Less than a half hour drive south of Amarillo, Texas is the mysterious terra cotta badlands of Palo Duro Canyon. Palo Duro Canyon is the most spectacular and scenic landscape feature of Texas. Palo Duro Canyon, which is known as the Grand Canyon of Texas and is supposedly the second largest in the USA. This is based on its length (120 miles) rather than depth, as although very colorful, rugged and scenic, the ravine is never more than 800 feet deep, so quite shallow by Southwest canyon standards. Its a very popular place for tourists, campers, picnickers, photographers, backpackers, RV-ers, hikers, horse riders and cyclers.

credit: Robert Hensley

Located at the northern end of the Chihuahuan Desert of Southern New Mexico, lies the amazing national treasure known as the White Sands National Monument. The closest major airport is in El Paso, Texas, a two hour drive away. The White Sands covers 275 square miles. About half of those 275 square miles are within the White Sands National Monument. It is also called White Sands Desert but this is not a desert of sand but a desert of gypsum. You will find there the largest concentration of white pristine gypsum sand in the world. The best way to explore the park and taking sunrise and sunset pictures is to camp there.

credit: Ariane Middel