Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands

I started my New Mexico tour in the southeast corner. To get into Carlsbad Caverns National Park, I needed a reservation so that not too many people congregate in the indoor areas and elevator. I booked for 9am on a Sunday and hiked in and out so no covid crowd worries for me. What an amazing adventure. The main body of the cavern is 950ft underground (as deep as the Empire State Building is tall). Hiking down into the cavern was mind-boggling. Layer after layer of crazy rock formations and down, down, down, into the gigantic dark and humid chamber. Some part of my brain kept saying "turn around! run for the light! there are bats down here!!" As you can tell by reading this that the adventure had a happy ending with lots of fun pictures to share.

The next day I went to White Sands National Monument, a 200+ square mile snow-white gypsum sand desert used for missile practice. The desert sand is the product of mineral water evaporation and then depositing its load in the world's largest gypsum dune field.

Next stops, Roswell (of course!) and then Albuquerque