Day 3 –
Cloudcroft, Ruidoso, White Sands NM
Tuesday morning
we woke up and drove to Ruidoso. We really didn’t know anything about the town,
but have always heard about it. So, needless to say, we didn’t really have any
plans while there. We drove around for a bit and then stopped at a visitor
center that had many statue horses. It was pretty neat and it allowed us to
stretch our legs and let Mason run some energy off. We couldn’t find the little
restaurant GPS was taking us to, so we settled for Taco Bell for lunch. It
started drizzling while we were eating. After lunch we drove to some little
shops to walk around. It sprinkled on and off, but not enough to make us leave.
We went to several shops and then it came a downpour. That? Was enough to make
us leave! We left Ruidoso and drove to White Sands, NM. It was about an hour
and 20 minute drive. Mason napped on our way – finally. He didn’t nap any of
the drive to NM!! That really surprised me. Anyhow, driving into the White
Sands National Monument you really don’t know what to expect. You drive for
{what seems like} miles before you get to mounds and mounds of white sand. It
was the coolest thing ever! The sun was out, so it was extremely hot to walk on
without shoes. But, we were determined to get to the top!! Hands down my
favorite place in NM so far this trip! We played for a while and drove around
the whole monument. Mason was asleep until our last leg of the park. I was
happy he woke up because I really wanted him to see the sand. He was a little
hesitant at first. It was bright, hot and he had just woke up. But he did play
in it a bit. We had such a wonderful time. That evening we ate at a little bar
and café in Cloudcroft. It was a neat atmosphere and the food was pretty good.
We went back to the cabin after that and got ready for bed. Mason had pretty
bad night terrors that evening and he and I ended up having to sleep on the
couch. He wanted to part of our bed or bedroom. It was a rough night, but we
managed.
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Ruidoso, NM |
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Ruidoso, NM |
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Ruidoso, NM |
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Ruidoso, NM |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
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Cloudcroft, NM |
Day 4 – Cloudcroft,
Alamogordo, Whitesands NM
Wednesday was
the day we had planned for The Alamogordo Zoo and Toy Train Museum. We ate
breakfast in Cloudcroft at the same café we ate dinner at the night before.
After breakfast we walked the shops of Cloudcroft a bit. Then we were off to
Alamogordo!! First stop; the zoo. We knew it was a tiny zoo, but wow was it
tiny. I think it cost like $12.50 for all 6 of us to get in. It was extremely
hot and apparently feeding time for the animals so we didn’t get to see any of
the cool ones. But we still had a good time. And? Mason made friends on the
playground. After the Zoo we headed to the Toy Train museum. We did the tour
and train ride combo. The tour itself was neat, but a little too long. My
little two year old doesn’t have an attention span that long. He was getting
bored and restless. Not a good combo when there are so many collectibles
around! Finally it was time to ride the train. Mason was so excited. He said, “This
is so fun, Mommy” and then throughout the ride he’d tell me, “I’m still having
fun Mommy”. It made my heart so happy to see him so excited. After the museum and train ride we drove through the mountains and did a little hiking. That evening we
went back to White Sands National Monument. Our pass was good for 6 days, so we
went back! It was even cooler and more fun the 2nd time. The sun was
down, so the sand wasn’t as hot. We had a blast!! We rolled down the hill, drew
pictures in the sand, buried monster trucks and just enjoyed each other’s
company. Mason would climb as high as he could and then slide down on his
belly. Sleeping was a little better that evening!! I prayed and prayed for no
night terrors. And? Prayers answered!!!
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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Alamogordo, NM |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
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White Sands National Monument |
What excellent pictures and what a beautiful blog! It's so nice to meet you -- coming over from Texas Bloggers!
ReplyDeleteHow crazy that I've actually been to ALL those cities! We used to spend Christmas in some cabins in Cloudcroft. We'd walk across the street and go shopping w/ my momma. Lots of great memories there. My dad even owned some property up in the mountains in cloudcroft!
ReplyDeleteAnd white sands!? LOOOOOVED it there! We would rent sleds and stuff and just have a ball.
Thanks for sharing. Made me remember some great memories.
(btw not sure if you knew you have captcha/word verificiation turned on - makes it a bit difficult to comment)
Mason is TOO cute! Also, love the apple barn and that sand is SO pretty.
ReplyDeleteYour little Mason is absolutely adorable!!! What a fun trip! I grew up in Albuquerque, so I obviously love New Mexico. I haven't been to cloudcroft, but I have been to White Sands. I still need to take my kids there someday. Cute blog!! I'm a new follower. :)
ReplyDelete