Carlsbad Caverns and Carlsbad New Mexico
Debbie returned to the
Texas Panhandle via south and eastern New Mexico on September 30th to
October 2nd. We took an
opportunity to revisit Carlsbad Caverns National Park and
Carlsbad
Caverns. On October 1st drove through Roswell, getting caught up
in the New Mexico State Fair Parade (see images at the bottom of this
page). We drove from Roswell to Portales and Clovis New Mexico. That
portion of our trip was of endless grassy plains. We were headed to
Canyon Texas that is south of
Amarillo in Randall County Texas. Canyon is home of West Texas A &
M University. Palo Duro Canyon State Park is about 13 miles east of the
city of Canyon.
Palo Duro Canyon was the last refuge of the Comanche in the 1870s. Do
It In Texas will soon have a new page celebrating this geological and
historical treasure.Carlsbad Caverns National Park
The
entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park is about 30 miles south
of Carlsbad New Mexico. The image to the left is of the park road
leading to the entrance to the caverns. The entrance is about 10 miles
from White's City New Mexico. White's City is on US Hwy 67/180,
If you travel about another 20
miles south on Us Hwy 67/180 you will cross back over the Texas State
line and come to the entrance to Guadalupe Mountains
National Park in Texas. We did not visit this National Park on this
trip, but focused instead on Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New
Mexico as well as Palo Duro Canyon State Park the next afternoon.
We
approached this entire area from the south via Pecos Texas traveling
steadily north via US
Hwy 285. Along that route you leave the Permian Basin somewhere north
of Pecos and enter
grasslands that become progressively higher as you approach the
Guadalupe Mountains. Hwy 67/180 runs southwest from Carlsbad to El
Paso. It used to be the Overland Stage Route before the route was moved
south to what is now 1-10. This was to avoid harassment from the
Mescalero Apaches. The Mescaleros now have a reservation west and north
of Carlsbad in the grasslands of New Mexico. This image is of a sink
hole along the park road in Carlsbad Caverns NP. Water in this region
attracts deer, antelope, and predators like skunks, foxes, bobcats, and
badgers as well as a variety of birds.
Debbie
and I took the elevator over 700 feet straight down. Hardier souls may
walk down via the natural entrance. This was my third visit to the caverns. I vaguely remember my parents taking me in the early 1950s and I remember taking my son Ben in the early 1980s. This is one of about 40 images we took within the caverns. I discovered our camera does not take great images underground at low illumination. Therefore I am providing you with this great link that contains a slideshow of fantastic images within Carlsbad Caverns. We stayed down about two hours. I wore a jacket as it is about 53 degrees at all times within the caverns.
New Mexico State Fair Parade in Roswell New Mexico on October
1st, 2007
I
cannot help but include a couple of my favorite images taken in front
on Wendy's while we were trapped by the New Mexico State Fair Parade in
Roswell. It was one great parade. In other words, it was fun being
trapped there. After over an hour finally asked a local policeman how
to drive north and east out of Roswell toward Portales and Clovis. The
image to the right is of some really cool Roswell Hula ladies. Below is
one of many classic cars proudly paraded on October 1st in Roswell New
Mexico in the State Fair Parade.