Blogs from Carlsbad, New Mexico, United States, North America

Another early day, alarm at 5 out of bed by 5:30. Today did not have to be an early day since it was not a travel day, but we did want to beat whatever crowds that might be at the caverns. During this time of Covid most sites, including national parks required timed entry so reservations in advance need to be made. We had the first time slot of the day 8:30. It took about 40 minutes to get form our hotel to the park, which is why we got up early so we could shower, have breakfast and head out. Tarragon was very happy to not have to get in the car today, he got to lounge on his new travel blanket in the armchair in the room. Breakfast was your typical hotel free breakfast, ... read more

blog 03-11-19 Terlingue to Carlsbad The start was slow but steady and by 10:30 we were on the road north toward Alpine. The nearest everything is in Alpine including the doctor. The people here in Terlingue and Big Bend Nat'l Park have to go to Alpine for the nearest doctor, 90 miles away. As a result the tour company's staff are extensively trained in emergency medicine. Lots of bad things can happen here so it's a necessary skill. About 1/2 an hour down the road an alarm went off somewhere in the back of the camper. No place to pull over, Watson upset and me worried it was a stressful 30 min til I could get off the road. I narrowed the sound down to the fuse panel on the upper cabinet so I turned off ... read more

Today's plan included, seeing Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains National Park, and Sitting Bull Falls. The in the past few days we have driven about 400 miles and it was starting to tire me more than I had expected, so Mi Hyon insisted on driving today. It was a great help and fun to sit as a passenger just taking in the scenery without having to watch the road. The day amounted to a marathon touring effort that was as rewarding as it was exhausting. We left the RV around 9:30 for Carlsbad Caverns and arrived in about 45 minutes, well ahead of the crowd that started arriving when we were finishing up. Words and pictures can never describe the beauty of the Caverns!! The Park Service has done an amazing job laying out the paths, the ... read more

Day 2 at Carlsbad scheduled for a walk through a piece of the earth that 500 million years ago was under water. This is the magnificent main cavern in the national park. To enter we rode an elevator 750 feet underground. We met our guide Dave who led us through the caverns. Although we were told no photos, Dave gave us permission. Out came the cell phones to record the beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. One small fact: it takes 80 years for these cave Structures to grow one inch... look at the photos and wonder how many thousands of years these stalactites etc have been growing. Onto Santa Fe, another 4 hour drive through the wild, Wild West.... read more

TEXAS San Antonio, the Alamo was first on our agenda. The chapel is just about the only remaining part of the entire fort but iconic and the story a legend. It was surprising to see so many countries represented in Texas's battle for independence. It's another scorcher, mate; around 105. So the next logical place to visit is the River Walk. It is a really nice area along a man made canal including canal boat rides. But the big draw is the shade trees and the coolness found next to the river. It is lined with restaurants and shops. We eat at a barbacue place but it's no where close to Memphis barbacue, Yummy. NEW MEXICO We leave San Antonio Texas on a 9 hour drive. More desert and oil and gas wells along the way. ... read more