"Since when does Grandma go to the dunes?"

Babbitt recently read that the White Sands National Monument is thought to be better than the Grand Canyon by some, that guests can sled down the dunes in cardboard boxes & that any time is a good time to visit...unless it is raining.  After seeing the White Sands in person, we'd like to clear a few things up & make some comments.  a.) While beautiful, the mounds of sand are no Grand Canyon.  b.) Cardboard boxes are NOT sufficient substitutes for plastic sleds...sadly we found this out the hard way.  c.) Apparently it never rains in New Mexico, however luck would have it that it rained nonstop the day before & we also got to see a short downpour while leaving the dunes.

View of the gypsum dunes from our first turn off
Gypsum is rarely found as sand because it is soluble in water...this is what makes these dunes so special

Babbitt looking for the rare bleached earless lizard...it's light blue in color
We learned that many animals living here have adapted over the years to survive in this unusual habitat

Babbitt throwing away our useless cardboard boxes...generously donated by Sam's Club
An extremely lovely family took pity on us when they saw how much we were struggling
with our boxes & lent us their sleds for a bit

The O'Babbitt's on top of a mound
They also had hiking trails, but we decided to skip those, due to the impending storm mixed
with the fact that Babbitt just didn't get it & made our way to Las Cruces instead

View from the Rio Grande Winery in Las Cruces
Although the view is spectacular, we wouldn't recommend going out of your way for this winery

Babbitt outside of the AMARO Winery after some wine tasting
This winery & the staff were much more our style

The not to be missed Nopalito Restaurant!!!!
This restaurant introduced the O'Babbitt's to their new favorite food...
New Mexico's Christmas Chile, which is a mixture of both red & green chile