USA ~ White Sands National Monument - New Mexico ~

... Once more a fantastic surprise from dear postcard friend Andrene♥...  a beautiful desert scenery... looks like an endless sea of sand... the world's largest gypsum dune field... a great natural wonder... the glistening white sands of New Mexico... also this time with unique "White Sands" special National Parks stamp cancellationシ... Thanks so much Andrene!!! ✿◕ ‿ ◕✿

The White Sands National Monument is made up entirely of gypsum crystals that form dunes that stretch over 275 square miles. Located in the Tularosa Basin, the park and the dunes are fully enclosed; there is no outlet to water of any kind, so the gypsum never gets dissolved in water.

Gypsum, what makes up the dunes is actually a clear substance; the dunes appear white like snow because the gypsum grains are constantly banging into each other. The scratches then reflect the sun’s rays making them look white.  Gypsum doesn’t absorb heat from the sun, so even on the hottest day of the year; the dunes are cool and comfortable to walk on.

The White Sands National Monument is completely surrounded by military installations and is periodically closed for a few hours at a time while they carry out testing.

Stamps:

Penguins
(Issued 01-06-2015)

Neon Celebrate
(Issued 09-09-2015)

USA ~ Carlsbad Caverns National Park - New Mexico - UNESCO ~

... Spectacular cave view... called the "Grand Canyon with a roof on it"... Carlsbad Caverns in the Chihuahuan Desert are one of the world’s most famous, deepest, biggest and most decorated caverns ever found.... giant rooms of limestone, stalagmites, stalactites, cave pearls, and underground lakes....visitors to the cave can hike in on their own via the natural entrance or take an elevator from the visitor center... Thanks sooooo much Andrene!!(✿ ♥‿♥) (P.S. I'm the most lucky one that you found this great postcard for meツ)

Photo:© Mike Jones "The Big Room is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America".
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico. Carlsbad Cavern is one of over 300 limestone caves in a fossil reef laid down by an inland sea 250 to 280 million years ago. Marine fossils have been found in the rock.The caverns were forged by sulfuric acid – not water erosion, as is the case with most limestone caves and there are no flowing rivers or streams inside the caves.

The park is home to a large number of Mexican Free-tail bats. It was these bats’ guano that was deposited on the floor of the cave and sparked the guano mining industry. It is estimated that the population once ranged in the millions.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park was first designated a National Monument in 1923. It became a National Park in 1930. Carlsbad Caverns was also designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

Stamp:

"The Moon" Global Forever stamp
(Issued 22-02-2016)

USA ~ Bandelier National Monument - Tyonyi Ruins - New Mexico ~

... Beautiful nostalgic graphic poster postcard by "Lantern Press Original Poster"... this amazing volcanic landscape is among the most beautiful places containing some of the most unusual and interesting ancient ruins in the Southwest... Bandalier National Monument  isn’t officially a National Park, but the National Park Service manages it (so I will put it under NPツ)...  postmarked with the postal cancellations from the post offices in or nearest to the park sites, what makes it even more special...Big Thanks Andrene!! (✿ ♥‿♥)

Bandelier National Monument is an archaeological area and scenic wilderness of the Pajarito Plateau in New Mexico. Established in 1916, it occupies an area of 53 square miles (137 square km). The monument contains many ruins of cliff and open pueblos (villages) of pre-Columbian Indians, mostly from the 13th century.

One site of archaeological interest in the canyon is Tyuonyi  pueblo and nearby building sites, such as Long House. Tyuonyi is a circular pueblo site that once stood 1-3 stories tall. These sites date from the Pueblo III Era (1150 to 1350) to the Pueblo IV Era (1350 to 1600).

Petroglyphs, dwellings carved into the soft rock cliffs, and standing masonry walls pay tribute to the early days of a culture that still survives in the surrounding communities.

Stamp:

"The Moon" Global Forever stamp
 (Issued 22-02-2016)