White Sand, Gray Sky - White Sands National Monument Coffee Mug

The gypsum dunes of White Sands National Monument rise from an ancient lake bed in the Tularosa Basin of southern New Mexico. The sands form an ecological island where desert plants and animals have adapted, some at an astonishing rate, to the bright and wind-blown world.

White Sands National Monument is located in the Tularosa Basin of southeastern New Mexico. The blinding white sand dunes are composed of gypsum crystals, and is the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Gypsum is rarely found as sand because rain normally dissolves it and carries it to the sea. However, White Sands sits in the Tularosa Basin and the the water and dissolved gypsum cannot escape. When the water evaporates or gets absorbed into the ground it leaves the gypsum behind as sand. The monument, created in 1933 by President Herbert Hoover, is completely surrounded by the White Sands Missile Range and closes about twice a week due to missile tests in the area.

I have been photographing the things I see for over thirty years. A resident of San Luis Obispo County, I'm lucky to have many excellent photo destinations within a few minutes' or hours' drive. Beyond the local area, I have traveled throughout California and the western United States, visited far away American destinations such as Chicago, New York, Florida, and Alaska, and international destinations in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. My photography varies from Architecture to Industrial Art to Nature to Wildlife and I'm sure you'll find something suitable for your home or office. Visit my blog