TOUR AMERICA 2019: DEMING, NEW MEXICO – LAND OF ENCHANTMENT

Places We Have Called Home In 2019

Home Is Where We Park It:   Dream Catcher RV Park, Deming, New Mexico

September 14, 2019

Temperature 79

White Sands National Monument

Talk about a drastic change in weather.  A couple of hours after we arrived the skies opened up.  Rain came like it was coming from a thousand fire hoses.  There was thunder, loud, raw and rolling across the park.  Lightening came in all directions, sky to ground, horizontal across the sky, and then a large strike on the perimeter of the park.  It carried on like this for over an hour.  Then all was quiet.

Until this morning.  Then it started all over again.  Only this time with a twist.  Rain, yes, Thunder, yes.  Lightening, yes and then came the twist, we had one strike in the park and that was the end of the electric for a bit.  Thankfully, it came back on a short time later.

Let’s go back a bit.  Rather then come straight here from Roswell, we of course made the one stop at Desert Paradise RV Park.  This was a last minute decision once we decided  we wanted to visit White Sands National Monument.

The largest gypsum dune field in the world is located at White Sands National Monument in south-central New Mexico. This region of glistening white dunes is in the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert within an “internally drained valley” called the Tularosa Basin. The monument ranges in elevation from 3890′ to 4116′ above sea level. There are approximately 275 total square miles of dune fields here, with 115 square miles (about 40%) located within White Sands National Monument. The remainder is on military land that is not open to the public.

The area is so large that it is even visible from outer space.

Once in the parking lot we made our way to the Visitor’s Center.

This is the Visitor’s Center building.

Regarding the construction of the building and the Monument itself.

When it was completed.

The unique design features of a Spanish pueblo adobe building.  See how many features you can identify in the picture that follows.

White Sands Monument might not have been.

So how did the white sands in this area come to be?

 

What keeps all this sand from just blowing away?

What I was amazed to learn is that this island of sand is part of a larger park.

There are exhibits in the museum, such as

How plants adapt and survive.  They grow taller, quicker and sometimes they just hold on with a vast network of roots.

Animals, likewise, change and adapt.

There are other exhibits as well but time now to go for a ride.  We’re going on an 8 mile drive through White Sands National Monument.

First stop, payment is required but since we have a National Pass we don’t have to worry.

We’re on our way!  If you have any doubt as to where you are, this sign makes it clear.

Dune fields ahead.

We stopped to walk the boardwalk running through the dunes.

The view from the boardwalk.  Majestic.  Breath taking.

Back in the car we came to the loop where the road turned to sand.

The road here is a washboard and the key to driving on it and not shaking everything loose is to – drive fast, the faster the better!

I so wanted to go sliding down a dune, but I thought better of it and settled for a walk.  Later I discovered that sledding is not all that easy.  Unless you wax the bottom of the sled you obtain from the gift shop you are not going to go anywhere.

The sand was so soft.  At times hard to walk in because you would just sink in.  But it wasn’t hot, not even warm.  That I discovered is because the sun reflects off of it.

In due time we completed the loop and where on our way back out.

Words fail me when trying to describe this place.  Awesome.  Amazing.  Awe inspiring.  This is like no other place on earth.  It is just spectacular.  Not been here yet?  Put it on your bucket list of must places to visit.

Our day on The Road of Retirement is now coming to a close.  We are absolutely thrilled that we were able to visit The White Sands National Monument.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to visit the The White Sands Missile Park and Museum.  We’re settled in at our new home and enjoying the park.  We did some shopping and located the shop where we have to take Graybeard.  We have more storms on the horizon so it looks like it is going to be another interesting evening.  So be it.  We’ll take it as it comes.

Thanks again for coming with us.  We always enjoy your company and your comments.  Catch you tomorrow.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before

See you on down the road!