White Sands.

First, I want to add some photos from Old Messilla, NM that were left off yesterdays post.

 Entering New Mexico.

 

Typical adobe houses.

Catholic church.

Red chiles.

 

Now for White Sands.

 

White Sands National Monument, NM. A 275 square mile field of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world located on Hwy 70 between Las Cruces and Alamogordo, NM.

We drove to the visitor center through dense fog over a mountain pass with low lying clouds overhead. It had rained yesterday and last night which the sand sticky. After watching a 17 minute movie at the visitor center we drove into the monument.

 They checked our Senior pass and waved us through. The road into the monument is paved for 4.7 miles and the remainder is hard pack sand and very smooth. The loop trip is 16 miles long with picnic areas, toilets, and lots of hills to slide down on. This being spring break here, also lots of kids on the hills.

 

 

 

We ate our picnic lunch then drove the remaining road with lots of stops for photos.

After driving out of the monument we drove the 16 miles to Alamogordo after passing Holloman AFB. The last time I was at either place was in the 1970's. I recognized nothing as the town has really grown.

While Budd was getting fuel he asked a lady where to get ice cream. She told us of a winery and pistachio farm north of town that served pistachio ice cream so off we went.

It is a really nice friendly place and they do serve ice cream and wine. Some of us had both.