March 1, Las Cruces to Cloudcroft

We left the rest stop in Las Cruces before breakfast with no real itinerary other than to end up in Carlsbad in a day or so.  Our first stop was at an overlook off Highway 70 where Joel wanted to stop and see the Nike Missile.  Joel was stationed at several  Nike installations while he was in the Army after serving in the Viet Nam War.

Our next stop was at the White Sands Missile Range.

 You can't drive on the range, but you can park outside the gate and walk the short distance to the outdoor museum park and indoor museum.  I didn't realize there were so many different kinds of missiles. Most are   Cold War era but some are from as recently as Desert Storm.

 Fat Bomb Casing, which was the original prototype of the MKIII (original atomic bomb) and later dropped on Nagasaki, Japan.

 Original rocket launcher

 IGOR, Intercept Ground Optical Recorder.  It tracks the missiles performance during testings.

 Another type of telescope for watching and recording the missiles

Aeroshell flying saucer.  It was used for slowing down missiles as they landed.  It is believe to be the only one in "captivity"

Pershing Missile, credited with helping win the gold war.

Germany V-2Rocket. This rockets is credited for  launching  the US into the Space age. Dr. Wernher von Braun surrendered during WWII to the American because he thought he would get the best deal from them. The military and Von Braun's research  led to new technology which eventually led to  US space activity.

 The "gadget".  This is a 1/3 replica of the atomic bomb which was a part of  the Manhattan project.

Some remnants of the cold war (remember duck and cover).  The above contains toilet paper, commode seats, etc. 

 Cinetheodolite films a rocket flying through the air using the large lens in the center and camera behind much like a motion picture camera.  To me it looks more like medical equipment..XRay machine?

From the missile range we headed over to White Sands National Monument.

No, I'm not playing tricks on you, it's sand not snow.

I could not believe how white the sand was.  It's formed from gypsum and the winds make beautiful dunes and perfect for walking barefoot. The sand feels like powdered sugar under your feet.

 That's Joel taking a stroll on the top of one of the dunes.

 I just love all the wonderful patterns made from the wind.

I took time out to do a little dune sliding.  I used to do this a kid at the Asilomar dunes growing up on the Monterey Bay, so I had to give it a try to see if it was still as much fun.  Yes, it was. 

Joel decided he would try it too.

We left the White Sands and continued on to Cloudcroft via Highway 82 a short distance from the White Sands National Monument but at an elevation of almost 9,000 ft.  I think we are in for a cold night.