Today is our last full day of touring. We visited Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains National Parks. Our weather luck finally changed as we drove to Carlsbad Caverns. As we started to the visitor Center, the skies opened up and we got pretty wet. We had a 10:30 reservation for the self-guided tours. We opted for the shorter 1.25 mile Big Room tour that used the elevator to and from the caverns.
Linda and I have been to both Carlsbad Caverns (NM) and Mammoth Cave (KY). If you have never been to one of these National Park caves, they are well worth the time. At Carlsbad, the Big Room Tour is paved and had handrails along the entire route. While it does gain and lose elevation, it is still an accessible tour.
Linda in Carlsbad Caverns wearing her new hoodie for the 56 degree temperature
The Giant Dome and Twin Domes
The Big Room from the overlook
After we left the caverns and had lunch, we took a chance that the low ceiling would improve so we could see the peaks at the nearby Guadalupe Mountains NP. It was still somewhat socked in but the fog did lift a bit and we got a few pictures.
Guadalupe Mountains in the fog.
Tomorrow we are heading for Wichita Falls, TX. We are mostly done with sightseeing after seeing 4 National Parks (Giant Sand Dunes, White Sands, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains), 3 National Monuments (Canyon de Chelly, Rio Grande Del Norte, and Organ Mountains – Desert Peaks) and 1 National Historic Landmark (Cumbres & Toltec RR). We hope to get a picture or 2 of Texas as we drive through.