Nice image. And I like the B&W better, just as you do.

You wrote: "The structure on the sand and the clouds in the sky created an exciting symmetric pattern with the leading lines driving to a big rock."

And I think that's exactly why the B&W image works better in this case. In the B&W image, I can see these lines and patterns better and they draw my attention. With the color image, all my attention goes to the yellow/brown color of the sand and rock, not to the patterns.