Pictures of the Week 2008-16
Hello All,
We woke one morning in Fort Stockton, TX and immediately knew something was amiss! We just couldn’t figure out what was different!! It was strange and there was this deadly silence!!! Then it dawned on us-- THE WIND WASN’T BLOWING!!
So, we hooked up the fifth wheel and headed west on I-10. Our goal--get out of Texas! At El Paso we turned north on Highway 54 and didn’t stop until Alamogordo, NM where we parked the rig for a week of exploring.
Our first adventure out of Alamogordo was to White Sands National Monument. At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world’s great natural wonders--the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The only word to describe White Sands is awesome! We highly recommend it as a place to visit.
We woke one morning in Fort Stockton, TX and immediately knew something was amiss! We just couldn’t figure out what was different!! It was strange and there was this deadly silence!!! Then it dawned on us-- THE WIND WASN’T BLOWING!!
So, we hooked up the fifth wheel and headed west on I-10. Our goal--get out of Texas! At El Paso we turned north on Highway 54 and didn’t stop until Alamogordo, NM where we parked the rig for a week of exploring.
Our first adventure out of Alamogordo was to White Sands National Monument. At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain-ringed valley, the Tularosa Basin. Rising from the heart of this basin is one of the world’s great natural wonders--the glistening white sands of New Mexico. Great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert here and created the largest gypsum dune field in the world. The only word to describe White Sands is awesome! We highly recommend it as a place to visit.
Photos with some Yucca Plants
or some other bushes make for better composition pictures. However, here is a photo that demonstrates
the immensity of the dunes.
The park service actually
plows the sand the same as snow is plowed up north to keep the roads passable.
At one location within the dunes the park service keeps a large area plowed and
has installed bathrooms and shaded picnic tables. The dunes surrounding this
area are used by families with children for sledding in shorts and T shirts.
The sand is so soft it reminds
you of powdered sugar. It was wonderful
to walk barefoot in. Dave left his marks
in the beautiful sand.
Our next adventure was to
White Sands Missile Range. Security is
heavy at the range and the only portions you can visit are the museum and
Missile Park. We were even instructed
that we could only take photos facing towards the mountains to the west. Of course where does the afternoon sun
set--to the west, which makes for lousy photos.
We complied and did the best we could shooting photos. They didn’t want photos taken to the east
overlooking the missile range.
We did point the camera down once to take a
photo of this cactus in bloom.
On the road into the Missile
Range we kept seeing warning signs similar to the yellow diamond shaped signs
we are all familiar with along highways warning of deer or elk. However, pictured on these signs was an
animal unfamiliar to us. We later
learned it was an Oryx.
The Oryx is an antelope from the Kalahari region of Africa. It was introduced to the White Sands Missile Range in 1969 by the New Mexico Department of Fish and Game as part of its exotic animal introduction program. The animals were expected to remain within the range’s boundaries, but they have thrived in New Mexico beyond biologists’ expectations. They now roam to the Texas border and north to Albuquerque, creating management problems for the Tularosa Basin and White Sands National Monument.
Oryx have caused many traffic accidents on the range and have even been found on the runways at Holloman Air Force Base. In its native Africa the lion is the main predator of the Oryx. Since there are no African lions on the missile range, the New Mexico Department of Fish and Game has instituted a hunting season to control the population. Licenses are issued by a lottery system. After receiving a permit a hunter cannot apply again. It is a once-in-a-lifetime hunt.
We didn’t see any Oryx on the missile range, but on a drive to Las Cruces Barb spotted a group on a hill beside the road. We pulled onto the shoulder and jumped out with cameras in hand. They are a beautiful animal with unusual markings. Oryx are about the size of an elk and the males have long curving horns in excess of three feet. The females have no horns.
The Oryx is an antelope from the Kalahari region of Africa. It was introduced to the White Sands Missile Range in 1969 by the New Mexico Department of Fish and Game as part of its exotic animal introduction program. The animals were expected to remain within the range’s boundaries, but they have thrived in New Mexico beyond biologists’ expectations. They now roam to the Texas border and north to Albuquerque, creating management problems for the Tularosa Basin and White Sands National Monument.
Oryx have caused many traffic accidents on the range and have even been found on the runways at Holloman Air Force Base. In its native Africa the lion is the main predator of the Oryx. Since there are no African lions on the missile range, the New Mexico Department of Fish and Game has instituted a hunting season to control the population. Licenses are issued by a lottery system. After receiving a permit a hunter cannot apply again. It is a once-in-a-lifetime hunt.
We didn’t see any Oryx on the missile range, but on a drive to Las Cruces Barb spotted a group on a hill beside the road. We pulled onto the shoulder and jumped out with cameras in hand. They are a beautiful animal with unusual markings. Oryx are about the size of an elk and the males have long curving horns in excess of three feet. The females have no horns.
One day we decided to get out
of the desert heat and drive up into the mountains to the east of
Alamogordo. We visited the little town
of Cloudcroft. The big timber and cooler
temperatures were a welcome relief. We then went through the Mescalero Apache
Indian Reservation into the mountain town of Ruidoso. We stopped at a visitors center where Dave
was surprised by the sight at the urinal beside him in the restroom!!
After taking a drive up
beautiful Sierra Blanca Mountain rising 12,003 feet, we then dropped back down
on the desert. Our next stop was the
national Three Rivers Petroglyph Site.
On the drive into the site we saw our first Diamondback Rattlesnake of
this trip. It was a small three footer
with about six rattles. Trust us--he
still commanded respect!!
Inhabitants of a nearby village made the Three Rivers petroglyphs (rock carvings) over 600 years ago. Over 21,400 petroglyphs have been identified on a ridge at the site. The people were of the Jornada Mogollon (hor-NAH-da-muggy-OWN) prehistoric Indian culture, of which there are no known modern descendants.
The petroglyphs’ purpose and meaning are not entirely clear. Some depict the animals and plants the people saw around them. Many almost certainly had religious meaning. The ridge may have been a good lookout point, a sacred site, a stop on a trade route, or a point on a territory boundary. We found the site fascinating and highly recommend it as a place to visit.
Inhabitants of a nearby village made the Three Rivers petroglyphs (rock carvings) over 600 years ago. Over 21,400 petroglyphs have been identified on a ridge at the site. The people were of the Jornada Mogollon (hor-NAH-da-muggy-OWN) prehistoric Indian culture, of which there are no known modern descendants.
The petroglyphs’ purpose and meaning are not entirely clear. Some depict the animals and plants the people saw around them. Many almost certainly had religious meaning. The ridge may have been a good lookout point, a sacred site, a stop on a trade route, or a point on a territory boundary. We found the site fascinating and highly recommend it as a place to visit.
Our final journey out of Alamogordo
was to the Hondo Iris Farm in the Hondo Valley east of Ruidoso. The gardens
have trails and picnic tables if you want to bring a box lunch--which we
did. It was a great place to relax
taking in the flowers and watching hummingbirds on the feeders. Best of all, there is no admission
charge. During April, May, and part of
June, the gardens are filled with over 300 varieties of Iris. Visitors, who are so inclined, may order
their favorite Iris(s) for August delivery or pick up.
In closing we recommend
Alamogordo as an excellent vacation point.
There are a variety of diverse destinations within short driving
distances.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns