White Sands 5

White Sands National Park in New Mexico is home to the largest gypsum dune field in the world. Unlike most sand, which is mainly quartz, this is almost pure gypsum, ground down into that brilliant white. When I was standing there, the dunes just rolled on like waves, one after another. The sand was so bright, so clean, that there were moments when it just didn't feel real. It felt otherworldly.