White Sands National Park is a snow-white oasis in the middle of the New Mexico dessert. It’s truly one of the most unique places that we’ve ever visited… and with that comes opportunities to see and do some singular activities. Here is our recommended itinerary for what to do in White Sands National Park in one day! 1. Explore the Map of White Sands National Park Before you visit the park, it’s a good idea to understand the geographic layout of White Sands. The National Park Service has some beautiful maps of the park that help visitors understand what they will see and experience. A subset of the Dunes Drive map is seen below. This is the main driving route through the park that is available for visitors. You enter the park at the bottom of the map (the red road marked Highway 70). The yellow road is the Dunes…
This week-long road trip to seven southwest National Parks near El Paso, Texas made me a southwesterner at heart. I bet you will be too! This post lays out our easy to replicate trip to give you a chance to envision “what could be” on your own southwestern adventure! You’ll explore several National Park Units in New Mexico and West Texas, all within a few hours drive of El Paso. You could also treat this as an idea for day trips from El Paso if you’re looking for things to do within 2 hours of El Paso, TX. What Are the National Parks Near El Paso? Over the course of one week, we were able to visit the following National Park Units on our southwest road trip: Chamizal National Memorial White Sands National Park Carlsbad Caverns National Park Guadalupe Mountains National Park Fort Davis National Historic Site Big Bend National…
When unable to travel, I often dream about revisiting some of my favorite places. Recently, my dreams have been taking me to Terlingua, Texas a ghost town in West Texas in the heart of Big Bend Country! Here’s why! Three Reasons Why I Love Terlingua Terlingua, Texas is a super-quiet, quirky ghost town in Big Bend Country, Western Texas. We had the privilege of spending a couple of days in the Terlingua Ghost town during our Southwest road trip that took us to several National Parks near El Paso early in 2020. Ever since we returned home, both Jason and I have been talking about going back. Terlingua, Texas = Tranquility The primary reason that I love this tiny town is the unadulterated peace and tranquility! As we drove through desolate and immaculate roads and got closer to the casita that we had booked, I must admit that I was…