New Mexico Road Trip 2018
Day One
Day one began with a short 10 hour drive. 9 1/2 hours in, we were still in Texas. We did stop several times along the way, but in most parts of the country you would hit 5 or 6 states in 9 hours. Not in Texas, Texas is big! We had a quick stop in Fredricksburg where we tried to buy some peaches but they were crazy expensive and the person was rude. It was pretty underwhelming. We also stopped at the Visitor Center in San Angelo. It was very nice and the attendant was really friendly and told us a few stories about the area. We finally pulled into Roswell around 8:00 PM. We got a quick bite for dinner and hit the sack. |
Day Two
Once again, I am writing this a year after our visit, so I am not really sure what we did on which day. So, we are gonna say we bummed around Roswell on Day Two. I mean, we did bum around Roswell, but I just don't remember when. So the thing about Roswell is it is very small and kinda underwhelming. There are little alien sites scattered throughout the city, but not nearly as many as I expected. We did visit the International UFO Museum and Research Center as well as drove up and down the main drag which has a couple of cool spots. I would recommend that you visit if you are in the area, but I would not make it a destination of your trip. |
Day Three
On Day Three we traveled to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We opted to take the natural entrance down and then ride the elevator back up to the surface. The natural entrance was fun. It was quite steep, but I never felt unsafe traveling down. There is a possibility to be swarmed by cave swallows as you are traveling down. Caves are not really my favorite as I am a little claustrophobic, but I enjoy watching Mancie and the kids make fun of me because of it. Come to think of it, if there is a cave anywhere close to our road trips, we go. Carlsbad is a National Park, so we could not pass it up. The facilities are top notch and the staff is friendly and helpful. |
Day Something!
At some point we traveled back down into Texas to hit up Guadalupe Mountain National Park. We stopped mainly to cross off another National Park of our list. We ended up opting to try a short hike which turned out to be a disaster. We had a few hours to kill and chose the Devil's Hall Trail because it was the shortest. We are not hikers and were ill prepared for this. The first mile is easy walking with some elevation and descent, but once you get to the wash, be prepared to climb up and down big rocks. Some are also very slippery. We were expecting more of a nature trail type walk. This is not a nature trail. Don't get me wrong, we had a great time and bonded with the family over the difficulties we encountered. However, if you are expecting a leisurely walk enjoying nature, this is not your hike. We survived and laugh about the hike today. |
Another Day
At some point we started back on the road to head to Las Cruces, NM. This road trip had stops at the Smokey the Bear Historical Park and Lincoln, New Mexico. Lincoln consists of the Old Lincoln County Courthouse and the Tunstall Store. This is where the Lincoln County War took place and was made famous by Billy the Kid. Fun stuff. |
Day 6 or 7
Again at some point we stopped at the White Sands National Monument. This was the highlight of the trip for me. Sledding down the slopes was tons of fun. We also went up and had lunch in Cloudcroft. I'm sure it is crazy busy during the months with snow, but In July it was dead. Still a pretty place and very scenic. |
Last Day
We finished up our trip with the long drive down Interstate 10 back home. It was a long drive. Almost forgot. We stopped at the Valley of Fires area to check out the hardened lava! I am usually not in the pictures since I take most of them, but here is a nice shot of Me and Coby. Mancie didn't even cut our heads off. |