After spending 10 fun-filled days in Las Cruces, New Mexico's second-largest city, Steven and I were heading home to Denver, but taking a very roundabout and long way that would take many more days. Our first stop would be the White Sands Missile Range east of Las Cruces.
Before leaving town, however, we were lucky to spot another of the water tank murals, the southern city is famous for, which depicts the state's history.
About a dozen miles northeast of Las Cruces, near the Organ Mountains, was a 1.2-million-gallon water tank decorated with murals depicting the history of the U.S. Space Program, from the Mercury program to the Challenger disaster. The attached Space Murals Museum was founded by Lou Gariano, a water executive and space enthusiast, who commissioned the murals on his company's water tank in 1991.
Our last shot of the spectacular Organ Mountains, which we'd first seen in Las Cruces:
I read that when the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) Museum was founded in 1994, its goal was "to preserve and display the artifacts and the role the Army played in operating the Missile Range and to integrate the Department of Defense, and international test activities that contributed to the advancement of missiles and rockets, the emergence of the nuclear age, and the winning of the Cold War." The museum's purpose later expanded to include the history of the land's native peoples and cultures, its flora and fauna, and other related topics.
Steven and I had to undergo a security check, be given time-stamped entry passes, and park outside the gate before being allowed to enter the base, where the museum was located. Before entering, however, we wandered around the mammoth Missile Park, where scads of missiles and jets, some of them household names, were on display.
The Patriot Missile:
The increased range and pinpoint accuracy of the Pershing II in 1977 were significant factors in the Soviet Union's decision to seek the Treaty on Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces, in which the U.S. and the USSR agreed to eliminate an entire class of nuclear missiles.
IGOR, a tracking telescope, was designed before my time to provide photographic records of missile performance up to 100 miles away.
A more recent tracking telescope:
Although I hadn't heard of Honest John, its name piqued my curiosity. Described as a simple, free-flight rocket as opposed to a guided missile, it was the first post-WW II American rocket to become operational and carry an atomic or explosive warhead.
The Sidewinder AIM-9 is one of the oldest, least expensive, and most successful missiles in the U.S. weapons inventory. Used by 27 nations, it is likely the most widely used air-to-air missile in the West. First developed in 1949, it was first tested at WSMR two years later. Between 1955 and 1959, 191 Sidewinders were fired here.
First flown in 1958, the F-4 Phantom was developed for the U.S. Navy and entered into service in 1961 as a remotely controlled target to simulate enemy aircraft maneuvers.
Upon entering the museum, it was no surprise to learn that Native Americans, including the ancient Desert Archaic and Mogollon people, once occupied the present WSMR. In the interest of space, however, I won't delve into the museum's multiple displays on White Sands' natural history, the history of early New Mexico, and the significant Battle of the Hembrillo Basin, except to note that New Mexico was the last of the continental territories to become a state in 1912.
As I wrote in the Los Alamos post a month ago, New Mexico was the new frontier for the atomic and rocket age in 1945, with the first atomic bomb being tested in the state. The White Sands Proving Ground, now the Missile Range, was established to keep the country at the forefront of weapons development and technology. The site chosen for the atomic bomb test was the Alamogordo Bombing Range, located near the Manhattan Project research lab at Los Alamos. Though near railroads and highways, it was remote enough to enhance security, and prevailing winds would carry any radioactive dust cloud away from the Trinity Site, but not into heavily populated areas.
As I already wrote about the U.S. government's perceived need to develop the atomic bomb, the testing of the bomb, and the scientists involved, I won't go into more of that here. Here's a link to my previous post:
The difference between a rocket and a missile may seem obvious, but just in case ... A missile can be a rock or any object that can be shot, propelled, or thrown at a target. In modern military technology, a missile has a guidance system to direct its flight, which is propelled by a rocket engine. At White Sands, a missile typically refers to a weapon, but rockets are not always considered weapons. We've all seen rockets, for example, boost astronaut capsules into space.
I never knew that the Chinese developed gunpowder-burning rockets around 900 AD, nor that the invention of motor engines in the late 1800s revolutionized rocketry. The first liquid-fueled rocket was tested successfully by American Robert Goddard in 1926. I certainly had no idea that when our sons attended Goddard Middle School in Littleton, we would be learning more about Goddard's accomplishments 20 years later.
His achievement was more highly appreciated in Germany, which contributed significantly to the development of the V-2 rocket during World War II. That spurred rocketry in the U.S. After Germany's defeat, many of its scientists and much of its rocketry technology were brought to the White Sands Proving Ground.
Not too long ago, when we heard the word "drones," we thought of the noisy, remotely controlled aircraft hobbyists used to film scenery or fun events. In the military, drones have typically referred to large, typically rocket-propelled, remotely piloted aircraft or even full-size aircraft. In military testing, even before World War II, they were used as targets for anti-aircraft gunners and anti-aircraft missile crews. The use of drones at White Sands dates to the early 1950s.
When the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was signed in 1963, it forbade atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons. However, the Defense Nuclear Agency, a government agency I'd never heard of, conducted a series of large-scale, non-nuclear tests beginning in the mid-1970s at White Sands to test blast and heat effects of new weapon platforms. Conventional explosives, including ammonium nitrate and fuel oil, were used to create explosions with the equivalent of a 1.5- to 8.0-kiloton warhead.
When President John F. Kennedy became the only sitting president to visit the missile range on June 5, 1963, he was shown the types of missiles being tested and fielded by the Army and Navy at the range. After delivering a short speech, he traveled to several launch complexes to view firings of the Little John and other missiles.
For decades, NASA conducted research at WSMR in collaboration with the Navy, and it became an alternate landing site for the Space Shuttle.
Befitting a missile museum, there were displays of supplies, paper sleeping bags, drums of water, and other items that could be used in fallout shelters during the Cold War.
The figure in the "duck and cover" exercise was created by students in the White Sands summer art program!
I previously wrote that units from the New Mexico National Guard were deployed to the Philippines during World War II, and that after the attack on Pearl Harbor, they eventually became part of the infamous Bataan Death March. In 1989, the Army ROTC program at New Mexico State University began sponsoring the Bataan Memorial Death March. That tradition continued until it was relocated to WSMR in 1992, with the New Mexico National Guard serving as a co-sponsor. Since then, it has only been cancelled for Operation Iraqi Enduring Freedom in 2003, and in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions.
As I'm generally not interested in either military or scientific museums, I was surprised by how engrossing I found the White Sands Missile Range to be. The comprehensive display of missiles and rockets, along with the in-depth history of the rocket program, introduced me to a world I had previously known nothing about. I am always flabbergasted, however, at how much what I would have thought to be highly sensitive information is available to just anyone at so many American sites. I cannot imagine that the powers-that-be in Russia or North Korea opening up a museum like this to just anyone.
Given the level of domestic violence we read about in the military, I'm conflicted as to whether it was sobering or enlightening to see the "Start Now & Unite to End Domestic Violence" sign on the fence across from Missile Park and the museum.
I think the same could be said of the "Seeking Help is a Strength" sign, with information on where to turn. I'd like to know your thoughts on these signs.
After leaving the largest military base in the U.S. in terms of geographical size, we drove along the Bataan Memorial Highway toward White Sands National Park, one of the few national parks we hadn't yet visited.
In the middle of a vast, empty terrain, just five minutes west of the park entrance, was a Department of Homeland Security Border Patrol checkpoint, just like the one we'd experienced north of Las Cruces a few days earlier outside of Hatch. It seemed like an odd location because there was literally nowhere anybody could have come from for miles and miles around without being seen in the flat landscape.
Most of the plants in the dunes at White Sands thrive in gypsum soils and tolerate drought. They withstand freezing winters and temperatures of 100 degrees or more in the summer. If that weren't enough, the plants have learned to survive by being buried in dunes up to 45 feet high, some of which travel up to 38 feet per year!
After parking at the Dune Life Nature Trail, a sign cautioned visitors to follow the trail markers and, if they didn't see the next marker, to turn back. Footsteps couldn't be relied on, as they disappear quickly in the shifting sands. We were aware of the usual precautions, such as taking water, wearing hats, and applying sunscreen. Still, we'd only come across similar trail marker advice once before, on a lava field trail, also in New Mexico. The temperature at noon was almost a sweltering 100 degrees, so nothing to trifle with when planning to climb a steep slope and walk in the sand.
I was curious about how plants could survive in an environment where the wind blows, the sand moves, and everything can be covered by shifting dunes in a single growing season. I read that plant species have adapted to these challenging conditions by either growing tall, like the soaptree yucca, which reaches above its dune; by growing fast, like the Indian ricegrass, which grows quickly in the spaces between the dunes; or by holding on to a part of a dune with a dense network of roots.
After thousands of generations of living in the white gypsum sand dunes, many animal species, like the Apache pocket mouse, the bleached earless lizard, and the White Sands camel cricket, are a lighter color than their kin just a few miles away.
We'd hoped to watch people using plastic sleds to reach the bottom of some of the steeper dunes, but, although we saw tracks, no one was sledding that day.
Although we would not have hurt ourselves much, we were careful not to get too close to the edge of the dune and risk falling over the 'cliff'!
Though called a wasteland by some and often appearing lifeless, there were a surprising number of plants and animals in the dunefield.
I found some of the sand to be unusually crusty in the largest field of pure gypsum in the world.
Much to my delight, it turned out that late May was a perfect time to enjoy the desert flowers blooming!
This is my favorite picture I took at White Sands. I'd love to know which is yours.
I wish I'd known which animal these tracks belonged to.
Even though the weather and time didn't allow us to view more than part of White Sands National Park, the miles upon miles of blinding gypsum made it a surreal and magnificent place.
Twenty minutes away was Almagordo, the town that functions as the park's gateway. It was where Steven had found some amusing (to us, at least!) Roadside Attractions. I hope you smile looking at these images.
A marker in front of the New Mexico Museum of Space History in the foothills of the San Andres Mountains overlooking the city commemorated the Apollo 11 Tranquility Base archaeological site on the Moon as LA 2,000,000. It represented the site created by the Apollo astronauts on July 20, 1969, on the Moon, 238,857 miles from Earth, with the specific lunar coordinates. This location marked the first effort to preserve the cultural heritage on the Moon here on Earth.
Close by was the gravesite for Ham, the world's first "astrochimp," who flew aboard and successfully performed tasks on the suborbital Mercury-Redstone 2 Mission on January 31, 1961, as part of Project Mercury. The flight was a crucial step in proving that living beings could function in space and paved the way for human spaceflight.
Ham, along with other chimpanzees, was trained to perform tasks by pushing levers in response to lights, receiving rewards for correct responses, and mild shocks for incorrect ones.
A well-informed docent showed me this picture to indicate how the shroud was purportedly placed over the figure of Jesus. He also pointed out other images on the shroud and explained their significance.
According to AI, research also focused on bloodstains on the shroud, finding evidence consistent with flagellation, crucifixion wounds, and a post-mortem spear wound as described in the Bible. The bloodstains tested positive for hemoglobin and serum albumin.
As both a devoted Catholic and an enthusiast of historical artifacts, the visit presented a unique opportunity to engage with a piece of history that continues to inspire awe and discussion. Regardless of one's beliefs, the museum was another 'notch' in New Mexico's belt.
Just north of Almagordo was another fun Roadside Attraction that showcased the area's proudest agricultural accomplishment, pistachios. The world's largest pistachio, on display in front of McGinn's Pistachioland, was named in honor of Thomas McGinn, 1929-2007, the founder of the highly successful Pistachio Tree Ranch. A sign by the pistachio said, "Tom dreamed big, expected big, and accomplished big things. He would have said this monument is not big enough!"
McGinn's Country Store had more items than you could possibly imagine related to pistachios. I'm not a fan of them, but it was still a hoot wandering around. Steven was quite happy, getting some well-deserved quiet time in the car!
The on-site Arena Blanca Winery was a good reminder that New Mexico was the first state in the country to produce wine, thanks to the Spaniards who introduced wine when they 'discovered' the territory.
Before driving a good chunk of the Billy the Kid National Scenic Byway, I again popped in alone at his namesake Interpretive Center in Ruidoso Downs.
One of the large mosaics out front was of the famous outlaw I referred to in previous posts.
Another mosaic was of the Real Smokey the Bear - more of that in a bit!
When we arrived at the Lincoln State Monument, it was more of an open-air museum than a town. The Lincoln County War, which took place from 1878 to 1881, was a land and cattle feud marked by violence on both sides. The area was wracked by retaliatory killings caused by a struggle to control the town's dry goods business, resulting in the national papers dubbing it "the most dangerous town in America."
As the town's Andersen-Freeman Visitors Center and Museum was closed for the day, we strolled along the main street, where the local feud had taken place. It also put Billy the Kid, whose exploits we have encountered in almost every town in New Mexico we toured, in the spotlight! He'd previously been causing small potatoes trouble around the state, but taking sides with the upstart Turnstall faction in Lincoln helped to solidify his outlaw reputation.
Many of the village's buildings had been converted into public monuments, although their empty state when we visited gave them the appearance of a preserved but deserted Western town.
The Turnstall-McSween store, erected in 1877, was a focal point in the war in which both partners were slain. The murder of John Henry Turnstall set off the hostilities. We peeked into the windows to take these shots of the 19th-century stock.
One of Lincoln's earliest structures was the Torreon, built in the 1830s, whose thick walls protected Spanish Americans against Apache raids. Sharpshooters used it during the Lincoln County War.
The Old Dolan Home was built in 1888 by J.J. Dolan, who also took part in the local war before becoming involved in county affairs.
Next to this home was the former site of a home belonging to lawyer Alex McSween. He rebuilt an adobe into a ten-room house, but the home was fired into to oust inmates in 1875. That was the final battle in the Lincoln County War. After the home burned to the ground, it was never rebuilt.
The Murphy-Dolan Store was built in 1874 as both a place of business and residence for L.G. Murphy, a prominent figure in the 1870s, and the headquarters of the Murphy faction during the war. After the firm failed, the store became the Lincoln County government center and the Courthouse for 33 years. I looked, but couldn't find the bullet holes fired by Billy the Kid into the courthouse!
In the late afternoon, the only sign of life we noticed in Lincoln was this bar. Other properties looked like they had given up, as sale signs were more plentiful than people!
As we left Lincoln, we could just imagine outlaws like Billy the Kid seeking an escape in the nearby canyons and mountains!
The town of Capitan was all about Smokey Bear, a tiny cub discovered clinging to a tree after a forest fire raged through the 17,000-acre Lincoln National Forest, in the Capitan Mountains in 1950. The badly burned cub, named Smokey, was nursed back to health before being sent to the National Zoo in Washington, where a generation of schoolkids got to visit the living symbol of fire prevention.
Ironically, the image of Smokey Bear was based on a cartoon bear named after NYC's Fire Chief in 1944, but the campaign didn't take off. However, the real Smokey Bear caught the nation's hearts. He died in 1976, but, like Elvis, his spirit lives on, especially in Capitan, where he's buried and almost every business name has a bear pun! Smokey even had his own Historical Park, which described the history and development of forest fire prevention, and where the real Smokey is buried.
Whew - we still had a 90-minute drive to Socorro, our stop at last for the night! But the views along the Smokey Bear Highway made the drive a delight, at least for me, who only had to knit to my heart's content.
Exploring the lava field in the Valley of Fires would have to wait until another time.
What a day this had been, starting with the water tank murals in Las Cruces, exploring both White Sands Missile Range and White Sands National Park, Alamogordo's shroud and pistachios, discovering more of Billy the Kid's exploits in the deserted Lincoln State Monument, and gazing at images of the one and only Smokey Bear in Capitan. Once again, I was reminded of how stunning New Mexico, also known as the Land of Enchantment, is!
Be sure to click on the photo of the circa 1938 sign, 'My Town,' that we found in a restaurant when we finally arrived in Socorro that night. How often do we now come across such loyalty to one's hometown?
Next post: Exploring the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge & the Salinas Missions.
Posted on June 24th, 2025, from our home in Littleton, located west of Denver. Let's hold our collective breath for peace in the Middle East once again. Be kind to yourself and take care of those you love.
