Rose Colored Glasses

As we travel during the winter we often remark how we'd love to return to each state in the spring to see it in its full glory. We choose instead rose colored glasses seeing the beauty of each sight in the dead of winter. Even Death Valley experiences a super bloom in spring I must see one day, but to us it was just as breathtaking in December. 

But Southern New Mexico... I'm not convinced it can get much better. And I'm not saying that as a compliment. We've driven through a lot of nothing across the states, but most of it is beautiful nothingness. Southern New Mexico appeared to be just nothing. We traveled through to see White Sands National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, and well, I'm not convinced there is anything else to see. 

Nothing.

We were bamboozled by RV advertising at its best and set up shop in a gravel parking lot that did NOT at all resemble the website pictures. Our kids' perspective? The place rocked! They had a basketball hoop and cement pad complete with sidewalk chalk right next to our RV, and the owners had a son their age who was willing to shoot hoops every day. I resolved to see it through the kids' eyes. And while the "reading nook" they raved about was really a plastic shed from Lowes, they had managed to make it quite cute with a chair, a keurig, and quite the collection of books to trade. I borrowed the rose colored glasses and settled in with a new book. 

White Sands National Park needed no such glasses. The sand, made from gypsum crystals, was finer than any sand we've felt and as white as snow. Our new friend at the RV park let us borrow his sleds and we had an awesome time sledding. The girls completed another Jr. Ranger Program and earned their badges. The next day we set off for Carlsbad Caverns. 

Carlsbad Caverns is bucket list worthy in our opinion. We drove through more nothingness and were again bamboozled by road sign advertisements for a fabulous RV Campground right next to the Caverns. I should have known when there was no website to be found. The character at the registration desk should have been my second clue. While he instructed me on exactly where to place my registration tag lest he has to "come a knockin' on my door just when the last light went out so he could get me outta my cozy bed just for the inconvenience of it" I was busy looking at the massive gun on his hip. In retrospect I have never seen so many guns and shot gun racks in the back of pick ups in my life. I am just going to go with the assumption that the NRA is alive and well in New Mexico. We struggled to find our spot due to the fact that they had no identification; we guessed, hung the registration tag per instruction, and hoped for the best. The kids went outside and just stared at me. One of them stated with some dry sarcasm, "What a beautiful view of the dumpster." A dirt parking lot with an old sewer line under my picnic table and our neighbors pop outs not so far from our own, it was tight. Even Chance couldn't find a comfortable spot and readily came in. Rare. I imagine this place seems fun and kitschy during the busy summers... January... not so much. On the upside, we were right outside of the national park. Rose. Colored. Glasses. 

Luckily Carlsbad Caverns kept us plenty busy only leaving time to return, eat, and crash. We ventured out each morning to explore. Day one we made the decent by foot 750 feet down into the caverns and explored the whole day. Massive does not even do it justice. Nor do my pictures. You just cannot capture the beauty of a cave on camera. I love that the national park is serious about being quiet while in the cave as it allows you to stop and just listen considering for a moment the cave before human discovery. We weren't battling a large crowd for the experience which was a plus, and for much of the hike we were alone with just the cave and our thoughts. My advice? Bring a high powered LED flashlight when you go. We had headlamps and flashlights but there were spaces we would have loved to illuminate with a better flashlight. We ate our lunch underground in their cafe, the girls got a kick out of that, and took the elevator on the return. We were exhausted. It is an experience like no other. The beauty and the overwhelming reality that what you're seeing took millions of years to form hidden away from the human eye is impressive. 

This is where the trail begins! 750 feet down!

Head lamps... check!

We returned the next day to off road, hike, and earn our Jr. Ranger badges. The ranger who worked with the girls was so kind and gave them much of his time. He sat with them for an interview, answered questions from all of us, and even gave us the inside scoop on NPS and government censorship. Before we left, sensing our caving enthusiasm, he gave us directions to two caves to explore on our own. 

Just hanging out working on our Jr. Ranger badges!

We geared up the next morning for our own caving adventure and it did not disappoint. We off roaded to the caves, got our gear (flashlights and headlamps) and headed in. We had to crouch, sludge through water, and squeeze through tight places in a twisting cave carved out of limestone that made the power of water awe inspiring. M kept remarking, "This is seriously the most amazing thing I've ever done!" The night ended with another noteworthy event but this time for R... her first lost tooth! 

Complete darkness! Our only light was our own!

Yoga on the trails in Carlsbad!

Her first!

We ended our adventures in New Mexico by dipping into Texas for the day to explore Guadalupe National Park. This was another park I'd love to explore again in spring, but also when the kids are older. Most of the best hikes and backcountry camping here are strenuous and long, but the sights worth the haul. We took a rather strenuous hike in our book up to Smith Spring. It was an unmarked hike so we had no indication just how much farther we needed to go, and it was hot. My usually energetic hikers were dragging and all involved were begging to turn around. Smith Spring does not exist. Dried up. Gone for the winter. I plunked the complainers on a rock and set off to check around the corner alone. I stopped to listen... running water! "Come forth weary travelers! I have found water!" We took respite in the shade and played in the water before heading back. On the way back it was certain we wouldn't make it without plan B. Plan B is only put into effect when we are rapidly losing momentum and egregious whining begins. Plan B is takes much effort from the parents. Plan B is singing. Pop Songs, Christian Songs, Camp Songs. All the songs. And when we're about to lose it we rap. We rap about how awesome we are, how we're gonna make it, how we rock at hiking. Dad beat boxes... kind of... and I attempt very impressive Pentonix like body beats. To see us on the trails you'd truly think we'd lost it. The kids run to the car and Shawn and I collapse with a high five. Success. Rapping is so much better than whining. The girls collected a Jr. Ranger badge from the first ranger who ever indicated children were a slight annoyance to his work and said the words, "Well, come on then! Let's hurry up and get this over with!" ... there was one other person in the entire visitor center. Ummm... The girls just stared at him mouths gaping in confusion. This was not the warm reception they were used to. He actually shortened the Jr. Ranger pledge, which did NOT go unnoticed by my children, and off we went! 

Our hike took us all the way to the base of this mountain!

Smith Spring

I'll say this about New Mexico, I will admit it did not get a fair shake. I vow to return to explore the north end of this state: Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and the many National Monuments that dot the north. But for now, we're off and so are our rose colored glasses because as we head into Texas things are looking up! We have friends to visit in this state and we're counting the days!