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Polaroid of the Week: Mesmerizing White Sands Dunes, New Mexico – Road Trip Highlight #1

Polaroid of the Week: Mesmerizing White Sands Dunes, New Mexico – Road Trip Highlight #1After nearly a week of road tripping through New Mexico, our journey has been filled with nonstop highlights. Picking a favorite for this week's Polaroid was tough, but nothing tops the spectacle of driving through the White Sands National Park in southwest New Mexico. We spent half a day exploring this vast 275-square-mile (712 sq km) expanse of pristine white gypsum dunes. Visitors can sled down the dunes—a surreal sight resembling people in shorts sliding down snowy hills amid 100°F (38°C) heat. The snowy illusion extends to driving: the paved road gives way to compacted white sand, with no slippery patches in sight. It's utterly otherworldly, especially in our white rental car amid even whiter dunes. It evoked memories of Argentina's endless salt flats, though those were flat for mile-long views. Here, venturing just a few hundred feet into the dunes can leave you disoriented, climbing undulating waves of sand to find your way back.

We embarked on the well-marked 4.2-mile Alkali Flat Trail through the heart of the dunes, humbled by the profound silence enveloping us. Overwhelmed by the midday desert heat, we turned back after 1.25 miles—a reminder that noon hikes aren't ideal, even with the reflective white sand mitigating some sun. Next time, we'd aim for sunset to witness the desert sky's vibrant hues dancing across the dunes.

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