Photo By Staff Sgt. Jes Smith | Members of the Smith family, all dependents of Staff Sgt. Jes L. Smith, stationed at...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - When my family and I first arrived at Fort Bliss, we were all pretty shocked by the scenery (or lack thereof). We had just transferred from Germany where tall, dark-green leafed trees grow everywhere you look, and the grass on the ground is just as lush as the trees that stand over them.
Almost six long years in Germany made us just happy to be back stateside, but we could all see how dropping into a city that feels like an endless sea of brown can be a little depressing.
I often recommend White Sands National Monument to break the monotony, and this past Easter weekend, I took my own advice. My wife and I loaded the family into the van early, stopped by the store for charcoal and ice, and headed out.
While it took almost three years for me to take my family to White Sands—a fact that I now greatly regret—the monument was as advertised. From the very first sight of the white dunes in the horizon, it was exactly as we’d hoped. The unusual contrast between the dark desert foliage against the bright white sands felt almost like a mirage.
After going through the visitor’s center, we set out on a scenic drive that included places to pull off for hiking and horse-riding, a boardwalk across the expansive white sand and heavily shaded picnic areas that included barbeque pits and tables. The scenic drive also includes a starting point for a sunset drive with the time for the day’s sunset posted.
The visitor’s center has information for its scheduled Full Moon Nights, an open access to the park starting at 8 p.m. for moonlit hikes. The next planned hike is on May 9, but space is limited and the rosters fill up fast, so park personnel recommend signing up early. The national parks website also has the schedule at: (http://www.nps.gov/whsa/planyourvisit/full-moon-hikes.htm).
On our trip, my three children clearly enjoyed sledding down hills and practicing different acrobatic moves by leaping off dune tops. My wife and I enjoyed the lunch we cooked and the family meal we all shared much more, not to mention the calm, silent ride home with worn-out children.
But before I took my family to White Sands, I went on a scouting mission with two other members of my unit to take some photos and interview some of the people we knew would be visiting, while their children were released from school for spring break.
What really surprised me on that first trip were the families I spoke to. They weren’t military families at all; rather they were families that traveled from all across the United States to come and experience something that was just down the road from the Fort Bliss community.
One of the families I met was the Rouche family from Oklahoma, who had come to White Sands to meet with more of their family from California.
I came upon them as they were enjoying lunch at one of the shaded picnic tables. I was hesitant to interrupt their meal, but they were more than welcoming and willing to speak about the great time they were spending together.
The Rouche family insisted I take off my shoes and feel how cool the sand was between my toes. To my surprise, they were right. In fact, if I wasn’t driving back home in my co-worker’s car, I may have buried my entire body up to my neck.
When I returned home, it was hard for me to fully explain to my wife how wondrous the trip had been. I had to take my family out to see it for themselves, because words can’t describe it like seeing it with your own two eyes.
| Date Taken: | 04.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 04.15.2013 13:47 |
| Story ID: | 105208 |
| Location: | WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, NEW MEXICO, US |
| Web Views: | 326 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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