CARLSBAD, NM
Boy, what a great day I had visiting Carlsbad. First stop - Living Desert State Park. The interior exhibits show the formation of the desert and the plant and the animal life that inhabit it, as well as the Native American uses for the plants and animals. The outside trail takes the visitor through a natural desert garden and animal habitats. Some animals like the American Bald Eagle and the puma are housed in cage-like areas, while others like the American Bison and elk are in larger fenced areas. A highlight of our tour was the Mexican Gray Wolf that snarled at us! The magnificent male elk is below. Click on the picture for more information about this park.
Our second stop of the day was Carlsbad Caverns. The Caverns are not busy in the winter so our self-guided tour was very quiet which allowed us to experience the cave the way it must have been for the early cave explorers. The sights are beautiful at any time of the year. Click on the picture to go to the Carlsbad Caverns site.
Christmas on the Pecos was our final destination. This holiday boat ride on the Pecos River is operated by the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. The boat cruises down the river while passengers gape at the beautiful and imaginative Christmas decorations on the houses on the banks while the twinkling lights reflect in the dark water. Our trip started at 9:00 so the weather was chilly but we were prepared with heavy jackets, gloves, and blankets. The 55-minute trip was certainly worth it!
My friends and I left Roswell at about 10:00 in the morning and were home by midnight. We were able to see all of these things, eat, and check out some of the local shops too! It was a wonderful day!