White Sands National Monument & Oliver Lee State Park, New Mexico
April 10-12, 2010
New Mexico was a surprising experience! When we first crossed the state line into southern New Mexico from Arizona, our initial impression wasn't all that exciting. However, the longer we explored this region and the further south we began to move, the more New Mexico became enchanting. It has a deep and rich history from pueblo ancestory, military and space research (the first atomic bomb was tested here) and of course, UFO's! There is much more than meets the eye here and we feel lucky to have had the opportunity to explore many interesting and unique things in New Mexico. We will certinaly leave a believer in its "enchanting magic".
Our Accommodations - Oliver Lee State Park
The campground at Oliver Lee State Park was nicely laid out and set amongst the dramatic Sacramento Mountains. It is a quiet place to enjoy the surroundings with a few really good hikes in the vicinity.
White Sands National Monument
Most sand dunes around the world are made up of typical brown quartz and other minerals. However, White Sands National Monument has a unique presence of gypsum sand (a fine white sand) covering 275 square miles of the New Mexican desert making it the world's largest collection of gypsum sand dunes. Also nearby, is the White Sands Missile Range and Museum and the location of the first atomic bomb testing known as the "Trinity Test Site".