Carlsbad:
Our initial discovery of Carlsbad Caverns was late on a
Wednesday afternoon, when very few people were there. We felt like we were only people in the
Caverns, seeing the cave like the initial explorers (but with foot paths and
lights)!
The next morning we took the King’s Palace Tour where we
were able to go down even lower into the caverns. The chambers truly were fit for a king and
queen!
The town of Carlsbad offers other sites as well. We explored the Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park and the Carlsbad Museum & Art
Center. Here are some of my favorites from the Museum:
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| Mujer/Woman by Rufino Tamayo |
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Buffalo Dancers by
Glenna Goodacre
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Night Drum by
Allen Houser
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White Sands:
There were not many Airbnb choices, so we opted to stay in a
retro motor hotel! It was perfect and very close to White Sands National Monument.
We went to the White Sands National Monument late on the same
day we arrived in town and were rewarded with an opportunity to take a Sunset
Stroll with a Park Ranger. We learned
how the dunes were formed and what type of plant and animal life survive in the
dunes. It was amazing to stand on top of
a dune and to look around at the wave-like hills of gypsum sand – 275 square
miles of dunes! And to top it off, we saw a beautiful sunset!
We returned early the next morning, before the crowds hit,
and drove the entire loop – twice. We
took a picnic lunch and enjoyed it with these gorgeous views:
Weird and cheesy – that’s us, especially if we can have wine
with that cheese! We went to McGinn’s
PistachioLand. They have everything
there, including a wine tasting room.
The pistachio wine was interesting.
They also had an ice cream parlor featuring …. Blue Bell ice cream! But most importantly, McGinn’s features the World’s Largest
Pistachio Nut!
When we left Carlsbad we were
driving through part of the Chihuahuan Desert – flat, cactus and lots of
sand. It was close to 70 degrees outside.
There were signs that provided
step by step instructions for what to do during a sand storm! Then we saw a sign for truck drivers with a
picture of the upcoming steep grade.
Well, of course we figured we would go through some mountains. We saw them on the horizon.
As we got closer to Cloudcroft, New Mexico I saw a few
bits of white in the fields. My husband
said it was probably concrete to help with erosion into the ravines. Then we saw more and more and MORE
white and the temperature had dropped to 34 degrees! Yes, we were now in the middle of
snow – on both sides of the road and up both sides of the mountains!
Then we descended into the desert again, back to 70 degree temps. But what a view, we could see bands of white
far in the distance. It wasn't snow this time -- it was White Sands!
Let’s hope we can stay warm in Arizona!