Day 14 (Carlsbad Caverns then to Abilene, TX)

Here are some pics from our trip to Carlsbad Caverns--I learned it's not easy to take pictures in the dark! (copy and paste the link)...

http://www5.snapfish.com/snapfish/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1632026026/a=3145779026_3145779026/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=snapfish/

Day 14 (June 23) was a seemingly leisurely day to start. Julie and I woke up, had breakfast and refreshing showers, then woke the boys to start our venture to Carlsbad Caverns. We made the 1-hour trek to the park by 10:30 MST—it was already 90º at this point—and headed to the Visitors’ Center. Upon checking in and getting our tickets, we made the short hike to the beginning of the cave entrance (starting out where the bats had left the cave the previous night). The beginning of the 750-foot descent greeted us with a stale, musky smell, one that eventually we grew accustomed to after several minutes passed. Initially, there was little more than rocks and boulders along the path, with the occasional sound of dripping water and the resident birds screeching as they made their daytime flight collecting insects. After roughly 15 minutes had passed, we gathered our first sighting of stalagmites (the “icicles” rising from the ground). We all had gotten into the hike down the cave by this point and were each eagerly anticipating each new formation along the path. Even Collin was excited about this hike, so much so, that he wanted to hike back up the trail upon completion rather than take the elevator. At some point (I’m not exactly sure of the depth), we reached an equilibrium temperature of 56º and 90% relative humidity. We continued along the path, not really paying much attention to the “cold”, notwithstanding the occasional shake of cold hands. We were all amazed at all the different formations which our eyes were feasting sight of and took in all the cavern had to offer. Thanks to the paved trail and accompanying handrail, we were assured of stable footing along the way, a luxury that early cave visitors did not have as they were required to wear head lanterns and crawl on their bellies and climb ladders for exploration. We eventually made it to the “Big Room”, a large, fairly flat section that serves as the floor of the main part of the cave. This area is so large, it is estimated to be roughly the size of 14 football fields. Finally, after about 3 hours in the cave, we finished the path and exited via the elevator. Completely satisfied with our expedition, we piled into the RV and headed to our KOA in Abilene, TX. The 5-hour drive started out on some tertiary roads in New Mexico that shook our bones every foot until we reached the Texas border and Interstate 20 at Pecos, where we filled the tank on the RV. After the refuel, we hit I-20 eastbound. This path was quite an interesting road to take, as we were first greeted by oil rigs dotting the landscape, then new-“ish” windmills (I couldn’t help but think of T. Boone Pickens), and eventually cattle farms. Once we arrived at the KOA, hooked up electricity, water, and septic while Julie and the boys got dinner going. We were all treated to Julie’s chicken fajitas and Mexican rice (in honor of being in southwest Texas). Bryce and Collin headed to the showers after the dishes were cleaned and watched Harry Potter until we were all too tired to keep our eyes open. We’re looking at a 10-hour drive to Meridian, MS tomorrow. Time for some rest…