DAY 3

Today was a complete success!!! Travelled from Artesia, NM to Wichita Falls, TX. I made a few stops in New Mexico. Most of my day was spent exploring the Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

NEW MEXICO!

I drove through the Bradley Lake State Park and the Guadelupe Mountains State Parks. It was nice to see the state parks while passing through. I like the state parks because they have less tourism. I’ll say the wind in New Mexico is not for the faint of heart!! It gets cold here!

CARSLBAD!!!

Wow, wow, wow, wow, WOW!!!! If you are at all in the area you HAVE TO COME HERE!!!! The Caverns took my breath away! What a remarkable wonder than water can drip through soil creating such beauty. Especially considering it seldom rains here!! To enter the cave is about a 1.5 mile walk.

The once in side it can be up to a three mile loop depending on which route you take. If you are pressed for time or have a disability there is an elevator that can take you to the bottom. The cave closes early around 3pm, but you want to stay and see the bats leave the cave at sunset. I could not afford the time but there are thousands of bats that live in the cave and many say it’s a sight to see. Today I achieved my bucket list. I went inside a cave!!!! I’m so excited to have taken pictures and share this experience with you all. What a wonderful time. I can’t say enough about how fulfilling this day was.

TEXAS!

So did I book it down the highway racing the sunset for a Texas Crossing Selfie? You better believe it!!

FOODIE HIGHLIGHT!

Right outside the National Park is a little resturant called the Cactus Cafe, so I decided to stop in and have a bite. This is the closest resturant to the park. The main town of Carlsbad is about 20miles from the park and has high prices. To my surprise if you’re interested in buying Native American pottery while passing through the National Park gift shop is a great place to go. The gifts shops are higher priced and the park offers a military discount. 👍 I asked the waitress what to order and she recommended the Fajitas. These were good because they used the sweetness of Tomatoes to cut the potential spice from the chilies. In my opinion a green chili had a bit more flare than a bell pepper, but doesn’t have the kick of a jalapeno. I recommend the Cactus Cafe to travelers.