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| Restored German VII Rocket |
The next morning presented us with a lovely 7 hour drive through the desert, and a campsite about 45 minutes outside of Phoenix. On the way out of the valley, we decided to make a quick stop at the museum at the White Sands Missile Range. After passing through the military checkpoint we spent a couple of hours walking through the exhibits including a restored German V-2 rocket captured at the close of WWII. Also on exhibit was one of the helmets used by Darth Vader in the Star Wars films- given to the museum in thanks for being allowed to record sound clips that they used in the movie. Outside the museum were dozens of different types of decommissioned missiles used by the US government at some point in the past. Interestingly, as we went through the checkpoint, we were informed that while on the base, each picture we took had to have the nearby San Andreas Mountain Range in the background (the government’s way to help assure that pictures and videos of US military experimental missiles from falling into the wrong hands).
As the sun went down, we found a campsite in Tonto National Forest among the sage and mesquite trees. With a flat surface to cook on and a level place to park, we settled in early to try and refine our technique for sleeping in the cramped cabin in the back of the Jeep. Waking up wedged sideways in the fetal position, it was determined that we had yet to figure it out.
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