The next morning when we left Deming NM there was ground fog from all the rain. Eerie!
Our first stop in Texas was a truck wash. The manual one would have taken hours. The hand wash was $60, 4 people, 20 minutes and clean vehicles. Money well spent!
In the future we plan to visit the western states as far as Texas. Therefore, we chose only a few points of interest on this trip. Carlsbad Cavern was a “must see”.
We planned 2 nights in Van Horn TX at Oasis RV. This vehicle is a diesel VW Rabbit 2 door front welded to a 4 door rear (or vice versa 4 door front to 2 door rear). It was the only redeeming feature of the park, however, it is 90 miles from the Cavern and just off Interstate 10 which is most of our route across the Southern States.
It is impossible to describe or photograph Carlsbad Cavern which equals about 14 football fields. An elevator takes visitors down 750 feet. The walk around the Cavern is 1 ¼ miles and the suggested time is 1 ½ hours. We took 3 ½ hours and were euphorically exhausted at the end.
The view in this photo is ¼ mile across. If I had not taken the photo I would not understand it.
Can you see the “Cave Man” in this part of the cave?
Notice the person in the lower left of this photo. It gives some sense of perspective.
Stalagmites (might reach the ceiling) meet stalactites (hang tight to the ceiling) and become columns.
Columns may become immense and very fanciful.
The Cavern is lit by more than 1,000 bulbs and tubes, and 19 miles of wires. All of the lights are designed to reveal the cavern’s natural colours. None of the bulbs are coloured. The park is in the process of replacing the current lights with LED bulbs.
Our next overnight was in Ozoma TX and then on to Kerrville TX. As we checked in another couple arrived and asked if we were from British Columbia as they had noticed our license plate. They live in Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. As we chatted the receptionist looked at us with a frown. She had no idea where British Columbia is located. We often say it is north of Seattle with similar weather. That didn’t even help.
We visited with Bruce and Cathi that evening and enjoyed sharing our experiences. Meeting new people is one of the pleasures of our travels.
I wonder if any movies have been shot in those caverns. Incredible!
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