One of the reasons I decided to come as far in NM as I have is because I’ve wanted desperately to see White Sands National Monument ever since my friend Erica posted amazing photos on her road trip a year and a half ago. So, today I headed east out of Las Cruces to see the endless gypsum dunes for myself. Encompassing over 275 square miles of desert, it is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Gypsum is rarely found as sand because it is soluble in water (rain), and then it is carried into the Tularosa Basin. But since no river drains the basin, the water is evaporated and the sands re-appear.
The National Monument was established in 1934, and in 1942 the area adjacent was designated as a gunnery range and missile testing site and in 1945 the first atomic bomb test occurred 60 miles from the park itself. I took the 2 mile backcountry trail to get deeper into the dunes and it was truly other-worldly. It all looked the same, so following the orange markers was critical to ensure getting back to the parking lot. So much bright, white light!
From there I headed east and then north; destination Silver City. I stopped in Hatch, NM for lunch, a small town well known for their chilies — both red and green, harvested in a big festival each fall. I wasn’t aware of Sparky’s before I got off the exit, but the line of people at the door made it clear that it was the place for a burger. Some people waiting had driving up from Las Cruces just for it. The famous chili cheeseburger was calling my name, despite the typical eating habits, and I will say that it was quite excellent.
NM 152 is the curviest road in the continental US, and after hours on the straight away of the interstate, it was almost a relief to have to focus on driving. While only 75 miles, it was slow going, but a beautiful drive through the Gila National forest, which at 2.8 Million acres is the 6th largest in the States. The topography is a mix of mesas, forests, rugged mountains and deep canyons — quite a movie outside my windshield.
Silver City is an old mining town, established because of the copper mine at Santa Rita, one of the oldest mines in North America. It’s adorable, and had been written about as the next Santa Fe, but it’s too far from the interstate to bring in that level of visitation. So, it’s artsy and sweet and not too touristy. The little town park is called the Big Ditch because in the early years it was Main Street, and was repeated flooded, so they gave up and it became a park!
gorgeous.
Really Interesting.