By Scott Shephard

Deb and I made it to Alamogordo, New Mexico, yesterday on the first leg of our trip back north. I had picked Alamogordo in part because of its strong connection to the Manhattan Project but mainly because it was within easy driving distance to White Sands National Monument.

We got to the White Sands late in the afternoon on a relatively warm and totally windless day. I can’t describe how surreal yesterday’s experience was for me. First, of course, there are the dunes, which are formed from gypsum, not sand. Add to this the fact people everywhere had sleds. Gypsum dunes are slippery enough to offer children (and adults) a fun ride.

But the most surreal thing to me was the pure and absolute silence of this place. I can’t remember ever being outdoors and hearing . . . . nothing. That I find this silence profound and beautiful probably says something about who I am. If I were embarking on a vision quest, this would be the place. Though I’m thinking that the silence and windlessness of the White Sands yesterday was a bit of an exception. After all, dunes that are 20 or 30 feet tall require some pretty strong breezes.

Deb and I are going back to the White Sands this morning and will get there just after sunrise. Who knows what we’ll find today . . . .