White Sands National Park
We made it to White Sands National Park! A new national park for all of us to mark off of our lists!
Our previous blog mentions how we plan our trips with a mix of preplanned stops and planning along the way. Each of our anchor stopping places are booked beforehand as we solidify the planning stages. Our camper is not set up with much battery or with a generator so outside of overnight road stops we really need at least electricity hookups (water and sewer are a plus also). We are also 31’ long so the airstream is longer than the max for many national park campgrounds. Thus, we try to find the best places we can as close to the parks as possible. The Alamogordo/White Sands KOA was our first planned big stop of the trip so our campsite and it’s included amenities were waiting on us when we arrived. KOA campgrounds are usually a little more expensive than other places we stay but we have a love for their consistency with large clean bathhouses, ample laundry facilities and playground/extracurriculars for the kids. After 3 nights of surprise stays, we were happy to get to the KOA. This particular campground was a total of $155 for the 3 nights we booked. As soon as we pulled in and set up shop, Evan, Gray and Kyrie headed off to White Sands National Park to get their first taste of it all and I stayed behind with Cruz and Phoenix to get Cruz some time out of the carseat and them both some time to just play while I cooked supper and got laundry started. It was just what each of us needed. White sands has one unique element from many other parks, it actually closes at night. it’s opening times shift with the seasons but in march it opens at 7am and closes 30 mins after sunset. As soon as we got the camper set up, there was about 1.5 hours to explore before closing and they made the most of it!
As soon as they returned a few hours later, the big kids had decided that White Sands is now on their list of top 5 national parks. They had a blast. This park doesn’t offer a lot of variety of things to do and see but it is beautiful and a lot of fun. The white soft sand seems to go on forever and tricks you into thinking there is an ocean out there somewhere (spoiler alert: there isn’t). They best part is that it's encouraged to be played in. Instead of “dont touch that/walk there/do that” it’s more “go wild” and that’s exactly what these kids did. We spent most of the next day rolling, jumping and sledding in the dunes. We brought our snow sleds from home but our campground had sleds and wax to borrow as well (the park gift shop will also gladly sell you all the fun toys you want). The kids were in heaven. The sand doesn’t stick to you like other sand does; it falls and dusts off so much easier so it makes cleanup much less annoying. Evan, of course, knows all the photo opps and had a vision for sunset photos on the dunes. It got a bit chilly in a dress as the sun went down in the desert but I’lll have to admit, it was a pretty cool shoot. Though you dont really need more than one day for exploring White Sands National Park, it’s certainly a place that is a must see.
With the park explored and bazillions of sand molecules played in, the next day we enjoyed Alamogordo. We ended up really liking this little New Mexico town. It has mountain views and all the shopping and eating you could desire. With two large military bases in the area to serve, it’s well equipped. I was able to score a Dunk’n coffee and even found my Easter dress at Marshall’s. I even got to go ALONE. Mom win. Evan explored the mountain area up above Alamogordo in the Lincoln National Forest and then we all went to see the Worlds Biggest Pistachio. Yes, I said pistachio. The area is known for its pistachio farming and the location takes it celebrations and use of it for tourism seriously. We didn’t explore the farm at Pistachio Land (though it was a great option for some) but we did enjoy DELICIOUS pistachio ice cream and about made ourselves sick with it. Game night (where I won Ticket To Ride Mightily) in the camper with another round of laundry (thanks desert dry air for your nose bleeds) summed up the end of our day.
