Carlsbad Caverns

Friday, March 23, 2012 Day 285

Today we headed a few miles back to go to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We got there early enough that Harris was able to sign up for a guided tour of Kings Palace. Later in the day all the guided tours are sold out. He went off for the hour and a half tour, while Judy stayed above ground and toured the book and gift shops. Kings Palace descends to the deepest portion of the cavern with paved trails, 830 feet beneath the desert surface.(There are many other guided tours which require people to wear hard hats and climb backwards down ropes and ladders...no thanks!) Most of the pictures are from this tour.

Harris did convince Judy to go on one tour, called the Big Room. This is the basic tour recommended for everyone who comes here. You take an elevator 750 feet down, then tour an immense 8.2 acre room full of all the features you think of when you picture caves: stalactites, stalagmites, columns, soda straws, etc. It is truly beautiful and awe inspiring..and not too scary, because it is such a huge space.

After the tours, we headed north out of town to Brantley Lake State Park. It is a nice park, out in the desert, but with a few shade trees and shade roofs over the picnic tables. Harris is impressed because of the price: $14 for electric hookups!

The stars are spectacular because there are no other lights around. It's been a great day...we're back in our shorts and 80 degree temps.

Total miles driven today = 45

On our way to Carlsbad, NM

Thursday, March 22, 2012 Day 284


We left Las Cruces NM this morning, heading south on I- 10 to El Paso, TX. Then we cut over to highway 180, heading for Carlsbad Caverns back in New Mexico. (Harris thinks he'll get Judy to go into another cave...we'll see!)
We've been on this road before. Last year we went here to Hueco Tank State Historical site. But this year we went further into northern Texas.

That's one steep grade for Howie!
(actually, the road curves to the left)

We add another national park to our "done" list

We stopped for lunch at Guadalupe Mountains National Park. We didn't see a lot,as most of this park is best explored on hiking trails. We did do one short walk along a path that had many plants identified.


Texas Alligator Madrona

The path ended at some ruins from a stagecoach station. This was the Pinery Station of the Butterfield Overland Mail coach that ran from 1858-1859. Coaches moved mail, freight and people from St. Louis to San Francisco, a distance of about 2700 miles in 25 days traveling day and night. Pinery Station was the highest station at 5700 feet.

Remains of a stage coach station

Guadalupe Mtns. National Park has many different ecological "zones"...desert, riparian, and mountain. This picture is an attempt to show these zones.

Howie meets a fellow B class cousin--A Roadtrek named Leroy

When we came back from the walk, we noticed another Sprinter next to ours. We started talking to the owners...and ended up eating our lunch about an hour later!
Dave and Judi are from Baltimore and have been full timing for a year, traveling around the country. We thought it was interesting that they took a vacation from full timing by going to India for a wedding which they extended to a month long trip We had lots of fun talking about our two rigs, comparing places to go, and generally shooting the breeze.


Judi and Dave from Maryland

After lunch we headed toward Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We got there a little too late in the day to explore, so we drove on to the town of Carlsbad and found the Carlsbad RV park. We had a drink in the shade (it actually got over 70 today!), and Harris went across to talk to a man who was making nets. His name is Blackie, and he's from Shreveport, LA. He uses the nets to catch catfish, when he's back home. He's been here 6 months doing some welding work. Seems like we've run into a few parks lately that house workers, instead of the snowbirds we know we'll see in Florida.


Blackie works on a catfish fish trap

Total miles driven today = 210

Clifton to Las Cruces New Mexico

Wednesday, March 21, 2012 Day 283

Leaving Arizona...happy solstice!
As we were leaving Clifton, AZ, Harris wanted a picture of this old drive-in movie theater..brought back some memories!
Back to the future?

We headed out on highway 78, which connected up with 180 in New Mexico, down to Silver City, where we crossed the Continental Divide. We decided we'd like to be the people who put the dots on highway maps to signify a scenic drive. The drive up into the mountains on the Arizona side was much more scenic and much more dramatic. We kept stopping to take pictures, and were glad we had digital space to take more on the "real" scenic highway coming up. Well. The highway with the dots, 180, wasn't anything special in our opinion. High mesa, scrub brush, some mountains in the far distance. But as Harris reminded Judy, it beats west Texas!


A quick stop to enjoy the scenery

Panoramic shot of the road over the pass into New Mexico

Looking back toward Clifton, AZ
In the far distance you can still see the mine..it's that huge.

Clouds over Howie
We continued down 180, meeting up with I 10 and headed into Las Cruces, where we camped at the Coachlight Inn Motel and RV park. We had a precooked chicken and salad for dinner and enjoyed the sunshine, although the temp is still a bit cool, especially in the breeze.

Total miles driven: 220

Clifton, AZ

Last night was clear and cold and we watched the stars come out. This morning it continued clear and cold....well, chilly. But blue skies! We looked at weather reports farther east and decided to stay in Clifton for the day.


Our $8.50 camping spot at Clifton RV

After breakfast we took a walk toward the town. There is an old jail here that was built right into the rock hill...and below it are 2 cells with little holes in the ceilings for light. Spooky!


Judy and Harris outside the jail window blasted out of the rock

Inside view of jail cell

Next to the jail is an old steam engine locomotive, used to transport ore, mostly copper. Clifton began as a mining town in the 1880's, and is still one today.


Judy in charge!

This RV park has 55 spaces. Only 2 were available when we came yesterday. The rest are occupied by people who work for the mine in one way or another. Our next door neighbor, Robert, came here to work for 3 months,and is still here working construction 2 years later. He's been all over the country and several places around the world and was fun to talk with.


World traveler Robert, our next door neighbor

When we came back from our walk, we drove a few more miles up highway 191 to see the mine itself. It is one of the world's largest open pit mines. It is North America's leading producer of copper. From a brochure: "We move more than 700,000 tons of rock each day. More than 2000 employees work around the clock producing about 840 million pounds of copper each year."

Giant trucks working the earth

Looking at the mine from the vista point

Panoramic view of the mine

Close up of men working on a truck

After we came back to camp, we made lunch and ate it outside...a little chilly, but sunny and we couldn't resist. Then we rode our bikes around camp, up and down a dirt road (until the hills defeated us), then back into the town of Clifton. There is a road off the main highway that is the "old" town...most buildings were boarded up, but luckily the historical society museum was open. Harris took a picture of the high chair Sandra Day O'Conner used as a baby!



Sandra O' Conner's high chair

Judy riding down "historic Clifton"

After we returned to camp once more, Harris decided to do a couple of close by caches. Then he returned to post pictures and cook a great dinner of salad and parmesan chicken with penne rigate. (we bought it at Costco).
The night is turning cold as the sun goes down behind the hills. But Howie is warm and toasty!


The cache clue was "looking head on, you're on the right track"

Total miles driven today= 22

Judy arrives!

Monday, March 19, 2012 Day 281

Rick takes off
(notice how excited he is)

When Judy left Lake Stevens early this morning there was snow on the ground. As she writes this blog entry in Clifton AZ, there has been snow on the ground. What gives?


Heading toward Superstition Mountain

By the time Harris picked up Judy Rick had been on the road for a couple of hours. They had breakfast at the café just outside the RV park to make a quick getaway. As Rick drove away Harris was already thinking how much fun next year’s trip will be. Soon thereafter Harris was on his way to pick up Judy at the airport.


One of 3 passes with snow or snowing as we crossed

Phoenix wasn’t too bad, just a bit chilly (especially for Harris), but as we drove east the weather grew rainy, windy, and snowy (!), with just enough sun breaks to keep us guessing. We drove out on highway 60, then 70 and finally 191. We are detailing the numbers here because we kept thinking we’re driving over some new-to-us territory. Then we’d see a sign or sight that reminded us we’d been here before! (That’s why we write a blog, to keep track of things our failing memories don’t.)


One of many neat cloud formations today

Five hours later (we stopped for groceries), we’ve ended up in Clifton, on the east side of the state near the New Mexico border. We’re at North Clifton RV park, which seems to be a very nice one. It’s the first time we’ve used our new Passport America. We made a quick dinner inside Howie, because, even though it has stopped raining and snowing and blowing, it’s only about 40 outside. Thank goodness for heaters!


Descending into Clifton, AZ

Total miles driven today= 240

Spring Training Day 16 – Dang it was cold here

Sunday, March 18, 2012 Day 280


Cancer patient's home run trot

Last night’s game was windy and a little cool, but Harris was still in his shorts. During the night the rains came along with some hail and wind. This morning there was rain puddles everywhere. Rick bundled up and went on his “Montana style” run. Harris turned up the heater and waited for his return before making coffee. Today was laundry day so they headed into Peoria to do the laundry where there would be more washers available since Sunday is a big laundry day here at the RV park. The weather looked ominous and there was much discussion on if the Mariner vs Rockies game would be played while they played Phase 10 at the Laundromat. Another option of watching some basketball while eating and playing cards was considered, but in the end they decided to head to the game.


This "little gal" can sing

It was a good thing they went to the game. The sun came out which let Harris shed the jacket and windbreaker. The pregame ceremony included a touching moment of a cancer patient’s wish to do a home run trot around the bases and Harris and Rick got an encore national anthem performance from an eight to ten year old girl who’s voice could make it several TV music talent shows. The game that started slow was starting to become very interesting when the skies darkened and the water let go. In Peoria stadium the only covered areas are the restrooms so Rick and Harris joined the stream darting to them.


Dashing for cover

After a few minutes they decided to forget the game and head to the Chinese restaurant they saw earlier for lunch and some more cards. At least the M’s were ahead at the middle of the 5th inning with a score of 3-2. The food was very good (and cheap too).


Rain, sleet, and hail!

Harris introduced Rick to the Redbox rental as they picked up “J Edgar”. The movie was different. It had lots of time jumping around with some confusing parts, but on the whole was enjoyable while learning some factoids about the agency. Their opinions on the person were not changed. A little before 10 they called it a night.


Rain Delay

Total miles driven today=45

RV park's sky can't decide what to do

Spring Training Day 15 – Our last double-header

Saturday, March 17, 2012 Day 279

This morning Harris went on a bike ride and noticed that most of the houses in the particular neighborhood that he was cruising through tried to differentiate the gables above the driveway. He took a sampling to put in the blog and get away from the usual baseball pictures he’s been inserting.

Rick has been keeping in touch with his kids with regard to “March Madness” brackets and scores. Harris has been using Rick to check the internet for various kernels of baseball information since he has a data plan with his phone.

Today’s menu choices were varied. They had their normal coffee and oatmeal breakfast, but treated themselves to left over bratwursts from the night before during the first game. Filling the lunch menu was wheat thins with salmon dip. Dinner was Chicken Piccata which is white meat chicken breasts, artichokes, tomatoes and capers in a lemon-garlic sauce. This was prepared by Michael Angelo in a Costco microwave package in under 13 mins. It was good. The leftovers will be used at tomorrow’s game.

Tonight’s last night game was a San Diego vs Kansas City game. Rick and Harris predicted how many hits there would be and Rick won (as he also won the Bocce game played before the game).

The temps are falling due to a Pacific storm coming in from the coast and the winds are picking up. Final plans for Monday will depend on the weather. Off to sleep!

Total miles driven today=65