Wind and Sand....Lots of Sand!

Currently near Alamogordo (La Luz), NM   71 degrees    high  75/low 49    windy!

It was a tad windy coming from Las Cruces Monday...some of those cross winds were interesting! But, it is spring, in New Mexico, and one expects wind. When we settled in our spot at Boot Hill RV Resort, we could see the white "dust" of White Sands! The wind had settled down significantly on our visit to the National Monument yesterday, thankfully! We did encounter a road grader, plowing the road as if the sand were snow!

Happily, we played tourist as we drove south to the visitor's center, about 15 miles south of RV park. White Sands National Monument was established January 18, 1933, under the Hoover administration. It is the largest gypsum dune field in the world, at 275 square miles. Interestingly, it is "in the middle" of the White Sands Missile Range, and roads there, as well as US 70 south to Las Cruces are subject to closures during launches. We experienced no delays on our visit!

We did learn that the mountain-ringed valley of the Tulerosa is in the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert. The harsh environment of the dune field is ever changing, and is a home for plants and animals that adapt to these conditions. Here is a quote from Edward Abbey that sums it up nicely.

We saw families sledding down the dunes, enjoying the experience. We opted not do indulge in this activity! We did complete two caches: one virtual and the other an Earth Cache. These types of caches offer rich learning experiences in National Parks and Monuments. With the wind blowing today, we are glad we explored there yesterday!

Like we are parked at the beach--or in the snow! 

following the road.....

Sierra Blanca--all 12,000 '! 

Our site at Boot Hill RV Resort

We are enjoying our stay at Boot Hill RV Resort, just north of Alamogordo. We will definitely return! Depending on the wind situation, we will be departing tomorrow heading for Canyon, TX.

Roving Riders, SWIRVIN on down the road. Later!