Pros: stunning mountain views
Cons: dust, so much dust, winds that could almost carry you away, tent mishap
Next stop was a quick drive, just about an hour from El Paso. Our strategy for this trip is flexible planning: we have a plan and a timeline, but we left room for changes as needed. Our first change occurred on day 3.
Our plan: camp and explore the white sands in Las Cruces for two nights.
Las Cruces' plan: dust storm and winds up to 50 mph.
We were determined to camp, so when we got to the campground, we asked a local about how a tent would hold up in this weather. The local and his son had pitched a tent earlier in the day and said it should be fine- "As long as you're in the tent, it's not going anywhere."
So we tried, and it was a struggle but we were optimistic because the scenery was absolutely beautiful! Just imagine Derik and I trying to hold down a flying tent, dust blowing all around us, long enough to pitch it to the ground. It probably looked like a scene from a comedy. After about 15 minutes, and we were SO close, one of the tent poles snapped due to the high wind.
It was about 4pm, so we had time to figure out other accommodations. We messaged several couchsurfers in the nearby area and one saved us! We stayed in Alamogordo, NM and that place just honestly has a very weird vibe. It's where the first nuclear bomb testing took place. Our host was an airman, and was so nice to host us last minute. She was quirky and had a very close relationship with her adorable cat. We slept, and were on the road to our next destination a day early.
Lesson learned: do NOT attempt to pitch a tent during a dust storm and 50 mph winds.
Cons: dust, so much dust, winds that could almost carry you away, tent mishap
Next stop was a quick drive, just about an hour from El Paso. Our strategy for this trip is flexible planning: we have a plan and a timeline, but we left room for changes as needed. Our first change occurred on day 3.
Our plan: camp and explore the white sands in Las Cruces for two nights.
Las Cruces' plan: dust storm and winds up to 50 mph.
We were determined to camp, so when we got to the campground, we asked a local about how a tent would hold up in this weather. The local and his son had pitched a tent earlier in the day and said it should be fine- "As long as you're in the tent, it's not going anywhere."
So we tried, and it was a struggle but we were optimistic because the scenery was absolutely beautiful! Just imagine Derik and I trying to hold down a flying tent, dust blowing all around us, long enough to pitch it to the ground. It probably looked like a scene from a comedy. After about 15 minutes, and we were SO close, one of the tent poles snapped due to the high wind.
It was about 4pm, so we had time to figure out other accommodations. We messaged several couchsurfers in the nearby area and one saved us! We stayed in Alamogordo, NM and that place just honestly has a very weird vibe. It's where the first nuclear bomb testing took place. Our host was an airman, and was so nice to host us last minute. She was quirky and had a very close relationship with her adorable cat. We slept, and were on the road to our next destination a day early.
Lesson learned: do NOT attempt to pitch a tent during a dust storm and 50 mph winds.
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Beautiful campsite where we attempted to stay |
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| Passing through border patrol |
Haha! Would have loved to see that!
ReplyDeleteHaha!