Carlsbad, NM

Roswell, NM - Carlsbad, NM
4/21/24 - 4/22/24

Miles Traveled    104
Trip Total          2043
Travel Time       2:40

States visited: FL, GA, AL, MS, LA, TX,  New Mexico

Another beautiful drive through the Chihuahuan Desert.  Up until the last 3/4 of a mile it was a easy smooth ride. While we did have some hills to climb they were so gradual, we did not really notice it. When the drive got really interesting was we turned of Highway 62, onto a dirt road. It is a "maintained" dirt road but it is mostly rocks.  It was a very rough and bumpy ride.

Our destination for the night was Sunset Reef a small BLM (Bureau Of Land Management) campsite.  You can camp anywhere on BLM but they do have a some designated sites.  One of the best things about camping on BLM land is that it is free.  They do not have electric, water, or sewer, instead they have some of the best views you can get!   There were about 15 campers here with a mix of RV's and tents, with a few people tent camping outside of the designated site.  The only difference between the designated area and outside of it, was a railing, a gate and the cattle guard.  Giving the amount if cattle that we saw roaming around the fence I think you would have to be crazy to sleep in a tent outside of the fence.

After arriving and setting up we Mark & Karen and Angel & I headed to Carlsbad National Park, to tour the caverns.  We have seen several caverns in our travels but nothing like Carlsbad Caverns.  First Carlsbad is the only caverns in the National Park System that allows self guided tours, second Carlsbad has the largest cave chamber in North America that is open to the public.   We opted to walk down the open air entrance into the caverns, rather than take the elevator down.  The trail down is 2.5 miles long with a 20% grade.  The trail takes you 750' below the surface and takes over and hour to walk.  In contrast the elevator takes you to the same place, but in two minutes.  Among the many sites walking down the trail we came across four workers picking lint from the rocks.  They were on their knees with headlamps, tweezers and ziplock bags.  They travel from cave system to cave system cleaning the lint.  The lint comes from our clothes as we walk through and is very detrimental to the ecosystem.  The week before the crews picked over thirty pounds of lint from the rocks. After arriving at the Big Room we decided that we would take the elevator to the surface. (Like their was any chance we would walk back to the surface)

Monday we decided to have a lazy day and just enjoy hanging at the campground.  We did do a quick grocery run, and then took the RV to fill it with fuel.  When we leave Carlsbad it will be 145 miles before we reach any services or fuel.  While we had enough fuel to get there, it is better safe than sorry.  It also much easier to get fuel without towing the car.  Todays weather was much better than yesterdays allowing us to see the mountains surrounding us, and a spectacular sunset.  When we first got here we saw signs of cattle (Cow Patties EVERYWHERE) but no cattle.  Monday that changed very quickly, starting with hearing them in the distance, to several parading right by us. When I tried to get close to them for a picture they ran, but when one car tried to leave by car, they just stood in the road.

One thing we have noticed is that RV'ers are not as social as boaters are.  This campground has been the exception.  We have talked to most of the RV'ers here, talking about where we've been and where we are going.  Two couple we talked to also use Harvest Host, is was interesting that we all have stayed at the same Harvest Host in Timmonsville SC.  

Tomorrow we are heading out to Deming Arizona.   It is just a one night stop on our way to Tucson.