Nikon 7100.
Great waves of white gypsum sand rise in the New Mexico desert east of Las Cruses engulfing the usual surrounding yuccas and scrubby vegetation in a rather abrupt transition. In fact these dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed a great deal of desert in the are, about 275 square miles to be close, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield. White Sands National Monument is managed by the US Parks Service and preserves a large amount of this unique dunefield, as well as the plants and animals that live here.
White Sands is not necessarily on your way to much of anywhere except further into the desert wilderness, but on a recent cross country adventure with my oldest son we made sure it was one of our destinations. If you have never made this detour it is worth the drive. Don't make a wrong turn however because this is also just south of the White Sands Missile Range.
It is a popular destination for travelers as well as locals, like going to the beach without the ocean. The dunes make for some fabulous scenery and more than a few great photo opportunities! I will share more of these in a future post about our journey.
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