Beam Me Up

Sitting in a hotel in Roswell NM, watching the full moon high overhead. Just perfect for hubby's pilgrimage tomorrow to the scifi holy land.

We spent most of the day at Carlsbad Caverns. We planned to do just one tour - the 1.25 mile, 1.5 hour self-guided tour of the Big Room (which is the size of 14 football fields!) - but it was so neat, we decided to do the Natural Entrance cave too. That was another mile, hiking straight down over 750' into a bat cave,

Going down and down and . . .

taking the (now paved) path used by the original explorers.

Looking back up

Lots of stalactites and stalagmites and popcorns and soda straws* and bacon and more. Didn't see any bats but the second cave smelled strongly of bat guano.

We'd planned to spend a second night in Roswell, but after checking the distance still to Albuquerque, we're leaving tomorrow and driving halfway - stopping near the lava fields and petroglyphs around Lincoln (Billy the Kid's old stomping grounds.) Then it's on to ABQ and the balloon festival!

*Ever wonder when and by whom straws were invented? We did, so here you go.