White Sands – here we come!
Romin’s inaugural adventure begins! We hit the road at 5:00 a.m. The morning promises a beautiful day for driving, but we have 5 1/2 long hours ahead of us before we reach our first stop: White Sands National Park. We watch in wonder as the landscape transforms before our eyes. Wave-like dunes stretch across 275 square miles of desert, creating the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The brilliant white sand looks almost otherworldly—a perfect first stop for our adventure!
Finally Here!
We arrive at the park after an hour-long drive through the White Sands Missile Range. Flat, open land stretches as far as the eye can see in every direction, making it easy to understand why the government chose this remote area for missile testing. For about five miles, the landscape teases us with glimpses of white, snow-like sand along the roadside. By the time we reach the park entrance, we can’t wait to see the dunes up close.
This visit feels especially exciting because we’ve waited a long time for it. We tried to visit a couple of years ago, but a government shutdown stopped us. We tried again, only to watch Covid threaten our plans. After two failed attempts, we finally make it to White Sands!
White Sands 16-Mile loop road
We put on our masks and head down the road, eager to explore White Sands. Maybe those stunning internet photos set my expectations too high, because the park initially disappoints me.
The loop road covers only 16 miles round trip, which seems short compared with the enormous expanse of dunes surrounding us. I guess once you’ve seen one dune, you’ve seen them all—or so I thought. I expected to find some pristine stretches of untouched sand, but hundreds of footprints crisscross the dunes, sled marks cover the slopes, and dog owners have even left their pets’ messes behind. Nothing says pristine quite like a pile of dog poop!
We could have hiked about a mile into the dunes to find the untouched scenery, however, we didn’t set aside enough time for that. Still, we manage to capture a couple of great shots with the zoom lens, so the visit isn’t a total loss.
Beautiful Landscape
The drive through the park amazes us. We find plenty of pull-off areas where we can stop, get out, and walk through the sand. Even though the day feels hot, the white sand stays surprisingly cool beneath our bare feet. The deeper we bury our toes, the cooler the sand feels.
A steady breeze picks up and sends clouds of sand skittering across the road. We watch the wind reshape the landscape and create new dunes right before our eyes. The scene reminds us of the whiteout blizzards we know from the Northeast—only here, the “snow” swirls through the air while cool sand cushions our feet.
Absolutely Worthwhile
In the end, White Sands makes the long drive worthwhile. The dazzling landscape, cool sand beneath our feet, and ever-changing dunes give us an experience we won’t soon forget. We highly recommend adding White Sands to your travel list—but don’t forget your sunglasses and a hat! The brilliant white sand reflects the sun from every direction.
And now, the adventure continues…
Next stop… Roswell! 👽
Thanks for stopping by!
Until next time – Much love,
Romin, Pete, & Lori
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