Revisiting White Sands, New Mexico

January 12, 2018 by ThelifeofmaryreyesTravel

Hello again, friends!

This is one of my favorite places on this planet. I can only describe the aura of White Sands, New Mexico as filling. I feel full when I’m there.

As soon as I stepped out of our rented family van and started walking up the dunes it didn’t even matter that it was a popular day for the park. It doesn’t matter if it is busy at all because if you just continue walking, and if you get far enough away, it will feel as if you are completely alone there. Suddenly you don’t see any streets nor hear any vehicles in the distance. It is just you and the dunes. Oh, and a sled.

So it was the Reyes family, two sleds, our cameras, and a tradition remade on this unusually warm winter day in New Mexico. We held competitions on who could sled down faster from the steepest dunes we could find. We recorded our falls, our tumbles down, and our attempts at running back up the sand (which is so difficult).

I will always recommend people visit White Sands. If you take your passport you can even get it stamped in the visitor center. There are sunset walks, sleds to rent, and a small museum with tons of information on the geology and environment of White Sands. I specifically learned that there is water just feet below caused by a lack of drainage from the surrounding mountains which is why the gypsum does not blow away. Oh, and did you know the entire area covers two hundred and seventy five square miles?! Personally I think one of my favorite parts was learning what animals and creatures live within the Sands and spotting their tiny footprints along the dunes.

And by the end of the afternoon, as the sun continued to set behind us, far off on the mountains you could still see warm light sprinkle upon them. The sky turned a beautiful mosaic of orange and cobalt blue as we made our way over the dunes to our parked car.

As cold as I was by this point (I only had a t-shirt on) I couldn’t help but stop often and take photographs. It was too filling of a moment to pass up.

Trust me, if you want to feel…full- visit White Sands. You will laugh, you will look in wonder, and you will feel connected to something bigger than ourselves. You will feel full.

Until next time!

Mary Reyes

P.S. This is a very long photo set post! I couldn’t help but take so many photos throughout the day and honestly, there are some of my favorite photos I’ve ever taken scattered throughout! Plus, I love seeing the color progression throughout the set! I hope you make it to the end!