WE      NEW MEXICO

    

On Friday, November 8, 2013 we left Albuquerque and headed south to Alamogordo.  We checked into the Boot  Hills RV Resort by early afternoon.   On the way we went past the Valley of Fires.  1500 years ago red-hot lava scorched this area, and  today the land is covered by black volcanic rock.  It was a huge area of volcanic rock and you could see how it flowed and settled.  

 Today we left fairly early to drive to the White Sands National Monument.  I was excited to go but I never expected it to be so amazing.

The layer of white between the mountains and the landscape was very apparent as we got closer.

When water containing dissolved gypsum evaporates, the gypsum turns into selenium crystals.  The crystals eventually break down into gypsum sand.  At first it just looked like snow and we had to keep reminding ourselves that it was sand.  The temperature was warm and sunny and seeing all the "white stuff" was just incredible.

 They even have to keep the road plowed as the sand drifts and forms waves.  The sand is always moving and shaping the dunes.

There are actually plants and animals that have adapted themselves to survive in this area.  The insects and animals (like lizards and mice) have white skin or fur to be able to hide against the white background.  The plants also adapt, by growing very quickly to keep above the sand or sitting on top of harder areas that have not yet broken down into sand.

 These are cottonwood trees that generally live only by a water source.  Just below the surface there is a large reservoir of water that they tap into.  These trees look like they are only a few feet tall but they are just buried by the sand.  Below is one that is not buried.

 The sand was so fine and beautiful.  I could have played in it all day.

 I was wishing I had a couple of kids to play with and a chunk of cardboard so I could do some sliding down the hills.  I tried to talk Don into letting me use the satellite dish but was unsuccessful.

I think any kid would love to spend a day here, this is a fantastic family destination.

The sand had pretty water ripples, and I could not resist taking off the socks and shoes.

 This is harder gypsum that has not broken down into sand yet.

Then we took a drive into the mountains.  This was near Ruidoso and was in the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation.  It was an absolutely beautiful drive.  We stopped in at the Inn of the Mountain God Resort.  The artwork and sculptures were just beautiful.

We stopped in and had a champagne brunch (the champagne was free).  The food was good and the scenery even better.

The Oakridge Boys were doing a concert there tonight, and we think we even saw one of them in the hotel.  

Even the sides of the roads were painted with wonderful artwork.

 On the way back home we stopped in at this winery and pistachio farm.  The lady there was wonderful and explained to us how they harvest the pistachios.  They harvest them in September so these that are still on the trees are empty of the actual nut.  Pistachio's actually have both male and female trees, with the female trees being the ones that produce the nuts.

Pistachio wine??  Well, of course we had to try a bottle.  We had a taste of the pistachios already and they were so fresh and good!!