Las Cruces, NM - Part II

Having seen the missile range on the way to the White Sands Monument and upon advice of the two acquaintances of David and Sophie we decided to visit the White Sands Missile Museum located inside the military base of the White Sands Missile Range.  The operative words here are ‘inside’ and ‘military’.

We had to park the car and enter a small building just outside the gate upon arrival.  Here we presented the gentleman on duty our car registration, proof of insurance and all occupants’ driver licenses.  This process of entering information, taking pictures and answering questions (such as do you have any weapons in the vehicle or on your person) was the prelude to a quick background check before obtaining a qualifying pass to enter the base.  All told the time involved was approximately 30 minutes and I am convinced we were being watched to observe our behavior before allowing us to proceed.  Now remember, this is just to drive 1/8 mile into the base to stop at the museum, tour it and then return the 1/8 mile distance and exit the base.

The visitor badge is very restrictive.  It says valid only for the day, only for the location we declared (i.e. the museum) and has our picture and pertinent information on it.  Once we are issued our visitor badges (mine is shown below) we go back to the car and drive up to the gate.  Once we get to the gate, we offer the badges to the armed attendant and are asked to exit the vehicle while it is searched.  We open all closed areas of the car (the hood, interior compartments, back hatch, etc.) which are searched thoroughly by the attendant before allowing us to proceed.  Once we gain entrance to the base, we move directly to the museum to begin touring.  As you can tell, I was quite impressed with the security process.

This base and its history are very interesting.  As WWII was coming to a close, the German scientists working in Hitler’s rocket development made a decision to surrender to the Americans instead of the Russians (who were close to them and actually took control of the area after the surrender).  Once the scientists surrendered, the American troops cleared out all of the rockets, parts and papers they could carry in the short time they had before the Russian troops showed up.  It is these captured items and the scientists that became the genesis of the United States space program.

The V-1 and later the V-2 rockets developed by the Germans and used during WWII were supposed to terrorize the civilian population and force the English government to surrender to Hitler without invading the country.  It had the opposite effect and steeled the English resolve to resist the onslaught.  It was mainly the V-2 program that was used and tested at White Sands Missile Range to develop the rockets used in the military and space program today.

After the war, there were 300 train cars of V-2 engines, fuselages, propellant tanks, gyroscopes and associated equipment lined up outside of Las Cruces so the contents could be trucked to White Sands.  After the Americans learned about the V-2 and began experimentation, the rocketry program expanded and developed the vehicles for launching satellites and eventually men into space.  There are many examples of the types of rockets developed on display at the missile park, including the sole remaining V-2 rocket that started it all.

Two of the Rocket Scientists

Here they are discussing the next missile launch and test!

As our time to stay in Las Cruces comes to an end, we are struck by the strange beauty in this area of the country.  There are many beautiful sunrises and sunsets plus the stark landscape is surrounded by mountains that have some snow on them even though the daytime temperatures are very warm and pleasant.  But the time has come to leave Hacienda and move on.

Our drive from Las Cruces, NM to Benson, AZ was not visually impressive.  As you can see from the pictures below, there is not much to see or observe in this part of the country.  There are stretches where you see nothing but the flat land and distant mountains.  It seems as though this might never end.  I will let you decide if you think it is drab and unimpressive since beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Of concern to me were the warnings posted on the side of the road.  When I saw this I was unsure about what was about to happen to us.  We were fortunate to be driving on a day when there was little wind and bright sunshine so the warnings ended up being just that, warnings.

One thing that is interesting is the Border Patrol checkpoints.  Traveling as close as we are to the border between the U.S. and Mexico, there are numerous checkpoints that require stopping our vehicles and possible searches.  It does not take a rocket scientist (if you allow me that euphemism) to understand why someone wants to enter this country illegally.  All you have to do is observe the difference in the area north of the interstate in El Paso versus the area south of the interstate in Cuidad Juarez to know there is a vast difference in the quality of life in the two countries for the common person.  It is unfortunate that the criminal elements take advantage of this situation and the people to make riches or a living off the backs of the populace looking for a better life.

In traveling to Benson, we had planned on stopping at the Arizona Welcome Center at the first rest area in the state to eat lunch.  What we found upon entering the state was all the rest areas are closed.  This forced us to exit at a truck stop to take a break.  This was an interesting turn of events as the area we chose to stop in was not paved but hardened compacted earth.  This also turned out to ‘hide’ a few holes.  If you did not know, speed plus holes plus big RV does not equal a good combination.  We watched in horror and suspense as David and Sophie hit a hole that caused the right rear tires to clear the ground, rocking the RV violently back and forth, dumping the contents of the interior cabinets out.  We are happy to report this was the extent of the damage and all is well that ends well.  Both the occupants and the RV are safe and well.

After leaving the truck stop we climb into the mountains into an area known as Texas Canyon.  It is a beautiful place full of large boulders that seem to be perfectly balanced one upon the other.  Unfortunately the one rest stop where you could stop to take pictures was closed and we could not get any photos of the beauty to keep and share.  The terrain had definitely changed for the better.

Shortly after passing this area we arrived in Benson, AZ at the Butterfield RV Resort and Observatory.  We plan on staying here a few days until we move over to Tucson for the month of February.  We will post our experiences while at Benson and the move to Tucson in a few days.