We’ve been busy since our successful battery install in Yuma. While dry camping (to run the batteries through their paces), we decided to do a car tour of Yuma. Yuma is the source of a lot of the fruits and vegetables in the USA. So, we hopped into the Jeep to see what we could see. We weren’t satisfied with staying on the paved roads. It was on the “roads” between the irrigated field for us! Yes, these dirt irrigation roads are on the GPS!
Sunday drive…amongst the irrigated fields.
Trees! Date trees to be exact.
A crew picking dates.
Artichokes in one of the fields.
Orange trees everywhere.
Chiricahua National Monument
We departed Yuma on Monday morning and headed east. Tucson was on the way, so my parents met us there for one last lunch together. Then it was on to Willcox for a night of FREE camping at the Willcox Visitor’s Center Thanks city of Willcox). The next morning, we headed south for a quick drive through Chiricahua National Monument. The is a case of words and pictures not doing the place justice. Erosion has blown away the soft sands and left columns of harder rocks standing. I took way too many pictures to include here. The valley of the columns was pretty spectacular. If you ever get a chance, this is a place to definitely visit.
Erosion has worn away the soft rock and left the harder rock still standing.
One of the columns broke off.
A valley full of columns.
Las Cruses, New Mexico
We finished up the day in Las Cruses, New Mexico. I mention it only because of the spectacular view from our campsite. This is looking to the east over the city of Las Cruses at sunset. We almost decided to just sit here for a couple of days and enjoy the view!
The view from our campsite in Las Cruses, New Mexico.
White Sands Missile Range
Early the next morning, we headed to White Sands, immediately east of Las Cruses. White Sands refers to the Missile Range (government facility…lots of guards and rules…but also a museum) and the National Monument (huge white sand dunes). First the Missile Range Museum.
Welcome to White Sands Missile Range!
In order to get into the Missile Range Museum, you first had to get a visitor’s pass. That involved presenting a U.S. ID, getting entered into their system, getting photographed, and having a call placed to the guard at the gate to inform him/her of your arrival. Here’s the only government ID I’ll ever own that we had to present to the guard!
My official visitor’s ID for the Missile Range.
We were allowed to take pictures in the museum and on the museum grounds, but that was it.
The most exciting piece in the museum? An authentic Darth Vader mask. The Missile Range personnel let the Star Wars people record rocket sounds here. This was a thank you gift!
Artifacts used in the missile program from a company we used to work for.
V2 Rocket…the rocket design used to bomb England in WWII. It was also used to jump start the rocket program in the USA.
Missiles…and more missiles.
White Sands National Monument
Another 40 miles east is the White Sands National Monument. We saved this until the next morning. Gypsum (stuff that drywall and plaster is made out of) leaches out of the surrounding mountains. The high water table and gypsum granules serve to create these terrific dunes that are very easy to walk on. Some of the dunes drift 38 feet a year due to the high winds the area sometimes get.
Welcome to White Sands National Monument.
If you think this is snow, think again. It’s sand drifting onto the roadway. It’s appears to be an every day job to keep the roads clear.
If you didn’t know better, you would think this was back home. Nope, this is sand on the roads.
Cleaning up the road from the sand drifts.
We came across this sign and said “Huh? No alcohol only during the Spring?” Then we got it…there are colleges nearby. They are discouraging the spring break parties! As you look at the pictures, you can see why it would be a popular place (and probably IS in the summer). There are picnic shelters, hills to slide down (they sell snow saucers in the gift shop) and lots to see.
This sign gave us pause.
Shelters with picnic tables. This place must really get busy. That’s our Jeep in the foreground.
Sledding on sand!
We did some hiking and animal spotting.
This proves Jim was on the trip. He’s at the top of the dune.
Hiking on the dunes. Nothing but sand all around.
Can you spot the lizard? Look on the lower right. A true example of adapting to one’s environment.
New Mexico Space Museum
New Mexico (as I now know) has a history rich with Space Exploration contributions. White Sands Missile Range is only part of that history. So we paid a visit to the New Mexico Space Museum. It was a nice place housing the International Space Hall of Fame, exhibits, and of course, more rockets.
New Mexico Space Musuem
View of the rockets and missiles from the top of the New Mexico Space Museum.
At this point, I’ve seen enough missiles and rockets for a while. It’s time to continue our journey eastwards towards home. We’ll see how far we get tomorrow. If we keep dilly-dallying like this, we won’t get back in time to move Janelle home from college.
Just kidding Janelle.
So much to see in our country and I think that you are finding all of it!!!
The cool thing is we find these sites as we go. I had no clue that National Monument existed until we looked to see what was along our travel route!
Sledding on sand? Sounds fun!!
Fun as long as you don’t mind sand up your shorts. There were two elementary school groups out here for a day of fun….with their saucers!
I like the picture of Jim. I can tell he’s smiling
Too funny! You have good eyes apparently! 😉