White Sands National Monument

On Friday after touring Mesilla, we went to the White Sands National Monument click located 52 miles east of  Las Cruces or 15 miles southwest of Alamogordo, New Mexico.  The monument borders the White Sands missile Range and, in fact, is often closed during periods of testing.  There are 275 square miles of  magnificent white dunes.  There is a self guided tour on an 8 mile long road which takes you through the dunes:

The dunes are gypsum crystals.   From a distance they appear as drifted banks of snow:

Touring this site was well worth the drive from Deming.