Volume I : Chapter XVII
White Sands is surreal. I'm sure you've seen it, photos of it at least. There's nowhere I can compare it to and I wouldn't dare try. Maybe the moon? The best part is you can camp here and it's only three dollars. That three dollars means you get to stay in the park once they close the gates for the night, which, at this time of the year is before sunset and they don't reopen until after sunrise. You can have this place almost entirely to yourself; your own planet for three bucks. A steal.
In contrast to the stark white, the sky changes minute by minute as the sun takes its rest. At night its dark, really dark, the kind of dark that will redefine darkness for you if you haven't spent a night of out the city in a while. The moon is the only light and it gets cold but its forgivable to fall asleep early, you'll want to wake up early. We shivered throughout the night and set the alarm.
I made coffee, bundled up before 6am and trudged my way up the highest dune I could find and waited for it. The sky changes again all around you, different tones this time. You will be all alone and you will feel very small.
Words by: Kyla Trethewey
Start reading from our first day on the road or see all of our travel posts.