Friends and Fun Places
If you keep up with the blog you know Ryan had to have several surgeries in El Paso Tx after falling off the ladder installing a new awning, breaking his leg and ankle while we were in Roswell NM. After several months of healing and doctors releasing him to walk boot assisted we were eager to get out and enjoy nature again. Our friends we met while rv camping in Colorado decided to stay in Las Cruces NM which was about 35 minutes from our Anthony Tx. location. During February we all decided to get together and visit Valley of Fires Recreation Center and White Sands National Park in New Mexico.
Valley of Fires
Located in Carrizozo on US Hwy 380 and a just over two hours from Las Cruses, Valley of Fires was created 2,000 to 5,000 years ago from lava flows that originated from vents created by extrusions in the earths thin crust. (1) The flow covers about 44 miles and is over 160 feet thick near the campground there. (1) Over time hearty drought tolerant plants began to grow on the cooled lava flows. Typical Chihuahuan desert plants such as bae grass, banana yuca, mesquite, and creosote can be found growing on the edges of the lava in the soil. (1) Native Americans who lived there before Europeans settled used the hard lava as grinding stones (1). The hardened lava is very sharp, almost black and can cut like glass, therefore, the trail has been built up and paved allowing you to wind through a 1 mile area. There are numbered spots along the trail with information boards for those who are curious. Some are a bit faded so grab a folded information sheet from the billboard as you drive into the park entrance. It lists excellent information for each numbered stop. The trail is dog friendly (We all brought our fur buddies!), easy and short enough for even our senior dog and for “Hobbles” aka Ryan. 🙂 It can be a little high in some areas but not too bad if you have acrophobia like myself; nothing a kind extended hand wouldn’t be able to help you through and lend you a sense of accomplishment. We all had a great time! Valley of Fires Recreation area is a great place for families and curious individuals. After our walk we all stopped to eat our packed lunches under the picnic area and then headed for White Sands.
White Sands National Park
On our way to White Sands we stopped at pistachio land, a touristy building offering all things pistachio among other trinkets and spicy New Mexican fare, located in the middle of a pistachio tree grove. We browsed the shop and then we ladies took a pic in front of the worlds largest pistachio outside. We all hopped in our trucks and resumed the ride to our destination arriving around three in the afternoon.
White Sands welcome center has some of the most beautiful areas I’ve seen at a welcome center. Don’t just stop in the front gift shop! Make your way to the back where you will find a little oasis and interesting facts. While the gift shop is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the park is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. White Sands lives up to its name and can be quite bright. Bring your sunglasses. Gypsum which makes up the dunes in the middle of the Tularosa Basin is a soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate di-hydrate (2). It was left deposited from an ancient sea onto mountain ranges formed from tectonic plate movement (3). Rain washed the gypsum into a large ancient lake that evaporated into the smaller and often dry present day Lake Lucero located in the corner of the Tularosa Basin (3). Gypsum was then weathered down to finer particles and blown away in the winds to make up the dunes (3). It feels more solid than sand even though it is fine and soft. When the sun is high in the sky in the heat of the day the sand is cool to the touch because the gypsum doesn’t absorb heat. White Sands possess both the beauty of pristine beach and desert dunes with mountain backdrops in the distance. I don’t think there are many places where you can get such a view. In the evening you can see the moon before the sun begins setting. When the sun does set its a spectacular show of pinks, oranges and reds against the tall white dunes. The dunes are much easier to walk up compared to those at Great Sands National Park in Colorado. Unlike in Colorado where we weren’t prepared, our friends brought sand disks along. Just before we left I gave it a go and sort of “slid” down the dune but quickly realized there is a special technique and quite a bit of practice needed. For the short amount of time we had left, Ryan and I decided to take in the sunset and capture a few pics instead. Ryan methodically made his way up one of the less inclined dunes to join me and watch the sun descend behind the far off dune. After a day full of activities and worked up appetites we all decided to stop for dinner at La Rosa Pizzeria in Las Cruces which offers a variety of excellent Italian food and several wines from their winery. Theres nothing like enjoying good hospitality with great friends. It was a fitting end to a busy but fun day.
Roaming Rays
1. Valley of Fires Recreation Area. 2023. “Welcome to the Valley of Fires Nature Trail” Bureau of Land Management Roswell Field Office. https://www.recreation.gov/camping/gateways/1803
2. Pyle, Allen. 2023. “Expert Advice. Understanding Gypsum”. Earth Science. https://www.earthsciencegrowing.com/expert-advice/understanding-gypsum/
3. National Park Service. 2022, Jan. 20. “Geology of White Sands” White Sands National Park New Mexico. https://www.nps.gov/whsa/learn/geology-of-white-sands.htm
Roaming Rays 