Startling White Sand and Tantalizing Treats in New Mexico!

Sledding the Blinding White Sands in New Mexico

White Sands National Park outside of Alamogordo, New Mexico has been on my bucket list for a few years. I am a WW2 history buff, and the area has historical ties to the Manhattan Project and WW2. Unfortunately, the Trinity site has very limited visitation opportunities, so we were disappointed that we were unable to see that part of the area. Fortunately, we had an adventure in Los Alamos and learned more about the Manhattan Project last year on our trip to Santa Fe.

Since we weren’t able to visit the Trinity site this time, we spent part of the morning at White Sands National Park. What should one do at a place that has sand dunes? Sledding, of course! Tommy and Winston even got to come this time since it wasn’t too hot and dogs are welcome. Tommy took to sledding like a duck to water. Winston, well, he was little less thrilled.

One thing we were all amazed by is just how WHITE the sand is at White Sands. It is made from gypsum deposits from an ancient sea that covered the area. In many of the photos we took it looks like snow!

Delicious Treats in the Alamogordo, New Mexico area!

The Old Apple Barn

After a morning spent sledding down the sand dunes and climbing back up them, we were hungry and tired. So, we ate some lunch and had a bit of downtime back at the campsite. Then, Danny and I ventured to the Old Apple Barn. One of the people staying at our campsite recommended this place to us saying “They have the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted.” I will admit, the apple pie was pretty good, but I’m not sure it was the best I’ve ever had. The current owners have it set up as an old fashioned emporium. So, in addition to apple pie, the store includes pretty much everything you could ever want. From multiple flavors of saltwater taffy to old fashioned toys to outdoor decorations, they have something for everyone. The drive up there and the view of the mountains from the front porch are also pretty awesome!

Pistachioland

We were surprised to learn that pistachios are grown in this area. One wouldn’t normally associate pistachios with the New Mexican desert, but it seems to be a very successful enterprise. So, no visit would be complete without a stop at one of the two large pistachio farm/winery/stores in Alamogordo. We chose Pistachioland because of the giant pistachio out front. This was another place that shouldn’t be missed on a trip to the area. They have samples of all the flavors of pistachios that they make- everything from honey roasted, chocolate, garlic and even pumpkin spice. In addition to the flavored pistachios, they also offer a selection of wines and other local products. During the summer they have tours of their pistachio and grape fields and winery. They even had a pistachio alien! Thankfully this one did NOT abduct Winston.

New Mexican Food

According to Google, the town of Alamogordo has several great restaurants to try. We try to cook most of our meals at the campground, but Danny wanted to try the New Mexican cuisine at CJ’s Si Senor Restaurant. The food was very good. We really enjoyed the cheese sauce that they brought along with the usual chips and salsa. Our meals were also very tasty with just the right amount of spice. It was quite a long wait to get a table, but well worth it!

Our next video continues our journey to the Austin, Texas area where we see lots of wildflowers, and some surprisingly beautiful landmarks. In the meantime, check out some of our other adventures on our videos and blogs pages. For all the latest in TWT swag and books, check out our Merch Page. See you next time and happy travels!