Overlooking a scenic bluff driving down Hwy 82 enroute to Alamogordo, N.M.

Alamogordo
If Lincoln is outlaw country, then this the land of the space cowboy.

The Space Shuttle makes occasional stops at Holloman Air Force Base (White Sands), which is also where Burt Rutan and his SpaceShipOne crew claimed the Ansari X-prize in 2004 for becoming the world’s first privately funded space flight. See a mock-up of SpaceShipOne along with other famous spacecraft at the New Mexico Space History Museum (pictured right).

Cruise up Scenic Drive for some desert sights by day; by night, look for a UFO-like encounter will a full moon cresting over the mountains.

Trinity Site. Science tourists will geek out over this place: the site of the first atomic bomb test, subsequently ushering in the Atomic Age. It’s open to the public only twice a year, on the first Saturdays of April and October. Spoiler alert: The tour consists of a 50-mile drive out to see the ground zero marker and look through the bunkers where scientists sat. Otherwise, there’s not a whole lot to see.

White Sands National Monument. Skip the demonstration on how sand dunes are formed. Instead grab your significant other and add blanket to picnic and watch the sun dip down over the sand dunes. The weather cools down considerably in the evening, so don’t let the afternoon heat deter you. Hours: Vistor’s Center, 8-5 p.m.; park grounds, open from dawn to dusk.