New Mexico

White Sands National Monument

Good night, white beauty ...

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White Sands National Monument
Inserted: 25.10.2017
© gigaplaces.com
They want there:

Somewhere far, hidden between the mountains, there is a bloody bride. It's all in white, as the brides are usually, and it's also a little treacherous and mysterious. We women are like that. But whoever falls in love with it will discover unimaginable beauty.

This is how a fairy tale about one of the most photogenic deserts in the world – White Sands – could begin. It is really hidden among the mountains and can be found in the United States, specifically in the state of New Mexico, 240 miles south of Albuquerque. The mountains that surround it are called San Andres and Sacramento Mountains. The vast basin between them is called the Tullarosa Basin. It lies at an altitude of about 1200 m above sea level and its southern part is covered with dunes of dazzling white, shimmering sand. The height of the dunes is sometimes up to 15 meters and, as in any desert, their shape and location are constantly changing. Inside, like the icing on the cream cake, stretches Lake Lucero. This area is called White Sands National Monument and covers an area of 712 km². With this area, White Sands is one of the smaller national parks in the United States. To give you an idea – the High Tatras have an area about the same. So it's not such a dwarf again. Two thirds of the Tullarosa Basin are inaccessible to the public. It is a military area serving as a test area for missile equipment. So sometimes it happens that entry into the national park is forbidden, because rockets and missiles of all possible ranges are flying. But everything can be conveniently found on the Internet. Admission in 2015 was $ 3, which came as a terrible disparity when we imagined that, for example, we paid $ 30 to enter the Empire State Building.

First meeting

We drive by car on a white luminous road that will take us through a small fraction of the entire national park. The first thought? We got to the Alps by some leap in time and space! Really. It was snow-white everywhere, the road stretched with a plow, along the edges of the guardrail. However, the air temperature around +35 ͦC will bring us back to reality after getting out of the car. We really are in the desert. And not in any desert. According to what they write, it is the largest gypsum desert in the world. The local gypsum is light, shimmering and in combination with the azure blue sky creates unforgettable scenery. We take off our shoes and, as small children, run barefoot to one of the dunes, then to the other, to the third and more and more. It burns a bit, the sand is hot, it flows between your fingers. We roll in it, throw it into the wind, click an incredible number of photos. They all work out great. This place is just damn photogenic. And the golden hour before dusk has not yet come!

First meeting
Author: Gabča Šnirchová © gigaplaces.com

A little children's fun and animals

We drive a little further and the scenario repeats itself again. We watch a bunch of people who have brought plastic beans to the beauty and are trying to descend the dunes from top to bottom. It's tough. After all, the sand doesn't slip so much. They call this fun „sledding“ here. Sometimes we come across a beetle that walks its own path on smooth dunes. We don't see white mice, but they say they are demonstrably here and you don't even have to drink alcohol. There lives a special species called a sackcloth. If we wanted to see him, we would have to stay overnight. These are nocturnal creatures. It is more likely that we would find only traces of their paws embossed in the gypsum sand in the morning.

A little children's fun and animals
Author: Gabča Šnirchová © gigaplaces.com

Whoever wants, can go on a hike

Treks are well marked here. At the beginning of each is a book that you have to sign up for if you want to do a trek. In the interest of safety, I recommend. Getting lost between the dunes is very easy.

Whoever wants, can go on a hike
Author: Gabča Šnirchová © gigaplaces.com

Dusk

The day passed here somehow quickly and the sun is slowly setting. The most beautiful time of the day is coming. The cursed bride shows all her beauty. The shadows lengthen and the photo is a gem. The last time we let the fine sand slip through our fingers, a few last glances at the glowing desert. The bride goes to sleep. We will not disturb. Nice dreams, beautiful!

Dusk
Author: Gabča Šnirchová © gigaplaces.com
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Gabča Šnirchová
25.10.2017 14:29
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