June 8: SW Road Trip Day 30: Carlsbad

We awake early. We patronize the continental breakfast, then drive up the mountain to arrive at the visitor center just after the Caverns open at 8:30 AM. While getting our tickets, we see the fellow with his 3 children on their quest to visit all the National Parks. They must be eager because they get into the Cavern a little before us and we don't see them again.

We start with the hike down the entrance way. Amazing!!! This is another one of those natural phenomena that defy description. If you ever get a chance to visit here, do it! We start with a steep descent into the caverns.

Entrance to the Caverns

Descent!

After about a half a mile, we are solidly in the Caverns. No natural light makes it this far underground; we can see only because of the electric lights. The shapes are wondrous. And it is so quiet. It is also cold, 56 degrees. I am glad I brought a jacket, which I slip on halfway into the descent. We are really fortunate to have made it here so early to avoid the crowds. During the descent, we are often in sections where we can’t see any other people. Here is one picture that gives an idea of the structures you see in the Caverns:

In the Caverns

We spend about 2 hours underground. We take the elevator to the surface. It unloads at the gift shop, so we take a quick look. After that, we decide to take the 9 mile High Desert panorama road (RVs, Trucks and Buses not allowed).

High Desert

It’s a mildly interesting drive. We see lots of birds and many lizards (all of which we successfully avoided driving over). After the panorama drive, we rejoin the main road (NM 7) and drive the 5 miles back to our motel. The WiFi is still out and I have to pay some bills today, so we drive to Carlsbad (20 miles north) to get some lunch and find WiFi that I can use to access e-mail, bank, etc.

During the drive north, Amy consults her iPhone to consider our dining options. She comes up with a 4 star restaurant called Yellow Brix. Amy has the Chicken Salad, New Mexico style and I have tortilla soup and enchiladas. Delicious. The setting was also nice; we ate outside on the patio.

After lunch, we find the Carlsbad Library where we have access to WiFi. I pay some bills and catch up on e-mail. Technology is great, when it works. After the library, we find an Albertson’s Grocery Store and purchase salad and frozen lasagna for an inexpensive meal in our room. Back at Whites City, we find the WiFi still down, but the television works, so we veg out a little, then call it a night.