December 8, 2016 (cont’d)
By the middle of the afternoon, we crossed into New Mexico. It wasn’t a grand entrance into the state, just a tiny sign at the side of the highway letting us know we were now in New Mexico. The landscape at this point still looks a lot like Arizona, dry, flat, surrounded by hills in the distance, and cacti and brush fill the dusty fields. As we drive further into New Mexico on I-10 it reminds us of driving through parts of Saskatchewan. Not much to see, but you can see for a long distance around you. Our goal is to drive through New Mexico with a few stops, but ultimately we are heading for Texas and hope to find somewhere to stay for awhile.
We pulled in to Rockhound State Park Campground that evening. It was already very dark and only 6:45 p.m. and it was very cold outside. We were forewarned that New Mexico is cold. It sits at a higher elevation and although the roads are mostly flat, we are at a 4500 ft elevation at this campground.
Rockhound State Park is only one of two State Parks in New Mexico where they allow you to take rocks from. Here, “rock hounders” search for agates, opals and quartz. We pulled into a no utility site and paid $10 for the night. The nice thing about New Mexico is that their State Parks charge only $10 a night without electric and $14 a night with electric. Most of the time we can go without electric as our solar panels on the trailer get a full charge from the sun during the day.
December 9, 2016
In the morning, waking up to -5 C (brrrrr) equipped with headband and mittens, I took Piper for a little walk around the campground. It was nicely laid out. It had water and dump available and a beautiful bathroom complete with flush toilets and showers. We had planned a huge drive today, heading to Carlsbad area, so we left this campground early and prepared for a long day.
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| Parked at Rockhound State Park, NM |
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| Rockhound State Park Campground |
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| Rockhound State Park Campground |
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| Piper sporting her sweater |
At Las Cruces, Highway I-10 seems to disappear and branches into other highways. From here we are following Highway 70 East.
As lunch time had passed by us, I asked Dan if we could stop somewhere off road to have some lunch in the trailer and take a bathroom break. We went through a border patrol check stop (very common in this area with being so close to the Mexican border) and shortly after re-entering the highway Dan spotted the White Sands National Monument. It peaked his interest so he pulled into the information and visitor centre to find out what it was all about.
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| White sands from the highway |
We had a good lunch first and then went inside the Visitor Centre. We watched a 17 minute film about the dunes and decided it was something we should take the time to see. The white sands, covering 275 square miles, are a phenomenon only explained by history going back to the time of the Permian Sea millions of years ago. When the Permian Sea dried up, it left behind deep layers of gypsum. Mountains formed and carried the gypsum into higher elevations. Melting glaciers later returned the gypsum to the the basin. Shallow lakes in the area combined with sun and wind separate the water from the gypsum and selenite crystals are formed. The strong southwest winds break down the crystals and they become smaller and smaller until they are sand. The dunes stay in this area because of its moisture content. If you would like more information regarding the White Sands, please do an internet search under the National Park Service, New Mexico, White Sands National Monument. (Information reference: White Sands National Monument, New Mexico brochure, 2016)
We decided to drive through the dunes ($5 each). It was like driving in snow! It looked like snow all around us, complete with people sledding down the dunes on saucers.
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| Sledding on the sand |
It was a cooler day (thankfully) and Dan and I geared up for an 8 km hike. We took the Alkali Flat Trail that has tall, red reflective markers that mark the trail. Because it is an ever changing landscape with wind blowing the dunes into different positions and sizes, we imagine that someone has to go out fairly regularly to make sure the markers are doing their job. It was tough hiking through the sand and it seemed to go on forever. We enjoyed the hike and it was a rewarding experience for us because it gave us a sense of what it would be like if we were in a desert setting and all you see is sand and dunes around you. It would be a difficult task to know your location if you didn’t have a marked trail (very easy to get disoriented out there).
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| Piper has a few moments off leash and runs up and down the dunes |
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| Look at her go! |
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| The sunset at White Sands |
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| Almost back to the trailer and truck in the parking lot |
By this time of day, we realized our goal of making the Carlsbad area was out of the question, so we looked for a campground close by. We found Oliver Lee Memorial State Park and pulled in for the night.
December 10, 2016
In the morning, we were able to see the campground and area surrounding it. It was beautiful. Rocky cliffs standing majestically behind us and the white sand dunes spread out in the distance in front of us. We had a little walk around the campground and then decided to get going as the day was getting away on us and we had quite a drive left ahead of us. We left at 1:15 p.m.! What? Where does all the times go?
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| Oliver Lee Memorial State Park near Alamogordo |
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| Our campsite at Oliver Lee Memorial State Park Campground |
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| Beautiful hills behind us at the campground |
From reading the map and learning of the elevations of the road that we were going to drive that day (Highway 70 East), it was a great idea that we stopped last night and not drive this stretch in the dark. Good thing we didn’t drive it in the dark, not because of its steepness and high elevation (points in the road reach over 8000 ft above sea level) but because it was the most scenic route and change in the landscape we have seen since California.
This high stretch of highway reminded us of driving to Radium and Fairmont Hot Springs in British Columbia. Rocky cliffs, vegetation, green grass, a small river flowing alongside the road, cattle, many deer, and at times, snow! Even a ski hill! Before reaching the tiny town of Hope, the landscape reverted back to its dusty, flat and brown self.
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| Ski hill |
We drove to Artesia and stopped for propane as both tanks were nearly empty. When we were stopped for propane, directly across the road was a plant that makes Jet Fuel. Driving further South on Highway 285, we noticed numerous pump jacks in the fields both West and East of the road. Oil and gas are big business in these parts. The surroundings remind us a bit of Alberta with big work trucks, oil rigs, and pump jacks in the area.
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| Jet Fuel Plant |
We checked into Brantley Lake State Park (Chihuahuan Desert region) at $14 a night that includes water and electric hookups. We paid for four nights as we had decided that this would be our “home base” and we would check out the surrounding areas of Roswell and Carlsbad by doing day trips just with the truck.
The campground is by Brantley Lake, a large reservoir, man made from the nearby Pecos River. The sun set quickly with coming into camp in the later part of the day. We took a walk around the campground and the sky was clear and there was a cool breeze blowing.
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| Our campsite at Brantley Lake State Park Campground |
Later in the evening that nice breeze became a very high wind. The trailer rocked with wind gusts all night. It was a little scary actually. I found out the next day, from listening to the news that these big winds come through periodically. Definitely not a time to pull a trailer on the highway with that type of wind. We were glad we got parked in a new spot for a few days.
Sunday, December 11
We woke up to cooler temperatures and wind, but the view of the lake from our trailer window looked beautiful. The campground is full of bunnies and jack rabbits. They are everywhere. Again, the landscape is rocky, desert-like, and fairly flat in this area. We took the day to organize ourselves and explore the area a little. There was a trail that went down towards the lake and then back to the campground. It was just a short little jaunt and now the day had heated up nicely.
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| Trail at Brantley Lake State Park Campground |
Once the heat came, so did the bees. Our trailer was surrounded by bees so it didn’t feel very comfortable sitting outside unfortunately. We planned to go to Roswell the next day to check out the infamous “Crash of 1947”.
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| Tourist sign for Roswell along highway |
Monday, December 12
Roswell is located approximately a one hour drive North on Highway 285 from the Brantley Lake State Park Campground. We decided to make a day trip out of it. fill up with diesel, and hit up a Wal-Mart for a few supplies as well.
We went to the Roswell UFO Museum. It cost $5 each. There were tons of things to read on UFO sightings and people’s experiences. There were newspaper clippings all over with stories about UFOs but especially about the Crash of 1947. Please read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_incident for more information about the Crash of 1947.
The gist of it is that William Brazel came forward and reported seeing an object crash over in the Foster homestead field and reported to media that it flew like a flat rock when you skip it. The media translated his description into “flying saucer”. Pictures drawn of what he saw is more like a plane with streamline wings in a curved position (half moon).
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| What the original "flying saucer" supposedly looked like |
Before getting to Roswell, I read in some literature that a movie set has been built just outside of the city. While we were in the UFO museum, we ran into a few actors that are currently involved in the filming of a movie called “Astro”. We talked with them for a while, but only caught the name of one actor, Max Wasa, acting since she was seven years old (Miami Vice for four years she told us). If you research her name on the internet, you can see many other films she has been in. We will have to watch for Astro to be released.
We finished the day with refuelling and a trip to Wal-Mart and arrived back at camp after 7 p.m.
Tuesday, December 13
We took a 4 mile round trip bike ride this morning up to the tourist information centre and back. Piper rode in my basket to the centre and then ran beside my bike (I go slowly) back to camp. She loves the exercise!
We spoke to a State Park Ranger at the information centre and asked her a few questions about the area. Dan wanted to go to Sitting Bull Falls and maybe do some hiking after being recommended as a beautiful place to see by the lady that filled our propane bottles in Artesia.
We packed a day pack and headed directly West across the highway from Brantley Lake. We traveled for well over an hour before we reached our destination. The hills displayed beautiful colours in the rock and brush. There were picnic tables in shelters and a restroom. Low and behold, there was a user fee charge of $5 per vehicle, and guess what? We didn’t have any money on us or even a cheque! We didn’t think about that. There was a host trailer on site and a Ranger’s vehicle, but no one was around. We were hoping to find out if there was a way that we could pay later?
We decided that we would quickly look at the falls and then leave the area. So, unfortunately, the hike was out of the question. We looked at the falls and they were beautiful. Not flowing hard, but imagined this would be definitely the place to come to cool off on a hot summer’s day. as swimming and wading are allowed in the pools below the falls.
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| Sitting Bull Falls |
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| Walk way to Falls |
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| Picnic Area |
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| Scenery driving out of Sitting Bull Falls |
Now, we were a little disappointed and a little angry with ourselves for not bringing any money with us, but there is always a rainbow…. Not hiking that afternoon, gave us time to get back to camp earlier and arrange tickets to go that evening on a boat ride on the Pecos River in Carlsbad.
For over 20 years now, the residents of Carlsbad that live on the Pecos River decorate their homes with spectacular displays of Christmas lights. For a nominal fee ($15 each this year), a boat takes groups of people up and then back down the Pecos for their “Christmas on the Pecos” tour of Christmas lights.
It was a beautiful, cool evening, and as we boarded the boat, we were handed warm blankets in case we got cold. The captain was a nice young man and did a terrific job of handling the boat. With Christmas music playing, we traveled up the Pecos River and the displays of lights were amazing. The whole trip, I couldn’t stop smiling. We had a lot of fun.
Wednesday, December 14
This was check-out day from Brantley Lake State Park. We were looking forward to exploring Carlsbad Caverns (the real reason we traveled this way originally).
Carlsbad Caverns National Park (1930) is located in the Chihuahuan Desert of the Guadalupe Mountains. It has been a summer home to Mexican Free-tailed bats for over a thousand years. In the 1800s, settlers in the area were drawn to the cave because of the amazing spectacle of hundreds of thousands of bats pouring out of the cave entrance in the evening. Prior to the settlers, drawings on cave walls near the cave entrance believed to be made by American Indians are the only evidence that indicated the spectacle of bats had been discovered prior to the settlers getting there. Bat guano, being excellent natural fertilizer was collected and sold by the settlers. One young man, Jim White who was 16 years old at the time, decided there must be more to the cave than just bats and on his own began exploring it.
Perhaps Jim White had an advantage by being so young, lack of fear. Jim discovered miles and miles of passages by himself, in complete darkness. Armed with lanterns as a source of light, he made ladders out of wire and sticks and steps out of guano bags to reach higher and lower areas in the cave. “The deepest chamber is 1,037 feet below the surface”. (Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico 2016 brochure) Jim’s desire to share this amazing discovery with others led to few believing his tales of this extraordinary place. Photographs taken by Ray V. Davis in 1915 were displayed in Carlsbad which in turn heightened peoples’ curiosity. Jim White gave tours of the cave “that began with a 170-foot descent in a bucket once used to haul bat guano from the cave.” (Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico 2016 brochure)
In the earlier years when the tours first started, each person carried their own source of light and had to make the challenging, but fascinating tour in darkness, not only climbing and descending down, but also coming back up on their own. Dan and I took the Natural Entrance Route which is a self-guided one mile tour that descends over 750 feet into the Earth. Participants must be in good physical condition as trails although paved now, are steep and narrow. There is minimal lighting that illuminates highlights of the different spaces in the cave and allows you to see enough as to be safe on the trail. Upon reaching the underground rest area, near the elevators, we continued on to explore the Big Room, another one mile, self-guided tour. Elevators are available for those that are not physically capable of the descent or do not have the time to do the Natural Entrance Route, but still want to see the cave.
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| Stalactites hang from the ceiling, called the "chandelier" |
Upon arrival at the Carlsbad Caverns tour desk, the State Park Ranger there encouraged us to buy an annual National Park Pass suggesting it would be a great way to save a little money if we were intending on doing other National Parks within the next year. We are thinking of seeing the Grand Canyon South Rim in Arizona on the way back to Canada…and we keep hearing great things about Big Bend National Park in Texas by the Border of Mexico.
Carlsbad Caverns was an amazing experience and we recommend renting the audio tour at the gift shop to take with you on the self-guided tour. The audio tour will lend to understanding and knowledge of what you are looking at, making the tours more fulfilling and interesting. It took us over two hours to do the two tours and this included stopping, looking, and listening frequently. The elevator ride back up to the surface took under one minute! I encourage you to take a look at www.nps.gov/cave if you are interested in learning more about this extraordinary place.
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| Scenery near Carlsbad Caverns, beautiful Guadalupe Mountains |
It was time to move on as it was mid-day and the route that I originally planned for us to take through Texas was thrown out mostly because we didn’t want to back track to Carlsbad and now we were thinking about going to Big Bend National Park too. So, now flying by the seat of our pants, knowing we would need to find a spot for the night, we headed into Texas continuing on Highway 180 South.
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