Friday:
LAS CRUCES, NEW MEXICO
We left Texas early this morning, traveling only about fifty miles and settling in at Siesta RV Park, in Las Cruces, New Mexico with intent of unhooking the Jeep and leaving immediately for a day trip to White Sands National Monument.
THE WHITE SANDS MISSLE RANGE
To get to the park, you travel through about 40 miles of a national goverment missle testing range. They had closed the highway earlier today for testing, but it was opened again by the time we came along. The following site will explain: www.nps.gov/whsa/parknews/closures.htm:
White Sands Missle Range is where the first atomic bomb was exploded on July 16, 1945.
THE WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT www.nps.gov/whsa:
SERENDIPITY: Little did we suspect that the drive going into the park would outshine any of the other attractions today! I don't remember a view ever having that impact on me. Coming down from the mountain, it wouldn't surprise me that you could see 80 to 90 miles of completely flat terrain....it was so vast...and so unexpected! I really don't have words or photos to do it justice. What a Creator!
EXPLANATION OF THE BASIN: At the northern end of the Chihuahan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Within the basin, says the park ranger, are 275 square miles of gypsum dunes, formed from water washing it down from the mountains and the strong winds grinding the gypsom down into a fine white grain, almost as smooth as baby powder. There was a Ranger Guided Twilight Walk offered at dusk, but it didn't fit our schedule. They said it's easy to get lost in the dunes, so this would have been a good opportunity to see it on the safe side.
The photos below will show that this is a 'seascape without water' and 'sledding hills without snow'. There is a portion set aside for the public's enjoyment. We climbed to the top of a dune and the view was spectacular! To keep me amused, Stan took a turn down a dune on a borrowed sled.
Fun stuff.
NEW MEXICO MUSEUM OF SPACE HISTORY:
I give the museum a C, but the location and view...A+! (scroll down for photos)
Dinner out at Golden Corral...little restocking at Walmarts...and now back at the RV relaxing. Tomorrow we are aiming at Tucson, AZ.
