White Sands, Mountain Surprises, and a Missing ID in Alamogordo

Our next stop brought us to Alamogordo, New Mexico, where one of the most magical landscapes in the country stretches out like a sea of snow in the desert: White Sands National Park (formerly known as White Sands National Monument).

This stop was hands down Piper’s favorite. We’ve been to White Sands twice now—once before we started RV life and again this time with the rig—and both times, Piper lost her mind in the best way possible. The moment her paws hit that soft, white gypsum sand, she went into full zoomie mode. Ears back, tail wagging, running in circles with pure joy. Check out one of her zoomies on this Instagram clip. Watching her run free in that endless white playground was enough to make the whole stop worth it.

Just Piper living her best life at White Sands.

While Alamogordo gave us desert vibes, just a short drive up the mountain is Cloudcroft, one of my favorite little towns in New Mexico. Growing up in the Midwest, mountains were something I only saw in movies, so the first time I visited Cloudcroft I was floored. Here we were, in the middle of the desert, and suddenly you’re winding up pine-covered mountain roads to a cozy little town that feels like a ski village. This time around, it was just as charming as I remembered.

We also planned to check out the White Sands Missile Range, which has its own museum and history tied to America’s rocket and defense programs. We drove all the way there… only to realize Patrick had forgotten his ID. No ID, no entry. So, we had to scratch that one off the list for now. The silver lining? It just means we’ll have to come back again—hopefully when the Trinity Site (the location of the first atomic bomb test) is open, since that’s been high on our list of places to see.

Between Piper’s zoomies in the sand, the mountain magic of Cloudcroft, and our “oops” moment at the missile range, Alamogordo gave us a little bit of everything—desert beauty, mountain charm, and another reason to plan a return trip.