Made it to New Mexico! Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns

 Blog post #12

Boy, Texas is a BIG STATE!!  This was our longest drive so far from San Antonio to Carlsbad, New Mexico.  The landscape changed quite a bit as we went west.  There were more hills and red rocks as we approached NM and the land began to look like an old western.  Driving at 80 mph was a first too!!  Can't say I really liked the town of Carlsbad in fact, this was our worst town and definitely worst hotel.  I guess it will be memorable because it's where I spent my birthday :(

The reason we came was to go to Guadalupe Mountains National Park (which is in both Texas and New Mexico) and Carlsbad Caverns which is also a national park.  We enjoyed both places.  Had a short hike with Toby in the backpack.  Otherwise dogs weren't allowed on trails, so we didn't do much hiking.  We took turns touring the Caverns because dogs weren't allowed in there either.  They were amazing!!  There is a natural entrance where in the summer through October, THOUSANDS of bats live and fly out at sunset to feed.  Like 400,000 bats live in the cave near the natural entrance.  The other way to get in was to go down an elevator about 600 feet to explore the cave.  Both of us went down the natural entrance, but alas, no bat sightings.  There were hardly any people going that way, so there were times when we were each all alone in sections of the cave.  It was very dark and a little unnerving (for me!)  






We saw what we think was a javelina 


The natural entrance to the cave.  This is where the thousands of bats fly out at dusk.

The natural entrance from inside the cave looking out.

A stalactite and stalagmite meet.



Interesting exhibit showing the similarities between bats and humans.

Question for my students:  What are stalactites and stalagmites and how are most of them formed? (post answer in comments)

Comments

  1. AlanaNovember 14, 2023 at 9:41 AM

    Stalactites and stalagmites are mineral formations found in caves, typically made of calcium carbonate or other minerals. They form due to the deposition of minerals from water dripping or flowing through the cave over long periods.

    ReplyDelete

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