WHITE SANDS MOTEL

White Sands Motel is a 15-minute drive from White Sands National Park on the side of Alamogordo closest to the dunes. The motel offers guests free sandboarding discs for use in the park, a service for which the White Sands National Park visitor center charges $25. Borrowing the discs at the motel removes the need to wait for park rental lines or opening hours.

White Sands Motel has Queen, King, Double, and Family rooms, all with air conditioning and private bathrooms. Some rooms add a seating area, and three-bed Family rooms accommodate households of five. Mountain-view rooms are available at the back of the property.

The included continental breakfast offers cereal, bagels, yogurt, bananas, and coffee. The breakfast area occupies two former motel units turned into a common room. IHOP and Applebee's are within one block, and D.H. Lescombes Winery is within walking distance.

Three-bed Family rooms give families of five room to stay together in one unit. The motel's free sandboarding discs and location 15 minutes from White Sands National Park suit day trips with children. Outdoor furniture and a swing provide a place to sit in the evening after a day on the dunes.

Free private parking sits beside every room, and the 24-hour front desk handles late check-ins. Daily housekeeping and fax/photocopying are available. Facilities for disabled guests, accessible parking, and non-smoking rooms are part of the property; the motel remains a same-family operation after more than four decades.

Location: 15 minutes from White Sands National Park

Outdoor gear: Free sandboarding discs for the dunes

Rooms: Three-bed Family rooms plus Queen, King, and Double options

Breakfast: Included continental breakfast

Parking: Free private parking beside every room

Services: 24-hour front desk and daily housekeeping

History: Same-family operation for more than four decades