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White Sands National Monument

For the second half of our 2009 holiday break, we hit the road and headed South to the Land of Enchantment. Along the way, we stopped in Roswell to see the UFO and Alien sites, and also took a quick day trip to Taos to visit the Pueblo. But the main attraction for this trip was the White Sand Dunes, which are just South of Alamogordo, NM. This is a fairly long drive from our house, so we ended up doing a lot of driving at night when Alex was sleeping. Once we finally arrived in town (~600 miles from our house), we setup basecamp at the Holiday Inn Express, and then explored the dunes for 2 days. We hiked (Prince Alex rode in his Chariot), sledded, and celebrated New Year's Eve while in the Park....but mostly we looked, listened and just enjoyed one of nature's finest creations. No question we'll be back to New Mexico again soon, as there's so much to see and do here. Our 4 day road trip just scratched the surface.
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  • Had a few with the aliens in Roswell along the way.....was New Years after all!

    Had a few with the aliens in Roswell along the way.....was New Years after all!

  • Abducted

    Abducted

  • Interesting mural in Roswell, NM

    Interesting mural in Roswell, NM

  • Rough and Smooth

    Rough and Smooth

  • Self Portrait

    Self Portrait

  • A $10 sled can go a long ways with a 12 year old kid. Niko thoroughly enjoyed his time sledding down the dunes and performing aerial stunts like this one.

    A $10 sled can go a long ways with a 12 year old kid. Niko thoroughly enjoyed his time sledding down the dunes and performing aerial stunts like this one.

  • Mesmerizing patterns of the White Sand Dunes

    Mesmerizing patterns of the White Sand Dunes

  • I could literally spend months here and probably never get bored. Every step seems to reveal a new surprise in the landscape.

    I could literally spend months here and probably never get bored. Every step seems to reveal a new surprise in the landscape.

  • That's a long shadow! Alex loved running around the dunes and chasing after his shadows.

    That's a long shadow! Alex loved running around the dunes and chasing after his shadows.

  • Just another one of those happiness moments at the White Sands

    Just another one of those happiness moments at the White Sands

  • The whole crew celebrating New Years Eve at the Dunes...we watched sunset and had a bottle of champagne. Amazing night, but didn't even come close to the midnight hour...guess that's what happens when Alex's bedtime is 7pm and we're all in a single hotel room.

    The whole crew celebrating New Years Eve at the Dunes...we watched sunset and had a bottle of champagne. Amazing night, but didn't even come close to the midnight hour...guess that's what happens when Alex's bedtime is 7pm and we're all in a single hotel room.

  • Vegetation is sparse in the dunes as they're constantly shifting.....in the background, you can see Sierra Blanca which is the tallest peak in the area at just over 12000 feet.

    Vegetation is sparse in the dunes as they're constantly shifting.....in the background, you can see Sierra Blanca which is the tallest peak in the area at just over 12000 feet.

  • Sunset on New Years Eve 2009 at the White Sands National Monument, NM

    Sunset on New Years Eve 2009 at the White Sands National Monument, NM

  • Blue Moonset over the San Andres Mountain Range and White Sands

    Blue Moonset over the San Andres Mountain Range and White Sands

  • One of my favorite pictures from the trip....sunrise at the White Sands on New Years day 2010. It was actually a bit complicated to get this photo, but glad I went through the effort. First hurdle, the park doesn't open the gates until 7am, which is too late to be in the right spot for sunrise. So, I worked out a deal with the park rangers the day prior to open the gates an hour early just for me (amazing what $50 will buy!)....I arrive at 5:45am, and am feeling pretty good that I have the park all to myself! Into the park, and trekking out on the dunes. At 19 degrees, I'm feeling pretty stupid for the way I dressed. My excitement quickly fades, as my hands and ears turn numb. After about a 20 minute walk, I look around and think...it would be really easy to get lost in this place! Sure hope I can find my way back to the car. The wind is howling, and the light minimal as I wait for sun to rise. My attempts at photos prior to sunrise just up the frustration level as I can't accomplish what's in my head with the blue moonset. I start feeling like a complete rookie photographer, and wondering why the hell I paid money to freeze my butt off in the desert. Then the sun begins to rise in the East....I find a spot with some cool patterns in the sand and a nice untouched dune and setup the tripod. Only a few minutes of good light, better thaw out my fingers in a hurry! Setup tripod, meter, focus, shutter, apeture, all good. Freezing cold, but happy with the result.

    One of my favorite pictures from the trip....sunrise at the White Sands on New Years day 2010. It was actually a bit complicated to get this photo, but glad I went through the effort. First hurdle, the park doesn't open the gates until 7am, which is too late to be in the right spot for sunrise. So, I worked out a deal with the park rangers the day prior to open the gates an hour early just for me (amazing what $50 will buy!)....I arrive at 5:45am, and am feeling pretty good that I have the park all to myself! Into the park, and trekking out on the dunes. At 19 degrees, I'm feeling pretty stupid for the way I dressed. My excitement quickly fades, as my hands and ears turn numb. After about a 20 minute walk, I look around and think...it would be really easy to get lost in this place! Sure hope I can find my way back to the car. The wind is howling, and the light minimal as I wait for sun to rise. My attempts at photos prior to sunrise just up the frustration level as I can't accomplish what's in my head with the blue moonset. I start feeling like a complete rookie photographer, and wondering why the hell I paid money to freeze my butt off in the desert. Then the sun begins to rise in the East....I find a spot with some cool patterns in the sand and a nice untouched dune and setup the tripod. Only a few minutes of good light, better thaw out my fingers in a hurry! Setup tripod, meter, focus, shutter, apeture, all good. Freezing cold, but happy with the result.

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    Had a few with the aliens in Roswell along the way.....was New Years after all!
    Abducted