Big Trouble in New Mehico

With a busy day ahead of us, we skip visiting Las Cruces (even know Leslie met a couple from Columbus that loved it and wanted to move there). So we pack up our camp again and head North into New Mexico.

The mountains are still amazing in New Mehico, but when we reached White Sands National Monument, we are floored by its pristine beauty. Acres of white sand dunes that look like snow roll in every direction for hours. The gift shop at the visitor center sells sleds that you can use to "sand surf" throughout the park. You don't move as fast as you do in snow, but it's still fun. We were a little frightened by the fact that slipping off the sled would throw you into the hard sand, but we knew we had to take advantage of this once in a lifetime chance. Just standng on top of a dune and seeing noting but pure white hills for miles was enough.



After leaving the White Sands monument, we continued north to the historically monumental town of Roswell. We quickly found the International UFO Museum and jumped inside for a free tour of the history behind the crash in the 1940s. But of course, it wasn't free anymore as they just started charging $5 per person because they are constructing a new facility. But anyway, the museum was pretty basic but actually quite informative and they make a good case for the crash and cover-up by the U.S. government. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. Maybe the government is monitoring this and will soon "relocate" me to an unknown facility. Maybe the only one who will save me is good ol' Jack Burton. Speaking of, check out this guys awesome hair. As soon as Leslie saw this mullet, she whipped out the camera and snapped the shot. It's all in the reflexes.


By the way, the exhibit talked heavily about Wright Patterson Airforce Base in Dayton since that is where the alien was taken. For some reason, Miamisburg was circled on a map on one of the displays. I'm not sure if they think Wright Pat is there or what, but it was pretty cool to see my home town gettin some recognition aside from being the place where I grew up. Check the pictures on the link below if you dont believe us.

We stopped in the Not of This World Cafe and decided there was nothing we wanted, so we were on the road again for Carlsbad Cavern. Once we reached the park, we traveled a few more miles into the park up another twisty, windy path. All the tours and the Natural Entrance were closed but the "Big Room, was still open. The temperature was quite a bit cooler 750 feet below the Earth, but again, the scenery was amazing. As Leslie and I keep saying to each other, it's as if everytime you think you've seen the most amazing sight, the next thing you see tops it. The enormous cave was full of incredible formations and interesting information. The most amazing face was that the loop we were on was about a mile and a half, but the entire cavern is over 3o miles long. And that's not even the largest. Apparently, there is a 100 mile long cave that is off limits to tourists. Does everyone remember their elementary school lesson on the difference between stalagmites and stalagtites? The "t" in stalagtites stands for top, and that is where they grow from.

After leaving the caverns, we grabbed some Sonic and drove another long leg to Fort Stockton, Texas where we camped under the bright Texas stars. It was windy, but a good night's sleep that we will need since the next day is a long drive to San Antonio.

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