This whole part of the country is in an extremely severe drought. There has been less than 1/4 inch of rainfall this year. The evidence is everywhere. Dried up rivers, scorched and withered landscapes, gas stations whose marquees beg "Rain, baby, rain!" Wildfires are raging to the north as I write.
In many areas, you can drive for miles and miles without seeing any signs of life. It's a world apart from Gainesville, which teems, crawls and squirms with life in every crack and crevice.
The road between Carlsbad and White Sands, Highway 82, showed us New Mexico's diversity. We began the drive in the desert, worrying about our rig overheating with temps over 100 degrees. As we climbed upward into the Lincoln National Forest, the desert gave way to green and the air cooled. Wild turkey and elk could be seen among gigantic Ponderosa pines.
We made it to White Sands National Monument at sunset. We had been advised to avoid this park midday, as the white gypsum deposits could be blindingly bright, and make it easy to get disoriented.
The dunes went on for miles and miles, and the sunset was nothing short of spectacular. 
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