White Sands Welcomes RMOWP

Playing in the cool gypsum sands, White Sands National Park
Playing in the cool gypsum sands of White Sands National Park. © Don Laine

RMOWP’s annual conference is just a few weeks away (Sunday-Wednesday, September 26-29) with a good time for all planned in sunny Alamogordo, New Mexico.

In addition to photographing the glistening white gypsum sands of White Sands National Park, we’ll discover the real Wild West at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park. A must-see in the area, that we hope you’ll explore on your own, is Three Rivers Petroglyph Site, with more than 21,000 ancient petroglyphs. Other local attractions include the New Mexico Museum of Space History for a glimpse of the beginnings of America’s space program, the Tularosa Basin Museum of History, and of course the Toy Train Depot. Due to the ongoing pandemic, some of these attractions may have limited hours when we’re there, but we’ll try to get current information closer to the conference. 

Headquarters will be the Holiday Inn Express, 100 Kerry Avenue (575-434-9773), with nightly rates for RMOWP conference attendees of $135 plus taxes per night, which includes a hot breakfast. 

Although New Mexico is relatively safe from Covid-19, with one of the highest rates of Covid-19 vaccinations in the country, the state, White Sands National Park, and RMOWP are being cautious. At this time, the state requires that masks be worn at indoor gatherings (except for medical and religious exceptions and while eating and drinking) so please bring your mask. Masks are also required in crowded outdoor gatherings in the national park. We will have extra face masks and face shields available. We also plan more outdoor activities than usual and we’ll practice social distancing as much as possible. 

Visit www.nps.gov/whsa for information on White Sands National Park, and check out www.alamogordonmtrue.com for more information about Alamogordo and the surrounding area.