/Photo Essay: White Sands National Monument

Photo Essay: White Sands National Monument

I had no idea that a bunch of white sand could be so interesting. We very nearly skipped the White Sands National Monument in New Mexico after deducing from the name that it was essentially just a bunch of boring old sand piled into some boring old dunes.

Ha! Shows how little we know. Despite being more or less correct about the landscape, we had a ridiculous amount of fun at the dunes.

White Sands National Monument

White Sands National Monument

The sand is a rare form (gypsum), which means it’s extremely soft and cool to the touch.  Unlike the rough scratchy kind (that’ll burn your toes if the sun makes an appearance), the gypsum sand dunes were perfect for frolicking.

Christy Dancing at White SandsWhite Sands Footprints

White Sands National Monument

Kali channeled his inner track star, leaping from the top of dunes and sliding his way to the bottom:

Kali Jumping at White Sands National Monument

Kali Jumping at White Sands National Monument

Kali Jumping at White Sands National Monument

I, on the other hand, opted for the slightly less dignified “how much sand can I get in my pants from rolling?” approach:

Christy Rolling at White Sands National Monument

Verdict: quite a lot.

We also tried sliding down on trashbags, but that turned out to be about as successful as when we tried to use them to slide down snowy hills as kids (in other words, not successful in the slightest).

We gave it our best shot nonetheless, and were busy perfecting our technique in the dark when a ranger found us, told us the park was closing, and asked us to skeedadle.  He seemed bemused by our sandy trashbags, but at least he had the courtesy to not forget about us (ooooh, snap, Carlsbad Caverns!).

Sunset at White Sands National Monument

Luckily we had timed our visit to coincide with sundown, and it ended up being one of the most gorgeous sunsets we’ve seen.  The sky blossomed with almost every color imaginable, morphing from hues of blues, purples, and pinks to vibrant shades of red and orange.

Sunset at White Sands National Monument

Sunset at White Sands National Monument

Who knew sand could be so much fun?!