Carlsbad Caverns

Dateline: Carlsbad Caverns, NM Friday, June 11, 2010

Wow! Wow! Wow! Doesn't even begin to cover it for this spectacular experience. The Tourbus Captain immediately declared that we would need to return with grandchildren in tow. We hiked down 900' in this giant hole in the ground. With her usual wisdom in evidence, Beth chose to wear flip flops (I'd have called them 'thongs' here but the children have berated me into the ground for that choice of verbage) - lets just say that the traction generated by the footwear was only barely enough to keep me upright on the trek but we did make it. Carlsbad has been one of Barry's lifelong ambitions and it certainly lived up to the expectation.

We did the Kings Palace guided tour after our decent and saw some spectacular formations and learned a lot of geology. Unfortunately the guide was the exact sort of instructor that Barry resists the very most. Beth could feel the jaw muscle working tighter with every inane, 'please participate with me' question the plump little uniformed leader asked. When she insisted that all the trekers place their arms in the air to demonstrate how a stalactite drapery is formed Barry sat in dogged refusal. Believe it or not dear readers she was able to outlast him and he was forced along with the thirty or so other reluctant participants to raise the offending limb.

The now hungry and exhausted cave trekers headed back for the Tourbus with one last adventure in them. A stop at Mexican Foods & Steak in Pecos, TX became our dinner agenda. Suffice it to say that the chips and salsa were excellent...