White Sands National Monument

I have another vivid memory of the 1967 vacation: arriving at White Sands National Monument just after sunset to set up camp. I suspect it was a full Moon because the sands seemed unnaturally white to me.  The sand is gypsum, not silica.  It has some odd qualities: it insulates better and if you stick your hand in, the sand underneath is actually cold.  (You can see why wallboard is made from gypsum.)

Unsurprisingly, dwellers have some interesting adaptations: