anchored suspension construction in the world.
Photos: A Bay Bridge for all seasonsAugust 13, 2007

Home at last

After 25 days, 4,891 miles and too many motels, Daniel pulls into his driveway.
August 10, 2007

Top Gun lives on in the Nevada desert

Navy's best fighter pilots learn how to be successful combat pilots through rigorous training in the skies near Fallon.
Photos: Where F-18 pilots go to schoolAugust 10, 2007

Full Road Trip 2007 blog

Daniel is blogging from the road as he takes in the Southwest. Keep up with his observations, and add your own, here.

Dan and car
Reporter Daniel Terdiman
leans on his Infiniti QX56
at White Sands National
Monument in New Mexico.

Photos: Southwest canyon wonders

Canyons in Arizona and Utah offer stunning tableaus. Here are some of the more awe-inspiring nature scenes from Daniel's trip.
August 9, 2007

A mystery in Utah

Daniel comes across a steampunk contraption on the side of a Utah road. But what is it?
August 9, 2007

At 4,000 miles, a stunning vista

Daniel is in the middle of Zion National Park when his odometer rolls over to 4,000.
August 8, 2007

Life in an earthship

These fully sustainable, off-the-grid dwellings can maintain a comfortable interior temperature regardless of the heat or cold outside.
Photos: Home sweet earthship
August 8, 2007

Wondrous Canyon de Chelly is a hidden gem

Arizona national monument compares with Grand Canyon for pure scenic beauty.
August 7, 2007

Four Corners doesn't leave a sharp impression

Lying down in four states at once isn't quite as exciting as Daniel had hoped.
August 7, 2007

Nonproliferation flourishes at Los Alamos lab

At Los Alamos National Lab, scientists are working on ways to keep the world safe from weapons of mass destruction.
Photos: The birthplace of the bomb
August 6, 2007

Altec Lansing's iM600 is a great road trip companion

This iPod speaker system gets the job done, and at a remarkably affordable price.
August 6, 2007

Hitting the home stretch

Daniel reaches 3,000 miles in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, and he's begun to slowly head toward home.
August 5, 2007

Photos: Where airplanes go to recoup

At the Roswell International Air Center, airplanes rest during slow periods, wait for repairs or prepare to be put out to pasture.
August 3, 2007

What happened in Roswell stays in Roswell

UFO capital of the world perseveres, with centerpiece museum holding its place amid all manner of alien curios.
Photos: UFO mania in Roswell
August 2, 2007

At last, 747s, up close and personal

At the Roswell International Air Center, there are up to 200 planes just sitting on the ground, waiting to be used by their owners.
August 1, 2007

Blown away by the Very Large Array

On the Plains of San Agustin, 27 huge dish antennas make up the world's largest radio telescope.
Photos: Astronomy central
August 1, 2007

Albuquerque extols its role in PC revolution

This city played an integral role in computer history, even though it eventually lost out when it came to housing Microsoft.
Photos: Albuquerque's PC roots
July 31, 2007

Photos: Revisiting the power of the atom bomb

In Albuquerque, N.M, a museum looks at Fat Man and Little Boy, and the effect they had in 1945 and later years.
July 30, 2007

Cold War-era memories meet the future

White Sands Missile Range has the latest missile technology even as it displays the history of missile warfare.
Photos: White Sands Missile Museum
July 30, 2007

Fighting snow blindness in high summer

The gypsum sand dunes of White Sands National Monument are an amazement worth driving to New Mexico to see.
Photos: Bright lights, big sand dunes
July 27, 2007

Arizona, heaven for airplane fans

Two of the best airplane storage facilities in the world exist side by side in Tucson, Ariz.
Photos: A plane enthusiast's dream
July 27, 2007

Photos: Underground at the Titan Missile Museum

A former Titan missile launching site is now a museum in Sahuarita, Ariz., about 20 miles south of Tucson.
July 26, 2007

Wireless mobile printing in the desert

Daniel tests the Hewlett-Packard Deskjet wbt, a mobile, Bluetooth-enabled printer designed for the road warrior.
July 26, 2007

Frank Lloyd Wright's spirit lives on at Taliesin West

Famed architect's western headquarters house an architecture school and carry on his legacy of great design.
Photos: At home with Frank Lloyd Wright
July 25, 2007

Photos: Meteor Crater still a big hit

Here's what you get when you strike the Earth with a 150-foot-wide chunk of rock moving at around 26,000 miles an hour.
July 25, 2007

So many 747s, so little access

At the Pinal Air Park in Marana, Ariz., is a parking lot for commercial airliners.
July 24, 2007

Clearly, there's nothing like Grand Canyon Skywalk

A visit to Grand Canyon West and its glass bridge over and into the canyon is an experience for a lifetime.
Photos: Floating over Grand Canyon
July 24, 2007

A dry-weather crisis for Hoover Dam

The dam's governing authority is getting ready to decide what to do if there's not enough water for the future.
Photos: Losing water at Hoover Dam
July 23, 2007

A trip into the depths of Las Vegas

Visit into the storm drainage tunnels underneath Sin City reveals a fascinating community of vagabonds and artists.
Photos: Tunnels under Vegas
July 20, 2007

Photos: Cirque du Soleil's many stages of 'Love'

Go backstage at Cirque du Soleil's Love, an homage to the Beatles.


July 20, 2007

Cirque du Soleil fights for radio frequencies

Scarcity of available radio frequencies poses headache for those in charge of productions dependent on wireless transmissions.
July 20, 2007

Photos: Inside Cirque du Soleil's 'Ka'

It takes a village--plus moving stages and 18,000-lumen projectors--to mount the show.
July 19, 2007

All hail Google Maps!

Daniel discovers a particular Google Maps feature, and things will never be the same.
July 17, 2007

Road Trip 2007: 4,000 miles to go

CNET News.com reporter Daniel Terdiman hits the highway with travel gear and an eye for the Southwest's natural, scientific and quirky wonders.
July 13, 2007

He can't wait to get on the road again

audio On the eve of Road Trip 2007, News.com's Charles Cooper checks in with reporter Daniel Terdiman about what's on the agenda.
July 13, 2007

Road Trip 2006

Miss last summer's gadget-filled News.com jaunt through the Pacific Northwest? Catch up on all the adventures here.
June 15, 2006

Related Features

Living with Technology: High-tech road trip

special feature With summer upon us, CNET.com rounds up the latest sites and gadgets for staying connected while out and about.
June 29, 2007

The Web 2.0 road trip

It's no longer necessary to wait 'til you get home to share vacation details with friends. You can do so at just about every step along the way.
June 29, 2007


News.com special report:

Road trip 2007

CNET News.com reporter Daniel Terdiman is reprising Road Trip 2006 with a gadget-laden journey through the American Southwest. Five states in three weeks: Ride along as Daniel goes backstage at Cirque du Soleil and behind the scenes at Hoover Dam, dips his toes in Arizona's Meteor Crater, and investigates the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. He'll also go underground in Tucson, Ariz., where Titan missile crews lived and worked, visit New Mexico's Very Large Array astronomical observatory and much more.

News Stories and Blogs

Thousands of miles, tons of tech

Gear for the road trip--from zoom lenses to an EV-DO card--proved to be mostly impressive.
Photos: Gadgets pass the road testAugust 14, 2007

Seismic shift for S.F. Bay Bridge

The new eastern span of the Bay Bridge will include the largest self-anchored suspension construction in the world.
Photos: A Bay Bridge for all seasonsAugust 13, 2007

Home at last

After 25 days, 4,891 miles and too many motels, Daniel pulls into his driveway.
August 10, 2007

Top Gun lives on in the Nevada desert

Navy's best fighter pilots learn how to be successful combat pilots through rigorous training in the skies near Fallon.
Photos: Where F-18 pilots go to schoolAugust 10, 2007

Full Road Trip 2007 blog

Daniel is blogging from the road as he takes in the Southwest. Keep up with his observations, and add your own, here.

Dan and car
Reporter Daniel Terdiman
leans on his Infiniti QX56
at White Sands National
Monument in New Mexico.

Photos: Southwest canyon wonders

Canyons in Arizona and Utah offer stunning tableaus. Here are some of the more awe-inspiring nature scenes from Daniel's trip.
August 9, 2007

A mystery in Utah

Daniel comes across a steampunk contraption on the side of a Utah road. But what is it?
August 9, 2007

At 4,000 miles, a stunning vista

Daniel is in the middle of Zion National Park when his odometer rolls over to 4,000.
August 8, 2007

Life in an earthship

These fully sustainable, off-the-grid dwellings can maintain a comfortable interior temperature regardless of the heat or cold outside.
Photos: Home sweet earthship
August 8, 2007

Wondrous Canyon de Chelly is a hidden gem

Arizona national monument compares with Grand Canyon for pure scenic beauty.
August 7, 2007

Four Corners doesn't leave a sharp impression

Lying down in four states at once isn't quite as exciting as Daniel had hoped.
August 7, 2007

Nonproliferation flourishes at Los Alamos lab

At Los Alamos National Lab, scientists are working on ways to keep the world safe from weapons of mass destruction.
Photos: The birthplace of the bomb
August 6, 2007

Altec Lansing's iM600 is a great road trip companion

This iPod speaker system gets the job done, and at a remarkably affordable price.
August 6, 2007

Hitting the home stretch

Daniel reaches 3,000 miles in the middle of nowhere in New Mexico, and he's begun to slowly head toward home.
August 5, 2007

Photos: Where airplanes go to recoup

At the Roswell International Air Center, airplanes rest during slow periods, wait for repairs or prepare to be put out to pasture.
August 3, 2007

What happened in Roswell stays in Roswell

UFO capital of the world perseveres, with centerpiece museum holding its place amid all manner of alien curios.
Photos: UFO mania in Roswell
August 2, 2007

At last, 747s, up close and personal

At the Roswell International Air Center, there are up to 200 planes just sitting on the ground, waiting to be used by their owners.
August 1, 2007

Blown away by the Very Large Array

On the Plains of San Agustin, 27 huge dish antennas make up the world's largest radio telescope.
Photos: Astronomy central
August 1, 2007

Albuquerque extols its role in PC revolution

This city played an integral role in computer history, even though it eventually lost out when it came to housing Microsoft.
Photos: Albuquerque's PC roots
July 31, 2007

Photos: Revisiting the power of the atom bomb

In Albuquerque, N.M, a museum looks at Fat Man and Little Boy, and the effect they had in 1945 and later years.
July 30, 2007

Cold War-era memories meet the future

White Sands Missile Range has the latest missile technology even as it displays the history of missile warfare.
Photos: White Sands Missile Museum
July 30, 2007

Fighting snow blindness in high summer

The gypsum sand dunes of White Sands National Monument are an amazement worth driving to New Mexico to see.
Photos: Bright lights, big sand dunes
July 27, 2007

Arizona, heaven for airplane fans

Two of the best airplane storage facilities in the world exist side by side in Tucson, Ariz.
Photos: A plane enthusiast's dream
July 27, 2007

Photos: Underground at the Titan Missile Museum

A former Titan missile launching site is now a museum in Sahuarita, Ariz., about 20 miles south of Tucson.
July 26, 2007

Wireless mobile printing in the desert

Daniel tests the Hewlett-Packard Deskjet wbt, a mobile, Bluetooth-enabled printer designed for the road warrior.
July 26, 2007

Frank Lloyd Wright's spirit lives on at Taliesin West

Famed architect's western headquarters house an architecture school and carry on his legacy of great design.
Photos: At home with Frank Lloyd Wright
July 25, 2007

Photos: Meteor Crater still a big hit

Here's what you get when you strike the Earth with a 150-foot-wide chunk of rock moving at around 26,000 miles an hour.
July 25, 2007

So many 747s, so little access

At the Pinal Air Park in Marana, Ariz., is a parking lot for commercial airliners.
July 24, 2007

Clearly, there's nothing like Grand Canyon Skywalk

A visit to Grand Canyon West and its glass bridge over and into the canyon is an experience for a lifetime.
Photos: Floating over Grand Canyon
July 24, 2007

A dry-weather crisis for Hoover Dam

The dam's governing authority is getting ready to decide what to do if there's not enough water for the future.
Photos: Losing water at Hoover Dam
July 23, 2007

A trip into the depths of Las Vegas

Visit into the storm drainage tunnels underneath Sin City reveals a fascinating community of vagabonds and artists.
Photos: Tunnels under Vegas
July 20, 2007

Photos: Cirque du Soleil's many stages of 'Love'

Go backstage at Cirque du Soleil's Love, an homage to the Beatles.


July 20, 2007

Cirque du Soleil fights for radio frequencies

Scarcity of available radio frequencies poses headache for those in charge of productions dependent on wireless transmissions.
July 20, 2007

Photos: Inside Cirque du Soleil's 'Ka'

It takes a village--plus moving stages and 18,000-lumen projectors--to mount the show.
July 19, 2007

All hail Google Maps!

Daniel discovers a particular Google Maps feature, and things will never be the same.
July 17, 2007

Road Trip 2007: 4,000 miles to go

CNET News.com reporter Daniel Terdiman hits the highway with travel gear and an eye for the Southwest's natural, scientific and quirky wonders.
July 13, 2007

He can't wait to get on the road again

audio On the eve of Road Trip 2007, News.com's Charles Cooper checks in with reporter Daniel Terdiman about what's on the agenda.
July 13, 2007

Road Trip 2006

Miss last summer's gadget-filled News.com jaunt through the Pacific Northwest? Catch up on all the adventures here.
June 15, 2006

Related Features

Living with Technology: High-tech road trip

special feature With summer upon us, CNET.com rounds up the latest sites and gadgets for staying connected while out and about.
June 29, 2007

The Web 2.0 road trip

It's no longer necessary to wait 'til you get home to share vacation details with friends. You can do so at just about every step along the way.
June 29, 2007