Las Cruces New Mexico and the White Sands National Monument

On our way from Fort Stockton to Las Cruces New Mexico we saw these beautifully painted overpasses.

While in Las Cruces New Mexico we got to see this beautiful full moon.

We also got to see the Rio Grande which was pretty non dramatic at this point but was flowing pretty fast.
This was on our way out to the White Sands National Monument.

We then drove out to see the White Sands National Monument which was really quite remarkable.

Rain in the mountains dissolve the gypsum in the rocks and carry it to the Tularosa Basin which has no river to drain it so the gypsum and other sediments are trapped in the basin.
The water then evaporates leaving crystalline deposits. Eventually the crystals are broken down into sand sized particles which can be moved by the wind.
These glistening white gypsum sand dunes cover 275 square miles of desert and is the largest gypsum dune field in the world.
The sand dunes driven by a strong southwest wind eventually covers everything in its path. Plants and animals have adapted to survive their surroundings. The plant life survive by growing rapidly enough to avoid getting buried and many of the animals survive by evolving white coloration as camouflage.



There were many people playing, walking and sliding on the dunes.


The dunes are quite high and the road has to be graded and plowed so the blowing sand doesn't reclaim it.

It truly is one of the world's great natural wonders.