Driftwood Motel Carlsbad

... white reflects the heat. <br><br> The road from White Sands to Carlsbad Caverns went over a pass through a little ski town called Cloudcroft. It was amazing to be in dry desert one minute then shoot up 5000ft in a few miles to a ski town then drop down again. A cool little community was apparent as we had a walk around and chat to the locals in the bike shop and bakery. <br><br>Not able to make the distance to the caverns we stayed at another State park (Brantley ...

... the sun had set, and the bats were still coming out in droves, seemingly without end. When it finally became too dark to see the bats, whom weigh no more than 3 nickels and have bodies smaller than a human thumb, we left. We could still hear them exiting the cavern as we walked back to our car. We returned to our campground in the Guadalupe Mountains to spend our last night in Texas before moving on.<br><br>Love,<br><br>Tom and Christine

Day 4 - Austin to Carlsbad, NM<br><br>WHOA! Talk about a knockout continental breakfast! This was one for the record books. It was enough to make Bri giddy. Make your waffle stations. A dress your own oatmeal station with bowls of brown sugar, walnuts, and raisins. Toast, English muffins, bagels, donuts. Cereals of all kind with SKIM milk. Four kinds of juice. Eggs with the optional seasonings of dill or hot sauce. And, drum ...

... We were told that a high clearance vehicle was required to reach (even hike in distance) the caves. The Sentra was definitely not up to it. However, Roger at the Forest Service gave us fabulously detailed information on local backcountry camping. We initially planned to spend several days in Lincoln National Forest, however, after walking the Natural Cave Entrance route of Carlsbad Caverns (amazing!), we were ...

... horizon breaking up the monotony of the flat scenery surrounding you. There's something oddly elating about this desert landscape. It's as if you've entered an entirely different country. You're brain is trying to reconcile the fact that this vast, exotic desert landscape is still somehow a part of the same country that you've lived in all your life. Your mind races with questions about how people ...

... soon for all the places up to that point so you can see some of the fun in action! On my way back I plan to spend some time at Guadalupe Mountains National Park which is just across the boarder (35 miles) in Texas and also Big Bend National Park which is in West Texas on the border of Mexico so stay tuned for updates on the flip side. Now on to San Antonio! ~JR

... miles further south arrived at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. <br><br>The best way to see the caverns is by taking the Natural Entrance route, descending over 750 feet below ground on foot using the historic natural entrance. The trail is about a mile long, taking you through a network of gigantic subterranean chambers, cave formations and extraordinary stalactitic and stalagmitic features. In fact the ...

... A beer and a Lunchable did the trick. The bat flight, when all of the bats leave the cave to go hunting, happens every night during the summer around dusk. The bats began to leave around 8:00 p.m.--at first just a few hundred, then gradually more and more until millions of bats were shooting out of the cave and spiraling like a tornado into the sky. We weren't allowed to take pictures of this because the sounds of electric ...

... How often in life do we take what someone tells us as factual? We automatically assume that they are well informed due to the position they hold. It took me over two hours to walk the path around the "Big Room". I would have stayed longer, but they were kicking everyone out. I was one of the last to leave. Another individual on the elevator up asked that Ranger what they did at closing to ensure no one was left in the cavern. A few Rangers ...

... railing. What is unsusual is that the staircase is one giant spiral piece of wood and should not have been able to stand on its own. Years later, a stranger walked through the town and offered to install a railing for free lodging. He worked through the night and went on his way without anyone getting his name. To this day, it is still a mystery as to who this strange carpenter ...