Walkin’ On The Moon

Giant steps are what you take
Walking on the moon
I hope my leg don’t break
Walking on the moon
We could walk forever
Walking on the moon
We could live together
Walking on, walking on the moon
Song by The Police

We only spent two nights in New Mexico, driving straight through with only three stops: Billy The Kid Museum, World’s Largest Pistachio, and White Sands National Park.

Visiting the world’s largest gypsum dunefield on a sunny morning was like visiting the moon. Our brains interpreted the hard-packed gypsum road as a snowy road lightly sanded in winter. With constant shifts in the dunes from daily winds, a park employee is kept busy plowing and grading the 8-mile loop road and large pullout parking areas.

The outdoor temps were gorgeous and we walked barefoot through the dunes. Again, our brains were slightly confused by the visual and sensory conflict; the dune looks like it should be hot sand, but the texture of cool, smooth gypsum feels like talc.