Day 4: White Sands National Monument and drive to Santa Fe, NM

I've been looking forward to this since I decided to do a New Mexico road trip a few weeks ago. I woke up excited just after sunrise. It was a bit cold, around 45 degrees, but the sun was high. Checking the weather online I saw that it was going to be closer to 60 degrees within a few short hours. Perfect. I gathered my things, stuffed them in my car along with Brody and headed out to do the fifteen-minute drive to White Sands National Monument.

White Sands National Monument is 275 square miles of white gypsum sand dunes. From even a short distance away they can look like rolling hills of snow. It's like the ultimate landscape to film a scene from Star Wars.

This site is extraordinarily rare in the world. Gypsum, which is a sulfate mineral, is normally found near an ocean where it can dissolve. However, being at the base of an oceanless New Mexican mountain, the mineral has instead solidified into sand-like particles, which over time, formed spectacular dunes that are truly a sight to see.

You would never know you're about to enter this alien landscape until the minute you arrive at the park entrance. There are slight hints a few minutes before you see the park sign, but unless you knew what to expect, it would seem like you've suddenly walked from one film set to another, of two totally different shows.

Normally I'd stop at the Visitors Center, but for this, I was too eager to walk the white dunes. Even Brody seemed to perk up, getting on his hind legs to look out the window and admire once the dunes started to engulf the car in height. The gypsum hills are more than twice my height, and as I drove down the main road, they seemed to get bigger and grander with each minute. Any vegetation that poked out of the sand earlier in the drive was now completely gone and all you saw for miles of the eye was glistening white hills. Being a Californian and associating sandy stretches with booming oceans, I almost expected to see waves just over the hill at any moment.

I wasn't sure the best place to stop. I saw a number of signs for trails but was being oddly indecisive. I drove a bit further until I saw a large pullout about two miles into the eight-mile loop. I pulled up the car, grabbed my purse and Brody, and started towards the sand.

The hills had a waved texture that tapered from top to bottom -- clearly an erosion from the wind. As has been a common occurrence during this trip, there wasn't a soul in sight. In fact, there wasn't even a park attendant at the front entrance.

Walking up the dune was no different in difficulty than walking on a beach, but the sand was much finer and softer than any beach I'd encountered. I can see why sledding is such a popular activity here.

At first, Brody was apprehensive walking up the hill, but with a little tug and eventual freedom from his leash, he was in heaven. I couldn't let him get too far though, he blended in with the dunes completely and that freaked me out to not be able to see him.

We just walked along the hills and admired the landscape for about an hour. As we strolled, the sun rose higher and the day got warmer. I tried taking off my shoes to walk on the gypsum directly but quickly put them back on -- the sand was ice cold. I now know why Brody seemed so nervous at first.

It would be easy to get a little lost on these dunes if you weren't tracking where you came from. Luckily, you do make footprints as you walk along the hills. But if I had gone on a dune that was frequently wandered, I could see myself following the wrong footsteps at times. Regardless, Brody and I walked parallel to the road so it would be an easy walk back when needed. I wished I'd bring some lunch to picnic here, but alas, all I had with me was some water and a ball for fetch. Brody was too distracted by the fun of running in the dunes to play properly though. I didn't mind, there was too much to look out onto and smile without any added toys.

On the walk back to the car, I saw some other tourists for the first time. It was a cute family with little kids sledding down the hills in glee. I considered going back to the Visitors Center and renting a sled as it looked like so much fun, but unfortunately, it was almost 10:30am and I had to get going. There was still so much to do today. I wished I had planned differently and give myself a full day here. Next time, I want to be here for the sunrise. I think seeing pink and orange skies over the white hills would be breathtaking.

Reluctantly, Brody and I got back to the car for the drive back. I finished the loop around the park for one last look at the white waves and within twenty minutes was back out onto the road towards Alamogordo and the Space Museum, which was next on our list.

The New Mexico Museum of Space History is a Smithsonian affiliate located in Alamogordo. I thought it was odd that a world-class space museum was in a tiny town in Southeastern New Mexico, but after learning the history of the the area, I felt quite dumb for not being aware of it prior. In short, the atomic bomb was tested just outside of Alamogordo and the area became an unofficial training ground for space program pilots in the 1950's and 60's. This was clearly an important region in our country's history.

The museum, though small, is top-notch. It sits on top of a tall hill that looks down upon the city in full view. Alamogordo looks larger from above than it does while driving through it. The front entrance hosts a large concrete yard filled with space artifacts and statues: spaceships, rockets, jets, and even the real graveyard of a famous space monkey. R.I.P Chimpanzee, "Ham".

I was lucky that they let me bring Brody inside. It was either that or I was going to smuggle him in with a backpack. I had the backpack ready.

The museum is four floors and jam-packed with real space artifacts. They had space suits from the first astronauts, dehydrated food from both the U.S. and Russian expeditions (look at those soda can tops!), large exhibits describing the science behind space flight and missile development and real life-sized space capsules to play in. Each floor had something new to tell and I was captivated from the first exhibit until the last.

The museum ended on the bottom floor in a play area where you can dress up as an astronaut for photos and build spaceships with giant bins of Lego's. It took probably around twenty attempts, but I finally got Brody to pose in uniform.

After visiting the museum it was almost 1 pm and sadly (but excitedly!), I had to say goodbye to Southeastern New Mexico. The next stop, was northbound towards Santa Fe.

The drive to Santa Fe from Alamogordo is anywhere from three and a half to four hours, depending on the route you take. I decided to take the slightly longer route which directed me through Albuquerque. I'd been to Albuquerque before on a previous trip and spent the time doing an unofficial tour of the set of Breaking Bad -- visiting the White's house, Los Pollos Hermanos and more. I still think of that half day trip sometimes. If you're a fan of the series, I highly recommend the drive-by's when in town.

This time however, I wanted to do something less fangirl and more historical. It was still early enough in the day that I was hoping to visit the Petroglyph National Monument (located in the city's center). I had read it was a neat and quick stop-over that allowed dogs. This seemed like the perfect place to stretch my legs after a few hours of driving. Plus, looking at a map there didn't seem to be much en route to Santa Fe on either path, so I expected to get to Albuquerque promptly.

The drive to Santa Fe took me back on the 54 highway in the opposite direction at which I came. I passed Pistachioland on the way back, coincidentally while eating the pistachio's I bought earlier. Instead of turning on the 70, which goes through Ruidoso and the Lincoln National Forest (the route at which I arrived), I continued on the 54 East towards Carrizozo.

The first two hours of the drive is through classic western desert of yellow grasses in the foreground and purple mountains in the distance. It was a familiar sight at this point. Once I came upon Carrizozo, a one-block town with a lot of character, I immediately turned left on the 380 going East, which after 67 miles would connect me with the I-25 for the rest of the way towards Albuquerque.

Right after turning on 380E I was struck by the sudden change in scenery. The brown and camel colored dirt that defined the deserts on the drive thus far suddenly appeared black and rocky. On the right, I saw a sign pointing towards something called "Valley of Fires" and it was only two miles away. I couldn't resist. Two miles up the road was a turn off into a picnic area that overlooked a shallow gorge. I pulled in, only getting glimpses of the valley from the car, and parked in one of the picnic stalls. I left Brody in the car this time while I walked out to the edge. It was amazing.

Black rock bulged and buckled from every corner for miles out. Its surface was partially covered in beautiful robust greenery of mostly cacti. It was a little windy, which created a nice whistle in the air, but it wasn't cold. I stood out and looked onto the valley for at least ten minutes before getting back in the car. As I exited out of the parking area, I read the sign that marked the area - "Valley of Fires" - this region was created by dried lava fields almost 1500 years ago. Further into the park there are hiking trails, campgrounds, and small caves for exploring. I've bookmarked this place for a future visit.

The rest of the drive up 380E, once passing the lava fields, was back to the typical prairie landscape I was familiar with. Every once in a while random spouts of short hills broke up the flat land. I was intrigued by the various picnic stops along the road every 25 miles or so. They were incredibly well kept -- just simple picnic tables with covers and trashcans on the road. Presumably, for no purpose other than to enjoy a packed sandwich outside the vehicle en route. I imagine this was commissioned along the roads during a time that family road trips and cross-country journeys by car were a more common occurrence. I appreciate that the state still maintains these stops, even if they are likely used rarely these days, especially on small state roads like this one.

Eventually I caught up with I-25, an interstate that runs directly parallel to the great Rio Grande. Unsurprisingly, there were more drivers on this road and more towns along the route to break up the setting a bit. I had about an hour and a half until Albuquerque but was pretty tired. I pulled into a rest stop just south of the town of Socorro to briefly rest up.

I was a bit surprised by the actual stop. It hosted a series of unusual raised boxy rooms situated alongside the highway. They looked very similar to a scene you'd see on the beaches of California overlooking the ocean. The historical marker, a sign that detailed the area, informed me that this particular spot is called "Rio Salado Sand Dunes" and overlooks a series of ever-shifting sand dunes from the normally dry Rio Salado. It was an unexpectedly fitting coincidence to start my day in Sand Dunes and essentially end it in a similar fashion.

I walked around the rest area and observed the slightly overgrown dunes in the distance from the raised overlooking rooms (which were really covered picnic tables). Of course, these dunes weren't pristine white hills like seen this morning, but in their own right, they were interesting and beautiful. Afterwards, I took a short 20 minute nap in my car before finishing the journey towards Santa Fe.

When I woke up I realized it was already late afternoon. I had an hour left before Albuquerque and due to my stop at the Valley of Fires and nap at the Rio Salado, I lost an hour that I was expecting to spend at the Petroglyph National Monument (which closes at five). It was 3pm.

As I drove closer to Albuquerque the clouds were closing in. It appeared as though sunset was coming early tonight. Luckily it didn't rain, but it did drop in temperature a good ten degrees -- making me crank up my heater and turn on milder music for the road (I chose Iron & Wine). Brody napped on my lap.

Pulling into Albuquerque, I decided to forgo the park, as I only had an hour to enjoy it and it was a bit cold. Instead, I decided on dinner, realizing I hadn't eaten at all today. I tried to ignore the fact that I added almost 45 minutes to my drive for the pure purpose of hitting up the Petroglyph National Monument (and now I wasn't even going to see it), but I admit I had a few moments of irritation with myself. Luckily that passed quickly remembering that the drive is part of the journey...if it wasn't, I would have flown.

For dinner, I chose something light and healthy. I've been eating a lot of heavy meals lately and needed a bit of a break. I looked up restaurants nearby and settled on a place called Fig and Fork just a few miles off the highway. It was a small casual salad and sandwich place situated between a gas station and brewery just next to the Uptown shopping center. It was close to freezing outside but I didn't want to leave Brody stuck in the car (after, you know, hours of being stuck in the car). So I bundled up and chose to sit on the patio with him. The waitress clearly was confused when I asked for outdoor seating. Maybe she just thought I was an Arctic Queen that laughed at the thought of these temperatures being "cold". At least, that's what I imagined I was to stay warm.

I ordered a salad and raspberry iced tea. This place is adorable and when they serve the salads they come on metal cafeteria trays with each ingredient displayed in individual rows, creating a "salad flag" of sorts. I loved the presentation, and it was only made better by the actual meal being delicious. This place was a total win in my mind, I'd rate them a 9/10, only losing one point for being a bit overpriced. I ate quickly as it only got colder with each passing minute.

After dinner, I went straight to Santa Fe. The drive from Albuquerque to Santa Fe is only an hour. I was ready to crash in my hotel for the night. Plus, Santa Fe is the longest stay of my adventure, as I'm planning to be here for four nights.

The drive was uneventful with the exception of one thing -- the sunset. Driving towards Santa Fe you start to see glimpses of the mountains in the distance that surround the city. As the sun set, they were bright purple and enclosed in a glow of vibrant blue, orange and pink. All the colorful layers faded into the darkening daytime sky. Since the sun was setting behind me, I was watching the affect of the sunset in front of me, while on the road.

Magically, in one split surreal moment, the clouds broke lose and the sky lit on fire. It was the brightest orange and yellow I'd ever seen from a sunset and it was as though I was being called upon by God or abducted by aliens (which we all know are probably the same thing). All other colors in the landscape evaporated into this fiery orange. Two minutes later, the clouds moved back and the purple and pink sky came back into view. I can see how ancient civilizations worshiped the sun -- moments like that do feel very spiritual.

I made it to Santa Fe just after sunset. Navigating to my hotel (a Bed and Breakfast right in the center of downtown), brought me through the old Santa Fe Trail. The BnB was only a few miles off of the interstate. It was dark, but I could already tell I'd love Santa Fe. Every building is adobe style, and along the narrow road that led to my Bed and Breakfast, many of these homes had lit up luminaria's outlining their flat pueblo-styled roofs. It was quite a sight for my first time in the city and made me excited to explore it all tomorrow in the daylight.

My Bed and Breakfast is called Hacienda Nicholas and I'm staying in the Chamisa Suite. This is the most adorable hotel I've ever stayed at. The room features a private entrance, large private patio, and the bathroom is covered in bright yellow and blue decorated tiles. The bedroom has a large king bed facing a private kiva fireplace that I instantly lit up upon entering the room and cozying up with Brody. Since this is a Bed and Breakfast, the hotel serves home cooked breakfasts each morning in the main house kitchen, which was adjacent to my little adobe home. They even left me a personal welcome message and some hello gifts: wine, cheese and crackers. What a perfect way to end my day -- Listening to the crackling fire after a glass of wine.

Today took me to Northern New Mexico for the first rime. It was sad to say goodbye to the region I'd spent the last few days falling in love with, but I'm looking forward to encountering the wonders of the North that have become immortalized in road trip movies and songs for generations. Santa Fe is also the capital of the state and holds so much history, it's going to be impossible to experience it all in just a few short days, but I'm sure as hell going to try. Nothing is impossible if you you want it enough.

Hello and Good Night, Santa Fe! I can't wait to properly meet you tomorrow.

Dallas, Texas to Santa Fe, NM

Day 4: White Sands National Monument and drive to Santa Fe, NM

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