May 14th - White Sands National Monument

Me at the Visitor Center of White Sands National Monument

Yesterday evening I had a difficult time deciding which way to go today. There were three places of interest to the south but that was out of my way. White Sands National Monument looked beautiful but I feared it would be unbearably hot. I finally decided to head north towards Almagordo, New Mexico and White Sands. That was the right decision – it’s a stunning place visually, and since I was there in the morning the temperature was reasonable.

The monument was created in 1933. The visitor center was another job-creation project during the great depression. It was built in 1936 by the WPA (Works Progress Administration) in the Pueblo Revival style. Today the collection of buildings is a designated Historic District.

Visitor Center - A designated Historic District

Interior of the Visitor Center 

The dunes consist of gypsum sand and were created over thousands of years by wind and erosion. They are constantly changing – one of the interpretive signs said they can be 45 feet high and “travel up to 38 feet in a year”. Hikers are encouraged to take along a compass because the wind can quickly erase your footsteps and one can get disoriented.

There were very few things in bloom

About halfway into the park there is a very nice boardwalk that provides easy access through the dunes and good views of the vegetation, dunes and a few lizards. Continuing on, the asphalt road was thin and covered with sand. Driving over the washboard surface was something else in the motorhome – the racket from the rattling was intense.

This is the 1/4 mile boardwalk that crosses the dunes

This species of lizard evolved from brown to white as
an adaption to its environment

This blue head and tailed lizard was busy
excavating an underground escape

After leaving the monument I headed east on Highway 82. The portion of the road that passes through the Lincoln National Forest is a designated scenic highway. After days of driving through desert the lush water-loving willow and poplar trees was a relief to my senses. As the road climbed higher the forest transitioned to conifers – similar to our Sierra Range. It was glorious. 

As I descended the mountain the horizon was filled with poufy clouds. It felt good driving through these varied landscapes knowing that my mother would wholly approve. She is the one who planned all our family vacations, who instilled a love of the outdoors and camping in me, and she is the person who gave me the gift of self-confidence by always supporting whatever I tried in life. I would not have had the courage to make this trip alone without my mother’s support which I feel even now three years after her death. Happy Mother’s Day Mom.

The motorhome looks rather space age in this setting

You can rent a sled at the visitor center to slide down the dunes

Some creature made this interesting sand circles