Helen, Mortimer, and I drove northwest from Carlsbad to spend three days in White Sands, NM, at the Army’s White Sands Missile Range campground. We’ve been here before, and I’m not sure why we don’t camp here more on our trips to the West Coast. There are only eight campsites, but at $20 a night, White Sands is a bargain and rarely filled. Our home for the next three days would be campsite number three.
To the front of our campsite sits the towering Organ Mountain Range. We arrived in mid-afternoon, set up, and stared at the scenery. At dusk, the clouds hovered over the mountains, offering a very picturesque display to wrap up the day (pictured below.
White Sands National Monument is about 30 miles east of the Missile Range. Our second day was cloudy and somewhat windy, but Helen and I decided to visit anyway. The parking lot and Visitor Center were surprisingly crowded with tourists. After a short visit to the gift shop to stamp our National Park Passport, we drove through the gate, flashing our National Park Senior Pass.
The White Sand is actually gypsum, a component of drywall, that washes down from the mountains and is reduced to tiny grains by water and wind. A basin collects the gypsum and retains it in an area that resembles a huge beach or the result of a blizzard.
Helen and I drove the Loop Rd, which takes visitors through the National Monument. The wind picked up during the drive, blowing the sand around — now it really did look like we were in a snowstorm. I felt for the folks in the picnic area.
Near the end of the Loop, we parked in front of a large sandhill to watch kids and adults alike ride down the hill on sleds. It was slow sledding. Our visit didn’t take long, but we found it both interesting and enjoyable.
Our next stop is Tucson, AZ. We will step up our game there because we booked eight nights at an upscale RV Resort. Helen will meet you on the Pickleball court.
Please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.
