Gobi Desert

I am a big, big land full of surprises. Some people think I am only soft, warm sand, but I am so much more. I have tall, rocky mountains that reach for the sky, like big stone giants sleeping. I also have fields of green grass where little flowers grow. In the summer, the sun makes me very, very warm. In the winter, I wear a blanket of white, sparkly snow. I am a place of hot and cold, rocks and sand. I am the Gobi Desert.

A long, long time ago, friendly camels with two big humps walked all across me. Plod, plod, plod. They carried soft, colorful silks and yummy spices for people in faraway places. This was called the Silk Road. Kind families lived here, too, in cozy round homes that they could move from place to place. But I have the biggest secret of all. Deep under my sand, I keep dinosaur bones safe and sound. One day, a friendly explorer named Roy Chapman Andrews came to visit. He was looking for adventure. And a long, long time ago, on July 13th, 1923, he found something very, very special. He found the first dinosaur eggs ever seen. Imagine, little baby dinosaurs sleeping in their eggs, right here with me.

Today, special animals still call me home. Fluffy snow leopards play on my rocky mountains, and the strong Bactrian camels still walk on my sandy paths. They know I am a quiet place, but I am full of stories. If you listen very closely, you can hear my whispers on the wind. I hold the secrets of dinosaurs and the footprints of camels. I am here to remind you to always be curious, to look closely, and to find wonderful surprises in the quietest places.