When you think of a place to go for a family vacation, does Alamogordo, New Mexico, ever come to mind? Well... it should! In Alamogordo, you can stay in the heart of the desert and wake up to enjoy a few days of completely unique and memorable fun. Your kids will talk about the trip for years to come!
White Sands Missile Range
Want to take a really fun trip through a museum full of military missiles on an active test range? Well, we did... and it was amazing! With more than 50 missiles on site and an abundant history, the White Sands Missile Range has been used as an explosives test facility since 1945. The base offers a small town feel and the welcome station employees make that apparent from the beginning. Without military passes, we were required to stop in with our vehicle insurance, registration and ID's, agree to a background check and await our passes. Upon entering, we found two buildings, one featuring a museum, and the other, the V-2 Rocket. The visit was more than educational and, to be honest, something I wish we would have spent more time exploring.
White Sands National Monument
From the missile range you can travel just a few miles down the road to the White Sands National Monument and spend a day at the sand dunes! Hike the 5-mile Alkali Flats Trail (bring water!) or go sand-sledding down one of the hundreds of mounds in the park! Featured in the Tularosa Basin, White Sands National Monument protects the world’s largest geologically unique gypsum dune field. We were able to buy (there's an option to rent) sleds for the day and found one of the hundreds of excellent shaded picnic spaces to hang out at. Be sure to use plenty of sunscreen and wear hats (we should have all had sunglasses, too but that's how you learn) as it is HOT and BRIGHT! The kids loved every minute of it and didn't want to leave. Our next visit will definitely include a night of camping! This stop was worth the drive alone!
McGinn's PistachioLand
One of the best parts of Alamogordo is McGinn's Pistachio Farm, aka, PistachioLand. Home to the world largest pistachio, which was erected to honor the original owner and founder of the farm, Thomas McGinn, the bountiful orchard proves to be an educational and fun stop that's perfect for any age. This 111-acre farm features more than 12,000 pistachio trees, more than 6,500 grape vines, a motorized tour of the land, exclusive wine tastings, on-site winery, homemade baked goods and of course, pistachios... and then some! Learn about the thriving crop that only supplies a part of 2% of the nation's pistachios and be sure to take some home with you too!
In addition to what's listed above, there's the oldest zoo in the Southwest: The Alameda Zoo, the Toy Train Depot, the New Mexico Museum of Space History, New Horizons Dome Theater and Planetarium, the Sunspot Solar Observatory where they say you can see into the center of the solar system, Desert Lakes Golf Course and Lincoln National Forest! Kick back and enjoy the small town feel with a seriously amazing backdrop and community dedicated to enriching lives of their citizens city-wide.
