It was sad to leave Austin. We were a little frazzled in the morning, we broke a wine bottle and smashed some fingers. We are all ok….and we got out of TX ok.
The drive from Texas to New Mexico was the longest we’ve done so far. It was pretty rough. The road kill and an occasional trucker was the most life we saw for 8hrs straight. We got really stressed when we realized that the Cavern was only open until 3:30…and we weren’t going to make it. We tried to figure out a way, and we took minimal stops but it seemed hopeless. Then….KT was driving while the crew slept and it dawned on her….Time change. WooHoo The truckers were lovin the happy dance.
We made it in time to walk through the whole cavern…and it was majestic!!! It was really hard to take pictures because it was so dark, so you’ll have to go see it for yourself. The cave is huge! It is nice and cool down there (750 ft below the surface)!
After we did the walk, we had some time to kill before the bat viewing….We were starving, so we set up camp in the parking lot. We made Indian food on the camp stove, and drank some wine. Peeps were jealous. At dusk, we walked back up the the cave entrance to see the bats come out. The park ranger was the most intense man ever….he asked for volunteers to do a bat survival game. KT along with nine <12 yr kids played. KT won. The bats were a bit of a bust. A lot came out, but not really at the same time, since it has been dry, there aren’t as many bugs so the bat’s aren’t as active. Austin Bats were better.
We had originally planned to camp by the cavern, but we didn’t realize how long our drive to AZ was, so we wanted to get a little closer. Our gator cruise guide recommended we stop by the White Sand in NM….so we decided to drive there and camp around Lincoln National Forest. We got in around 1:30 and we had to leave at 5:45 am….we decided to bail the tent. Sue and Lauren slept in the car, Jess slept on the picnic table, and Katie slept on the roof of the van. No sleep all around. (Well except Lauren….we have learned she is a pretty good sleeper).
pics to follow.
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