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White Sands National Monument
At the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert lies a mountain ringed valley called 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.
Here, great wave-like dunes of gypsum sand have engulfed 275 square miles of desert and have created the world's largest gypsum dune field. The brilliant white dunes are ever changing: growing, cresting, then slumping, but always advancing. Slowly but relentlessly the sand, driven by strong southwest winds, covers everything in its path. Within the extremely harsh environment of the dune field, even plants and animals adapted to desert conditions struggle to survive. Only a few species of plants grow rapidly enough to survive burial by moving dunes, but several types of small animals have evolved a white coloration that camouflages them in the gypsum sand.
White Sands National Monument preserves a major portion of this gypsum dune field, along with the plants and animals that have successfully adapted to this constantly changing environment. For more info: http://www.nps.gov/whsa/
White Sands Missile Range Museum
At the White Sands Missile Range museum you can trace the origin of America's missile and space activity, find out how the atomic age began and learn about the accomplishments of scientists like Dr. Wernher von Braun and Dr. Clyde Tombaugh at White Sands. Displays also include the prehistoric cultures and the rip-roaring Old West found in southern New Mexico.
The museum also has a gift shop with items from local artists and a variety of goods featuring the missile range logo and other aspects of White Sands. For a complete list of items and prices call the gift shop at (505) 678-8824.
 Outside the museum is a missile park displaying a variety of missiles and rockets tested at White Sands. These include everything from the WAC Corporal and Loon (U.S. version of the V-1) to a Pershing II and Patriot. More than 50 items are on display.
To get to the museum, enter either the Las Cruces or El Paso gates and tell the guard you are going to visit the museum. He or she will direct you.
The Museum is open year-round. Hours on weekdays are 8 a.m. to 4:00 p.m and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Closed on Holidays. The missile park is open everyday from sunrise to sunset. There is no fee for either.
Photos by Art Schobey
For more information concerning events at the White Sands Missile Range visit their Website at: http://www.wsmr-history.org.
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