White Sands National Monument is located in southern New Mexico near Alamogordo. It's a national treasure that features 275 square miles of wave-like dunes of white gypsum. The brilliantly white gypsum isn't like most sands that produce dunes. The dunes are so white, astronauts see them as they pass over New Mexico. The "sands" are dense making the dunes easier to climb than silica sand dunes. The gypsum has been eroded from nearby mountains and has been trapped in the basin where the dunes are located. Whites Sands is a playground for everyone. Families come to hike and slide down dunes.

And it's a photographer's dream. The morning and evening light creates lines and shadows that are breath taking. Throw in a full moon and something very special happens. The stark whiteness of the sands creates a challenge for photographers. As light changes throughout the day, the dunes can be white or a variety of shades of gray. I've learned the very best time to get "white" sands is in the morning hours.

Here are photos from a 2008 visit - with a full moon.