White Sands

Today we initially did not have any plans to really drive anywhere.  Chris had to work and we were not sure what time he would be getting out.  The plans were really to just go to dinner after work and probably come home and watch TV before bed.  However plans changed when Chris called at about 12:30 saying that his day was done and he was on the way back to the hotel.  Chris was travelling with a guy from work who had never been to this area before so we asked him if he wanted to go to White Sands National Monument since we had half a day to kill.  He said yes so after coming home and changing we were on our way.  Before heading out we were hungry.  Chris didn’t eat breakfast and it was already past lunchtime so we headed for a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant that someone at work told Chris about.  Besides a regular menu this place had two main dishes:  a tamale plate with rice and beans and a Mexican sampler type plate with a taco, gordita and enchilada with rice and beans.  What made these plates special was they were all you can eat.  What made them extra special was the price: $7 each.  So for under $20 we had a very filling lunch complete with drinks and tip.  They gave us so much food there was no way we were able to get a second plate.  By the time we left the place we were quite full and ready for the hour drive north to the National Monument. 

The drive turned out to be longer than we remembered.  Instead of about an hour it was a little over 90 miles, or just under an hour and a half.  After heading up US 54, which pretty much runs in a straight line from El Paso to Alamogordo, we headed west on US 70 to the park.  Along the way we stopped at one of the immigration checkpoints, which are always fun.  You never quite know what you will be asked.  Today we were asked again if everyone in the car were citizens of the US.  When we replied yes they let us on our way. As we were pulling out we saw a truck off to the side being searched by dogs.  We have no idea if they found anything or not but we imagine that must inconvenience one’s day.

Approaching the checkpoint

We arrived at the National Monument and thanks to our National Parks Pass which we bought about a year ago at Joshua Tree National Park in California, we were able to save ourselves from paying the $3 per person entrance fee.  That card has more than paid for itself since we bought it a year ago.  We drove up the road into the park.  As you drive in the scenery is initially regular desert with some occasional white sand sprinkled here and there. But as you get further in the scenery turns more moon-like, or even winter-like and everything including the road turns white.  The dunes are made of gypsum which is actually a lot softer than sand.  Touching the gypsum is like touching powder.  It is also very cool to walk on and touch. Despite the temperature being 91 degrees when we arrived we were able to take off our shoes and walk barefoot through the dunes and it felt quite nice.  The wind often blows the sand and the dunes are said to be moving at the rate of 30 feet per year from west to east.  As a result of the blowing sand the park uses snow plows pretty frequently to keep the roads clear of sand. From close up it looks like piled up snow.  We never get tired of this park.  We try to make an effort to come there every time we are in El Paso.  The 90 mile drive in each direction is well worth it.

After leaving the park we started heading home.  While we did not take any pictures, for about 40 minutes we had the sun setting off to our west on our drive southward.  The sky was very clear and you could literally see for miles as we were driving.  In fact we tested just how far you could see.  When we got on US 54 in Alamogordo we saw off in the distance a twin set of mountains which seemed a little smaller than many of the other mountains.  We kept on eye on those mountains to see just how far away they actually were.  When we finally reached those mountains nearly 45 minutes later we checked our odometer and noticed that we had travelled exactly 50 miles.  So it was clear enough to literally see for over 50 miles!   Just after dark as we arrived back in El Paso we stopped for a quick bite at Taco Tote, which is essentially a fast food Mexican chain that you find quite a few of in El Paso.  We like this place because they seem to use very fresh products and they have a really cool “salsa bar” for lack of a better word, where you can package up your own salsas and other condiments to take with you or put on your food if you are eating in.  We ordered some fajitas to take with us and we ate in the hotel.