INTRODUCTION The Varieties of Contemporary Pilgrimage S. Brent Plate Pilgrimages seem to be almost instinctive, or at least derived from behaviors now so ingrained in our species that it’s difficult to dis- tinguish between genetic and social origins. Of all the animals that migrate, we are surely among the most restless. But humans retain the influence of the geophysical habitat in which they pass their formative years. And often, it seems, we are drawn back to our childhood homes—if not physically, then mentally; if not out of love, then out of curiosity; if not by necessity, then by desire. Through such returnings we find out who we are. —John Janovy, Jr., Vermilion Sea: A Naturalist’s Journey in Baja California 1 T wo days out of every year, on the first Saturdays of October and April, over a thousand people drive through cactus and sage, across narrow roads in central New Mexico. They drive as far as they can and then walk another quarter mile to find what they are seeking: desert sand surrounded by a chain link fence. This is the Trinity Atomic Test Site, where the world’s first nuclear device was exploded on July 16, 1945. These atomic tourists are modern-day pilgrims, looking to re-expe- rience a place of power, to bask in the now-extinguished presence of an awesome display of scientific determination and dominance, even though there is almost nothing there (see Figure 1). Reports on the events indicate that while a somber mood would be expected, there have been some revelries as well, alongside sales of refreshments, 260 . CROSSCURRENTS