Alamogordo

While in Alamogordo we visited McGinn's Pistachio Farm, White Sands National Park, tried to visit the Trinity site in White Sands Missile Range and had our broken leaf spring replaced.

McGinn's pistachio farm added the giant pistachio and a short tour to add another revenue stream.  There is also a shop that sells pistachios and ice cream.

The worlds biggest pistachio.

Our tour bus

The tour consisted of a lap around the orchard but the guide was very knowledgeable and we learned a lot about pistachios.

We need to go back in July to hear the popping of the shells.  When pistachios get ripe the shells pop open.  During a two week period there is a near constant chorus of pistachio shells popping.

Pistachio trees

White Sands is a dune of gypsum crystals that washed down from the surrounding mountains.

Gypsum sand dunes

Gypsum sand dunes and the mountains the gypsum came from.

Dune sledding

We tried to visit the Trinity site, where the first atomic bomb was tested, but we were stopped by a locked gate.  We found out later that there is just one day a year when the gate is unlocked and you can visit.  The rest of the year it is the impact zone for live fire exercises for the military.  We'll have to get back there on the third Saturday in October.

We had to extend our stay in Alamogordo to get a leaf spring replaced.  See this post for more info.

We took highway 82 to leave Alamogordo.  The highway climbs to the town of Cloudcroft at 8,800 ft in the .  There was snow on the ground and people riding inner tubes.

Snow near Cloudcroft

We left the mountains and descended back to the desert and headed south east toward Carlsbad.

Heading east into the desert