Tuesday morning (January 3rd) after spending a delightful two weeks over the holidays with extended family, I departed for points west once again. I zipped through Texas (well, it's not really possible to “zip” through unless you're traveling across the panhandle) in two full days of driving spending one night at Lake Mineral Wells State Park southwest of the Dallas metro area on U.S. 180.
It was a leisurely drive from Mineral Wells along U.S. 180 all the way to Hobbs, New Mexico where I spent the second night (January 4th) at the Harry McAdams Campground on the northwest side of Hobbs.
Thursday (January 5th) was an even more leisurely and interesting drive, going north from Hobbs to U.S. 82 through the high desert and over the Sacramento Mountains to Alamogordo. In spite of the dire warnings on numerous signs on the way to the mountains, the drive through was really quite nice. The grades weren't nearly as steep as some I've been on. It was a gradual uphill climb through a surprisingly forested area and the descent was not bad at all.
That night I stayed at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, 15 miles south of Alamogordo, at the base of the mountains overlooking the city. The next morning (Friday, January 6th) I drove the short distance to White Sands National Monument arriving just as the visitor center opened at nine o'clock. After watching the very informative movie and viewing the exhibits, I drove on into the dune field.
The sand at White Sands is unlike any that I've ever seen before. The dunes are hard packed and easy to walk on but the texture of the loose sand in the top layer is unusual. Most sand is rather coarse but this sand was so fine and soft – it has a consistency somewhat like talcum powder, it is that fine. When you squeeze it in your hands it sticks together but then easily crumbles. Very cool stuff. And very, very White!
I walked the one-mile nature trail through the dunes and the boardwalk trail then drove on out to the end of the road. The last few miles of the road are unpaved – they bulldoze a road through the dunes with ample areas for pulling off to the side and large parking areas so you can explore the dunes on your own.
Stopping at the end of the road, I strolled through, around, and over the dunes for about 3 hours. It was amazing how easy it was to walk on the dunes. It was also very quiet, few other people were out and about. In fact, I saw no one else while on my walk until I was almost back at the van. Every so often a jet plane from the nearby Air Force Base would fly overhead. But the quietness seemed even quieter once it passed by. It was a cool 36 degrees when I entered the park but with the sunshine and no wind whatsoever it felt much warmer. Though it was short, I very much enjoyed my visit to White Sands.
Plants take root in the dunes and when the dunes move on, these structures are left behind. They are very hard-packed and feel almost as hard as stone, except when you move your hand across the face of the mound it easily crumbles into soft dust.
It's hard to show it, but the top layer of sand is extremely fine and soft textured.
There were a few remnants of the last big snow storm (those white chunks in the center).
This was the only person I saw during my three-hour walk on the dunes. The bright white area on the left side is part of what remains from the last snowfall.
The top of this dune, where I was standing was about 35 feet high.
I saw very few areas of ripples like these, which surprised me. There was virtually no wind blowing on the day of my visit so these had been there for awhile.
The Sacramento mountains off to the east. Snowfall in the area has been light thus far this year, only the highest peaks are snow covered. All photos were taken on Friday, January 6th.
Entering the Brooks booth at Interbike was an experience that I can only describe as "trippy." Not only did I feel as if I'd stepped into a Skittles commercial - or at least a Brooks + Skittles "collabo" (Ride the Rainbow...), but I was seeing objects that, at first glance, distinctly resembled gun holsters - in a variety of lollypop shades.
Upon a closer look it became apparent that these were in fact tiny handbags shaped like Brooks saddles. The representative cheerfully explained that Brooks had the idea to make leather saddle covers to class up bikes that came with plastic saddles. But the project did not work, so they turned the would-be saddle covers into handbags - and thus we have the Victoria bag.
And lest you be wearing trousers on a bike with no chaincase, a leather strap in a matching shade could be just the thing.
As long as it all matched your handlebar tape. And your apple-green saddle.
Of course if you're not a fan of colourful accessories, Brooks offers the subdued "paratrooper" look in tasteful shades of gray and beige.
Okay, I really don't mean to tease Brooks so much. They had "normal" stuff too, like their regular line of saddles, a promising rain cape and their new city leather grips (which I would buy if they didn't have those cold metal sections at the ends). But something just felt a little off about their booth - as if they were on the verge of losing perspective.
Taking the classic route to fetish-appeal, Klean Kanteen draped itself in caramel leather, for a look suggesting vintage flasks. I like it. But the one problem I see with this, is that the outside of these bottles tends to always get wet and the leather is bound to get discoloured and misshapen as a result over time - something that does not happen with shellacked twine, because the shellac waterproofs it.
This particular Klean Kanteen had a wooden inlay on the lid with a Brompton logo on it, and may have been a limited edition model made especially for Brompton bicycles.
Sculptural bicycle pumps from Lezyne in stainless steel and wood. People couldn't stop touching them, running their hands against the surface.
A bicycle pump that makes you want to use it by appealing to your sense of touch? Okay, I admit I want these. You got to me, Lezyne.
Po Campo's new "self-referetial" print is really too lighthearted to be truly fetishistic, but deserves a mention. Obsessed with bicycles? What a better way to show it than to get a bicycle bag with pictures of, well, bicycles on it. Should leave no doubt as to your love of cycling.
Alternatively, you could opt for the new Logan Tote - a pannier shaped like a dainty doctor's bag and designed to carry anything from diapers and formula bottles to camera equipment and the i-Pad. The myriad of belts and buckles that come with Po-Campo bags contribute to the visual curiosity factor, particularly when a tiny bag ends up capable of securing things like heavy jackets and yoga mats.
The Brompton "Oratory" cycling jacket has gotten both praise and slack in the press for being useful/ unnecessary (pick one), sparking debate as to whether urban cycling-specific designs overcomplicate matters and undermine the whole idea of being able to ride in regular clothing.
Not sure where I stand on that issue, but regardless - the Brompton jacket has a number of fine details that appealing regardless of whether one even needs a jacket at all.
The jacket is corduroy, with a wicking bamboo lining depicting a drawing of the Brompton Oratoryby English graffiti artist, Kid Acne (Get it? Graffiti for an urban jacket? Graffiti of a building instead of on a building? Oh the cleverness of it!..).
But no tale of accessory fetishism is complete without a visit withBerthoud. I have an odd relationship with Berthoud bags, in that I tend to lose my mind when I see them - especially several in the same place at the same time. The shades of gray fabric and caramel leather are just right, the straps are perfectly proportioned... But when it comes down to it, I cannot bring myself to actually buy one of the bags. It's not just the price, but something about the look would make me self-conscious to have it on my own bike. 
A case of being too perfect? Maybe!
And then there are the panniers. These are available in many sizes and use the R&K Klick-fix system, which I love. But I can't get over the "corset" look of the side expansions - which, although obviously purpose-driven, to me seem to be the ultimate symbol of our tendency to fetishise bicycle accessories. It's not a bad thing per se, if it makes us happy and makes us ride our bikes more. But we each have different comfort levels. I'll go for leather, wood and twine, but will stop short of holsters and corsetry.
That guy has got a printer and a laminater in that box. His mate will take your photo. A few Yuan and it's yours.
The Co-Habitant has been riding his Motobecane redux creation for the past month, and as far as what he was looking for it is a mission accomplished: The bike is nice enough to enjoy riding, but not so nice that he is unwilling to leave it locked up in the city.
This project started out as a game of sorts, where the idea was to build up a complete bike using only parts we already had.
The frame is a MotobecaneGrand Touring that an acquaintance gave the Co-Habitant a year ago. Made of Vitus 888 tubing, it is nicer than the Super Mirage model of his former roadbike. Being a touring frame, it is also somewhat more relaxed, so it made sense to build it up as a transportation bicycle. 
Many of the components were moved over from the other Motobecane frame.
Others had been acquired in the past, waiting for the right project. It was particularly nice to finally have occasion to use these original Belleri handlebars. Surprisingly, they fit bar-end shifters.The combination looks eccentric, but it's convenient. The stem could be longer, but this one was already filed down to accommodate the French sizing, and we did not want to ruin another one.
Fizikhandlebar tape, in brown. The only exception to the "must already own it" rule, I bought this in Vienna (the brown and honey colours are not sold int he US). "City" brake levers from Velo Orange - these arevery convincingly "vintagey."
The least vintagey part of the bike is the SuginoAlpina crankset. We figure that the out of place crankset and bar-ends lend a sense of humor to a bike that may otherwise have come across as too perfectly French. This way it feels more approachable.
Speaking of approachable, initially we were not sure whether this vintage BrooksColt I'd acquired some time ago could ever be made ridable, as it had a nasty ridge along the center. I'd tried the "blocking" (water soaking) method, but the ridge persisted. However, the Co-Habitant managed to flattened it after a couple of rides on the water-softened leather and reports that it is now quite comfortable.
He mounted a Spanniga Pixeo tail light on the rear fender, and uses a removable CayEye headlight on the handlebars. 
In the future there might be a rear rack in this bicycle's future, but for now it sports a roomy (but rather inconvenient to open and close) Minnehaha saddlebag.
I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying the existance of this bicycle: Finally we can go out and leave our bikes locked up in the city for hours, without the Co-Habitant constantly worrying about his. It is by no means a "beater," but it is sufficiently unprecious for him to relax about its fate.
An additional benefit of having built up this bike, is that it showed us how different two models from the same manufacturer and vintage could be. This Grand Touring frame is exactly the same size as his former Super Mirage, but the front wheel on this bike is considerably "further out" - probably a combination of a more relaxed headtube angle and more fork rake. Unfortunately, he no longer has the other frame to compare exact measurements or to photograph them side-by-side. And while he expected for a bike with Vitus 888 tubing to feel nicer than a hi-ten bike, the difference between the two (with the same wheelset and tires) still managed to surprise him. The ride is considerably cushier and the bicycle is much lighter in weight (26lb with the build shown, not including the saddlebag). Having ridden this bike myself and enjoyed it a lot more than any other '70s-80s Motobecane bike I'd tried earlier, I am now curious to try the mixte version. A number of readers have written me about being disappointed with the ride quality of the vintage French bikes that one typically finds for sale in the US, so this might be a good model to look for. More pictures of this bicycle here, for anyone interested.