Slept like a baby in my freshly laundered bedding. Major advantage to this run-down RV park is there was a coin laundry. Life is Good! Carlsbad Caverns has fascinated me since I first heard of it as a grade schooler. Could say it is a "minor league" Bucket List destination! The Park opened at 0800. and the first visitors could start the descent at 0830. Guess who the first one there was, you got it!
It is believed the Caverns have been known to mankind for thousands of years, Native Americans frequented the area but it is believed they did not venture into the cavern due to their intense fear of darkness and the evil it represented to their tribal beliefs. Geologically speaking, the entire Guadalupe Mountain chain are basically hollow mountains of limestone which have been dissolved hollow by the action of oil deposits deep within the bedrock. The petroleum deposits caused Hydrogen Sulfide gas to rise and interact with ground water to produce Sulfuric Acid. It is the dissolution of the limestone by Sulfuric Acid that is responsible for creating the vast "rooms" within the cavern. Surface water continued to percolate through the rock and created the beautiful stalagmites and stalactites over thousands of years. Hundreds of miles of tunnels have been surveyed but it is Carlsbad Cavern that attracts a half million visitors annually. A young cowboy, named Jim White, in 1901 was ranching in the area and happened upon an unusual sight one evening. At dusk, through a huge hole in the ground came pouring out millions of bats. Jim was fascinated with this daily ritual and decided to investigate. He lowered himself into the Natural Entrance which is still used today and found an unbelievable wonder. He tried to convince his buddies to join him but they all thought him crazy. Within a few years a mining company drilled a shaft into the bat cave and began mining bat "guano" (poop) as a fertilizer shipped off to California. After years of promoting its beauty, Jim was able to convince the US government to make it a National Monument. There is a great narrative called "Jim Whites Own Story" which was relayed to his friend, Frank Nicholson that describes the challenges and excitement of the early exploration.
Today there are two routes into the main chamber at 750 feet below the surface. The first is a 20 second elevator ride directly to the "Big Room". Second route is to enter as Jim did through the "Natural Entrance". The Natural Entrance is a series of switchbacks that drop deep into the same chamber as the elevator shaft. The route is around 1.5 miles long and passes the huge, separate Bat cave as it winds its way deeper and deeper into darkness. The walk takes little more than an hour and is thrilling to say the least.
Today I had a scheduled tour with a Park Ranger through the deepest chamber at 850 feet, The Kings Palace tour. It was stunningly beautiful and not in the least bit claustrophobic due to its sheer immenseness! At one point deep in the Palace we all sat quietly and the lights were turned off. You have never experienced true darkness until you have tried this. So cool!!
I had been in the cavern for nearly 4 hours and decided to head back up to take Shona for a walk. My plan for tomorrow had changed after this morning so I could come back and do the "Big Room" tour. Totally awesome! The plan now was to head back to Carlsbad city, where just north was the Living Desert State Park. Shona did her business after a good long walk outside the cavern visitor center and we were now ready to roll.
The Living Desert Park was one of those "off the beaten path" gems you find from time to time. Very neat and well cared for. It's main theme was the biodiversity present in the huge Chihuahuan Desert which makes up most of southern New Mexico. There were beautiful plant exhibits as well as a zoo containing birds, big cats, Bison, Elk, reptiles, bears and many others. Had a great time enjoying the scenery and warm sunshine. One critter however gave me a run for my money as I attempted to take its picture and that was the Road Runner. It would run from one end of the enclosure, then stop and look at me and before I could snap a picture it was zooming off! A lot of fun chasing that little bugger!
It was a day of natural beauty below and above ground. Feeling fulfilled spiritually, I realized my stomach was empty. Stopped at Danny's BBQ in Carlsbad and did a take out order of St Louis ribs and all the fixin's. A good meal like that can make any wreck of a trailer park feel like home.