A Cold Snap
With so many parks and towns and sights to visit in New Mexico, it's hard to plan where to go next. We decided to see some of the southeastern part of the state last week, thinking it would be nice in mid January to be somewhere a little warmer when it's cold up here in Santa Fe.
So Carlsbad Caverns, 275 miles to the south, down toward the Texas border, was a logical mid winter trip. No school kids or crowds in January was a bonus.
The temperatures there are consistently 10 or more degrees warmer than here, usually around 58 degrees on a January afternoon. Not summery, but nice with a light jacket on.
But it was colder there than at our house. Much colder.
Our drive took us down the old cattle drive route along the Pecos River, past wide open treeless cattle ranches, through vast oilfields, past the impressive military institute in Roswell, and by the pecan orchards of Artesia.
As we drove further south it got colder and colder, and when we arrived in Carlsbad it was 32 F, with a biting wind.
For our entire stay in Carlsbad it never got out of the 30s and nights were in the teens. The wind was sharp.
But our bed and breakfast (Fiddler's Inn) was welcoming and cozy, breakfasts at the charming Blue House Bakery next door were delicious, and dinners at a restaurant we found, sitting next to a lit fireplace, were delightful. We went there each night, it was so good, not even venturing to try other restaurants in Carlsbad.
It was too coldly unpleasant to do the river walk along the Pecos; Carlsbad is a nice town with a lovely riverfront. But we went mainly to see the caverns, and they were not only spectacular, but . . . they are underground. At 750 feet down in the earth, the caverns are always 55 degrees, warmish and humid. Out of the wind and in our parkas below ground, we were hot.
I simply can't do justice to what we saw in the caverns. Like the Grand Canyon, it is the scope and scale and sense of awe that dazzles, not the individual sights that a camera can capture in one frame. It was phenomenal.
The caverns are artfully lit, keeping the place dark and eerie, but lighting the incredible formations to see them. At one point our park ranger guide shut off the lights and showed us what it was like for the first explorers to be in total and complete darkness so far below the surface, with only a candle or an oil lamp to throw shadows on the strange walls.
The paths are all paved, but steep and long and a challenge for Jim's back. Despite that, we spent hours in the cave, first on the guided tour with the ranger, which was really informative, and then on our own, almost entirely by ourselves wandering past incredible wonders. There were no crowds on a midweek winter day.
The cold snap in Carlsbad was brief. After we left it was 71 degrees the next day. We just managed to be there for the few days it was unseasonably cold. Still, it was a great winter getaway with awesome sights and pleasant lodgings.
Our national parks are treasures.
So Carlsbad Caverns, 275 miles to the south, down toward the Texas border, was a logical mid winter trip. No school kids or crowds in January was a bonus.
The temperatures there are consistently 10 or more degrees warmer than here, usually around 58 degrees on a January afternoon. Not summery, but nice with a light jacket on.
But it was colder there than at our house. Much colder.
Our drive took us down the old cattle drive route along the Pecos River, past wide open treeless cattle ranches, through vast oilfields, past the impressive military institute in Roswell, and by the pecan orchards of Artesia.
As we drove further south it got colder and colder, and when we arrived in Carlsbad it was 32 F, with a biting wind.
For our entire stay in Carlsbad it never got out of the 30s and nights were in the teens. The wind was sharp.
But our bed and breakfast (Fiddler's Inn) was welcoming and cozy, breakfasts at the charming Blue House Bakery next door were delicious, and dinners at a restaurant we found, sitting next to a lit fireplace, were delightful. We went there each night, it was so good, not even venturing to try other restaurants in Carlsbad.
 |
| Blue House Bakery in Carlsbad next to our BnB |
It was too coldly unpleasant to do the river walk along the Pecos; Carlsbad is a nice town with a lovely riverfront. But we went mainly to see the caverns, and they were not only spectacular, but . . . they are underground. At 750 feet down in the earth, the caverns are always 55 degrees, warmish and humid. Out of the wind and in our parkas below ground, we were hot.
I simply can't do justice to what we saw in the caverns. Like the Grand Canyon, it is the scope and scale and sense of awe that dazzles, not the individual sights that a camera can capture in one frame. It was phenomenal.
The caverns are artfully lit, keeping the place dark and eerie, but lighting the incredible formations to see them. At one point our park ranger guide shut off the lights and showed us what it was like for the first explorers to be in total and complete darkness so far below the surface, with only a candle or an oil lamp to throw shadows on the strange walls.
The paths are all paved, but steep and long and a challenge for Jim's back. Despite that, we spent hours in the cave, first on the guided tour with the ranger, which was really informative, and then on our own, almost entirely by ourselves wandering past incredible wonders. There were no crowds on a midweek winter day.
The cold snap in Carlsbad was brief. After we left it was 71 degrees the next day. We just managed to be there for the few days it was unseasonably cold. Still, it was a great winter getaway with awesome sights and pleasant lodgings.
Our national parks are treasures.
Comments