New Mexico

The Sands of Time

by Ingrid

As I sit in San Antonio, Texas, snuggled up in my comfy RV engulfed in a deluge of never ending rain (it’s finally easing up), I’m given the perfect opportunity to get the blog caught up with our travels. I admire those of you who are able to keep your blogs updated while traveling all the while engaging in the sights and sounds of new territory.  That’s not me… as usual, I’m over a week behind 😉Alamogordo New Mexico

The sands of time; so as time seems to get away from me, what better time to talk about sand dunes…..White Sands Missle Range

Alamogordo New Mexico
Could that be snow? Nope, it’s sand …. sand as far as the eye can see!

Rising from the Tularosa Basin near Alamogordo, New Mexico, sits the largest gypsum dune field in the world – 275 square miles of glistening brilliant white sand aptly named White Sands National Monument.Alamogordo New Mexico

We entered the monument from the east. As we continued driving the 8 mile scenic road west, the dunes increased in size; some of which are over 50 feet tall.  The vegetation also gets sparser the further west we traveled along with changing sand grains.  At the eastern edge the sand grains are very small and round while to the west the sand grains become larger and consist of different shapes.  To categorize this place as unique is an understatement.White Sands National Monument

Al and I climb a sand dune and then another. A child like exuberance comes over me.  I try making a snow angel and then I pretend I’m walking on the moon.  A couple of kids in the distance are sledding.  Yep, sledding on sand!  You can even bring pooch – leashed of course, which is so unusual since dogs aren’t normally allowed on trails in National Parks or Monuments.

White Sands Alamogordo New Mexico
A walk on the moon?
Alamogordo New Mexico
The sand is cool. It feels like no other sand.

And think pooches paws will be bothered by the hot sand?  Think again.  Gypsum does not convert the sun’s energy into heat and thus the sand can be walked on with bare feet even during the hottest of summer months.White Sands dunes

Al and I are awed by the raw untapped beauty. The vision leaves us speechless and we decide to find a place to sit and watch the sun set.   As the sun lowers, we watch a film crew from South America do a photo shoot.  Boy, I’d love to see the finished photos of that shoot.

photo shoot in national Park
a professional photo shoot

Strong southwest winds keep the dunes in a constant state of change.  They grow, crest, then slump but always advance.  We lucked out with sustained winds of only 5 to 10 miles per hour, allowing us to enjoy a beautiful sunset.White Sands National Monumentwhite sands national monumentI’m very glad the weather cooperated and our schedule finally allowed us to take in the White Sands National Monument. It was so worth our time.  🐫Alamogordo New Mexico

Emsco Snow Monster Disc Heavy Duty 26 ” Dia Plastic
Simplicity Pink Scarf with Cute Butterflies in Soft Colors, Fringed Ends

42 thoughts on “The Sands of Time”

  1. My memories of White Sands are all of taking our kids there when they were little on day trips from Ruidoso where we always stayed in the area. The car always had sand in every nook and cranny and took forever to clean it up afterward! haha Glad you enjoyed your visit.

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  4. Absolutely beautiful! I think I’d like to try sledding myself. I’m glad I’m not the only one who struggles to keep up with posts. I don’t know how others manage to post daily blogs & still find time to do other things.

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    1. White Sands NM is such a unique place…. I think we’ll need to revisit. I go in spurts with the blogging based on our activities 🙂

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  5. I like to think of it as a field of finely spun sugar. I don’t think you’re alone in not keeping up with travel and blogging. It often has to do with energy levels and internet availability. I figure nobody really knows where I am at any given point…heck, sometimes I’m not even sure.

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  6. One of our all time favorite places. Our sweet old golden just couldn’t believe her eyes or trust her instincts evidently…..She was always a serious snow baby and when she hit the dunes she rolled up and down them just like she always did in the snow. She had white sand packed in her nostrils, on her eye lashes, her gums and the mucus membranes around her eyes! We had to drag her away, laughing at her joy!

    I’m with Lisa about blogging. When we’re on the road I need to regurgitate our experiences at the end of each day or I have trouble remembering the feelings and thoughts we both had. Different strokes eh!

    Thanks for reminding us what a cool place the White Sand Dunes are.
    Sue

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    1. Thank you for noticing the contrast with our shirts. I had Al and me changing a couple of times with that in mind 🙂 Normally I never think about it until it’s too late. I used your blog and Brenda’s blog for a little reference on the area. Fun place 🙂

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  8. We really enjoyed staying at Oliver Lee and the White Sands are just amazing! It is so funny what you say about keeping up with blogging. I don’t have the excuse of no internet connection – but I still get behind. Given that we only travel occasionally – it is really pathetic on my part. But, I figure since I enjoy going back and reading old post from my favorite blogs (Live, Laugh RV), then my writing about past experiences with photos might also peak someone’s interest! As always – thanks for sharing!

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    1. I’ve always enjoyed your tales whether recent or from the past. Love discovering new places to check out. Besides blogging should be fun…. no rules. So everyone has to find what works best for them. I think we’ll need to set more time aside for New Mexico – so many hidden gems 🙂

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    1. For me, I struggle with words and thus am not always in the mood to share a tale. I seem to be more visual so the photos are the easy part. Oh well, somewhere in there there’s a balance 🙂

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  10. Two things really struck us about White Sands – the roads reminded us of driving through a ski resort in winter and in spite of the 90+ temperatures, the gypsum was cool just below the surface. Tell my daughter hi in the SA area.

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    1. Just left SA this morning and waved farewell 🙂 There was something so special and unique about the White Sands NM it gave me the giggles. The temps were a very comfortable 70 degrees. Couldn’t get any better!

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  12. Oh, that looks like SO much fun! Love the shot of you two looking out over the dunes. Another place that’s long been on our list to visit.

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    1. Our last 2 times through NM via I-10, I wanted to detour to White Sands but were never able to. I’m so glad I put it as a priority this year. So worth the stop – highly recommend 🙂

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  13. I love all your playful photos. They really demonstrate the joy you are experiencing and the fun in this adult size sandbox:) Another place we have yet to visit.

    I do believe gypsum is what Siesta Key Beach in Florida is made from. The sand never gets hot there and it is pure white, fine powder. This is one of the top beaches in the world.

    Hope it dries out for you in Texas. Looks like some very cold weather coming that way! Stay warm!

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    1. It’s finally drying out, now if it would only start warming up 😉 Interesting about the sand at Siesta Key. Climbing up and down these dunes was so much easier than Sleep Bear in MI or Great Sands in CO. The sand is so very different and of course those evening sunsets never disappoint.

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  14. How much was it blowing..Dennis wears RGP contact lenses and blowing sand is his nemesis…We found that out on I-10 through New Mexico one year…What a great spot to watch the setting sun!! I envy you that tranquil location.

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    1. It was really calm during our visit that day but the next 2 days kept us away with sustained winds in the 35 mph plus range. I already got a sand particle in one of my cameras from winds in Moab that I didn’t want to risk any more camera damage so we explored else where. Tranquil indeed 🙂

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  16. fabulous shots, ingrid. we didn’t stop there when we did a road trip to texas several years ago- i so regret that now, seeing these shots. hope it stops raining 🙂

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  17. Great pics, such an unique place to find in the US. It never ceases to amaze me, US citizens who travel abroad and never travel in their own country, some don’t even realize what they have in their own backyard.

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    1. I so agree Faye. Al and I have both traveled abroad and we both have no interest in leaving U.S. soil…. well maybe Canada, but that’s about it. There’s so much for us to see in this country that we’ll run out of time and money long before we see it all 🙂

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    1. Thank you. For me, I seem to be caught up in the moment and taking in my surroundings that time on the computer is the last thing on my mind. And I’m totally ok with that 🙂

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  20. A place I have yet to visit that looks like so much fun!

    I am the opposite…if I were to get behind on the blog I’d simply give up blogging! I need to have the experiences fresh in my mind in order to write about them. Different strokes! 🙂

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    1. You and Hans would love the hiking…. not only at the dunes but at Oliver Lee SP. I’m working on that post – a beautiful 11 mile 3100 elevation gain – right up your alley 🙂

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