We spent New Year’s Eve in Alamogordo, New Mexico. White Sands National Monument is probably one of the most interesting places we’ve been to. Gypsum from the surrounding mountains blows into the basin and forms a massive 200ish square mile dune field of the most brilliant, beautiful, white sand.
Gypsum sand is particularly cool to the touch and looks exactly like snow. If you’ve driven in snowy places, this will look familiar:
It’s also perfect for sledding. You can always buy a sled at the Visitor’s Center if you don’t happen to have one on hand. We brought one along and bought one at the park.
Aside from White Sands, Alamogordo has a wonderful space museum, which houses the International Space Hall of Fame, the gravesite of the first chimpanzee to go to space, and an exhibit dedicated to the history of rockets. Last, but not least, there’s an exhibit dedicated to Gene Roddenberry.
