26/11: White Sands --- Missiles and Monuments
Category: General
Posted by: The Agnew Family
Our goal for today was to visit the White Sands National Monument. As we were driving there, Ed saw a sign for the White Sands Museum and direct John there (John was driving). As the museum is on a US Military base, we weren't sure if Ed and I would be allowed on as we are not US citizens. Turned out we were. The base sits on a small piece of the White Sands Missile Range where, you guessed it, missiles are tested and have been tested since at least WWII. In the northern portion of the Missile Range is Trinity Site where the first atomic bomb was tested.
The outside portion of the museum were samples of old rockets, rocket launchers, etc. The inside of the museum had some rockets but also had a lot of information about the area before it became a missile testing area, the base back in the 40's and 50's, the missile dogs (dogs used to find parts of rockets after they exploded), the atomic bombs, etc.
John inside a MK 35 5-inch gun. Yes, the boys had fun.
White Sands National Monument is the largest gypsum dune fields in the world.
It wasn't as visible as I hoped but I wrote Zaph "heart" Cait.
Cait and Zaph had a wonderful time running in the sand. At one point Cait ran up a dune running out of steam about a yard from the the top --- good to know that even dogs full of energy can get tired running up a sand dune.
Sunset lighting up the mountain range to the east.
The outside portion of the museum were samples of old rockets, rocket launchers, etc. The inside of the museum had some rockets but also had a lot of information about the area before it became a missile testing area, the base back in the 40's and 50's, the missile dogs (dogs used to find parts of rockets after they exploded), the atomic bombs, etc.
John inside a MK 35 5-inch gun. Yes, the boys had fun.
White Sands National Monument is the largest gypsum dune fields in the world.
It wasn't as visible as I hoped but I wrote Zaph "heart" Cait.
Cait and Zaph had a wonderful time running in the sand. At one point Cait ran up a dune running out of steam about a yard from the the top --- good to know that even dogs full of energy can get tired running up a sand dune.
Sunset lighting up the mountain range to the east.