Monthly Archives: July 2022

Carlsbad Caverns

Posted on by under USA

Carlsbad Caverns is one of the most unique National Parks in America. Yes there is Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, etc and they are all amazing (and you should go visit them). Carlsbad stands out from the rest in that this national park is mostly underground.  It is reported that Will Rogers called Carlsbad Caverns “The Grand Canyon with a roof over it” and I think that is the perfect analogy.

Like most National Parks these days, we had to book our entrance tickets in advance. You can still use your annual pass to get in but you must book an entrance time. We opted for early in the morning as once you are in side there is no time limit on leaving so the middle of the day the cave can get quite crowded. You will check in at the front desk to confirm your entrance ticket (and show your annual pass or pay the entrance fee) and then you are directed back toward the elevator that will take you down into the Big Room. What is unique about the elevator is that it will show you how many feet you are descending. 

You will descend 750ft in total through solid limestone. Another option to enter the cave is via the natural entrance trail. This is a 1.25 mile trail that starts with descending switchbacks all the way down to the first discovered entrance. It is fairly steep so you will have to decide what is best for your visit. Either way you end up in the Big Room and it is stunning.

The most common trail inside the Cavern is the Big Room Trail which is 1.25 miles long. About half way through this trail there is a bailout point which allows you to cut through and make the route shorter. Warning: There are only bathrooms near the elevators. Once you’ve started the trail there is no turning back. We may have had to hustle through the last 1/4 mile as a kiddo really needed to go despite us using the restroom before we started. 

The trail was fairly easy but there are wet spots everywhere. The beginning portion of the trail is wheelchair accessible but you will have to take the shortcut portion to return and can’t do the full loop. Closed toe shoes are recommended. Low lighting is used throughout the cavern which might be a concern for some. 

Besides the rush to the bathroom at the end, the kids really enjoyed being inside the cave. They became absolutely fascinated with bats. 

The visitor center above the Caverns was very well done. There was fun interactive displays and a special area for junior rangers to finish up their booklets.

Overall we had a great and smooth experience at Carlsbad Caverns. But our adventure didn’t end there. We took a short detour over to Guadalupe Mountains National Park.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

While doing research on our trip to Carlsbad, I stumbled upon Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It is located in Texas so I hadn’t been considering it for our New Mexico road trip. However, it is just across the state line and is actually only 45 minutes from Carlsbad Caverns. We decided we had to go check it out. 

We arrived at the Pine Springs Visitor Center in the middle of a snow storm. In my mind, we were going even farther south and into Texas and therefore it would be hot. Snow was not exactly on my radar. However, mother nature had other plans.

Needless to say, all of our hiking plans were thrown aside. We were able to go into the visitor center but the main part was closed and only a small shop area was open. 

For those of you that arrive when the weather is nice, there is a short Pinery Trail that is paved and is supposed to be an easy hike with kids. The most popular trail in the park is the Devil’s Hall which is 3.8 mile round trip. This trail also starts at the Pine Springs Visitor Center. Another place we were planning to stop was the Frijole Ranch Museum. We were planning to hike the Manzanita Spring trail as well which starts from the Museum. It is only a 1/2 mile trail that is easy for children. A slightly longer and more difficult hike is the Smith Spring Trail loop that also leaves from the ranch area. It is 2.3 miles but there is supposed to be a tiny waterfall and shaded area at the end. But again…..snow.

After having a picnic lunch in the car and realizing the snow was not letting up, we decided to head back to Carlsbad. We didn’t even get to see El Capitan (the most popular mountain in the park) due to the clouds 😦 We did get a small glimpse of the coral reef mountains on the way back into town. Maybe next time Guadalupe!

For Your Trip

  • Don’t forget to book those entrance tickets for the Cavern. The tickets come out 4 weeks in advance.
  • There are guided tours into other areas of the Caverns but those also need to be booked in advance.
  • The bats are not at Carlsbad year round. They are only there from late May to early October. When they are at the cave there are nightly bat programs and an amphitheater that you can watch them leave the cave.  Pretty amazing stuff!
  • There are not a lot of food options for either Carlsbad Caverns or Guadalupe Mountains. I highly recommend you bring all food and water with you….and maybe a roll of toilet paper.
  • The masking requirements are changing frequently so check on the website before heading over to the Caverns.

Happy Trails!

Roswell

Posted on by under USA

The drive from Santa Fe to Carlsbad, New Mexico is long. Empty fields for 4 1/2 hours. The one thing to look forward to is the pitstop at Roswell.

I’m sure you all know the story.  A mysterious object crashed into a field outside of Roswell in the summer of 1947. Was it a UFO? A weather balloon? Spycraft? The truth seems to be a bit muddled but the city of Roswell is sticking with UFO and they have bought into the story 100%.  

Every part of town is Alien themed. That includes the McDonald’s shaped like a spaceship and the local minor league baseball team (Roswell Invaders) sporting an Alien Head in the middle of their team logo. Most of the main attractions are on Main Street, including the spaceship McDonald’s. 

We were a little short on time during our stop so we had to pick between the International UFO Museum or the Roswell UFO Spacewalk. There was an alien autopsy scene at the International UFO museum that I thought might be a little intense for the kids so we opted for the Spacewalk.

The Roswell UFO Spacewalk is this super adorable little place put together by a charming couple. They obviously worked very hard on this blacklight walk through. Entrance fee was very reasonable and you can walk through as many times as you would like. If you have little kids, this is the stop for you. I loved this place, I loved the owners, and I loved that they seemed to do it all just for fun. 

This was a great stop to stretch our legs, do some tacky tourists shopping, and then get back on the road to Carlsbad. 

For Your Trip

You have to get a picture by the Roswell sign. There are signs at 4 different entrances into town and all of them are a little different. Google which one you want to stop at but you need to get that picture. Another random picture you may want to get is a piece of art called Cowboy Ruckus by John Cerney. This is located north of Roswell (about 70 miles or so). 

The cowboys are 18ft tall

Roswell is a good sized town. You could probably spend a whole day there as there are several parks in the area including Bottomless Lake State park and museums including Roswell Museum and a Contemporary Art Museum. The International UFO Museum looks like a great stop if you have older kids. New attractions also seem to be popping up everyday so make sure to stop at the Roswell Visitors Center for the latest info. All the major grocery store chains are in town so stock up before you head out into those open fields again. And don’t forget to watch the skies on the way out of town 😉

Bandelier National Monument

Posted on by under USA

Bandelier National Monument is one of my favorite places. We have been here many times and keep coming back. It is just an engaging park that really draws the kids in and focus their attention on history, hiking, and having some fun. 

Our latest trip to Bandelier was in March 2022. We lucked out with some beautiful, cool weather along with sunshine. Even though March is technically the off season, we still made sure to get to the parking lot at the Visitor Center early to snag a spot. We aren’t the only ones that love this place. The most popular trail is the Pueblo (or Main) Loop Trail that starts directly behind the visitors center. 

This trail is 1.4 miles and is fairly smooth until you get to some sites in which you will want to climb up. There are some very uneven steps, tight spaces and ladders. The ladders are the best part. 

You can go around the step/climbing portion if needed. You can view the cliff houses from the lower portion and then both sections will meet up at the lower cliff dwellings and long houses. I highly recommend going up to the cliff houses and climbing the houses if possible. The views are worth it.

The long houses are interesting as well with some paint still visible.

You can retrace your steps at the end of the trail or loop through via the Nature trail to return back to the Visitor Center. The Nature trail offers more shade and has a little creek running by it. So that is always our choice for the return. 

If you visit in the Spring, I would recommend the Falls Trail to see the winter runoff. The falls can dry up in the summer. This trail is more difficult and honestly I wouldn’t recommend it with small children. Also check for ice or snow on the trail due to recent weather. This trail starts near the visitor center so you can decide if the conditions are right for you after you arrive. 

For Your Trip

Its important to note that Bandelier is an extremely popular spot. In the off season, you can drive down the canyon to the visitor center and park but get there early. In the summer, you must take a shuttle if arriving between 9am and 3pm. The shuttle starts at the White Rock Visitor Center. This is located 20 min away from the Bandelier visitor center and you will most likely pass it first if you are coming in from Santa Fe. So check your watch when you are in White Rock to save yourself a long trip into the canyon and back. 

Bandelier is 1 hr from Santa Fe. There are limited services during parts of this drive with basically nothing between White Rock and the entrance to the Monument. I recommend checking your fuel gauge and bringing some snacks/packed lunch. There is a cafe at the Bandelier Visitor Center, which had lovely coffee. However, this place can get crowded. There is also a lovely patio just outside this cafe with picnic tables that you can sit and have your lunch or finish up your junior ranger booklets.

If you can’t make it to Bandelier this year or just want a sneak peek before you go, their website also offers a virtual tour. You can also check there for closures due to weather or fires (which unfortunately happened recently).

Bandelier National Monument is an absolute must. Add it to your bucket list and I’m sure you will be coming back again after that first visit.