Carlsbad Caverns, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, lies an underground treasure including more than 117 known caves.  Beneath the rugged desert, rocky slopes and deep canyons that make up Carlsbad.

Carlsbad Caverns, tucked underneath the scenic Guadalupe Mountain ranges in the Chihuahuan Desert of southeastern New Mexico and West Texas, contains some of the largest and most visited caves in America.

The Guadalupe Mountains are an uplifted portion of ancient reef, which thrived along the edge of an inland sea more than 250 million years ago. Preserved in the rocks are the ancient bodies of sponges, algae, snails, nautilus and more.

That same fossil reef also formed the caves beneath the surface. Over time, sulfuric acid dissolved into surrounding limestone, creating stunning rock formations jetting down from the cave ceilings. More than 300,000 visitors travel to Carlsbad Caverns each year for a rare glimpse of the underground worlds preserved beneath the desert.

Visitors to the caverns may choose to hike the steep and strenuous 1.25 mile paved trail into the cave's natural entrance or take a short, one-minute elevator ride from the Visitor's Center down into the caves. 

Dave had been here as a child and had always talked about us going someday.  However he only ever described it as a cave that bats flew out of.  So I was not prepared for what I saw.  This place is beautiful.  I wondered around with my mouth hanging open.  We got there before they opened.  We were the 1st two in.  We rode the elevator down and hiked out.  We stayed for the evening bat flight.  This is a must see.  I would definitely go back. Highly recommend it!

Seventeen species of bats live in the park, including a large number of Mexican Free-tailed Bats. It has been estimated that the population of Mexican Free-tailed Bats once numbered in the millions but has declined drastically in modern times. The cause of this decline is unknown but the pesticide DDT is often listed as a primary cause. Populations appear to be on the increase in recent years but are nowhere near the levels that may have been historically present. The Mexican Free-tailed Bats are present from April or May to late October or early November. They emerge in a dense group, corkscrewing upwards and counterclockwise. 

Summer Vacation part II

After attending the family reunion in June we left the motorhome with family and flew home to return to work.  After working the month of July we flew back to Mississippi, picked up the motorhome and continued on vacation. 

Arriving much later than expected with flight delays and cancellations we ended up spending the night with Aunt Becky.  We couldn't leave town the next morning with Breakfast at Abe's Grill.

 Abe's Grill: A Southern Tradition in Corinth, Mississippi

 

The moment you drive up to this little diner you know the place is special.  First of all, their parking lot stays full, always a sign of good food.  And the diner's exterior, a hodge-podge of signs, slogans and placards,  grabs your attention.

The 17 stool lunch counter grill was opened in 1974 making it the oldest diner on highway 72 in Corinth, Mississippi.  Abe and Terri Whitfield are the worker-owners and operators of the establishment.  Just enter and Abe will be over and make you feel right at home.

 

And, when he tells you to grab an open seat, you'd better make a beeline as there's usually a swarm waiting.  Never fear, service and turnover are speedy and the prices won't sting your budget.  Two eggs with bacon, sausage or bologna with biscuits and sawmill gravy plus coffee is only $4.59.

We had lunch with my Great Aunt Merta and Uncle Earl in Macon, Missouri.

We attended the Knoxville Nationals Sprint Car Races. This is a fun time in Central Iowa for a sprint car fan. 10 nights of races in a row if you are up for that much fun! This was our 15th year.

Jeff Gordon's sprint car in the museum

Our favorite house in Pella, Iowa

Stopped by the Dalton Gang Hideout in Meade Kansas.

  Sharing notoriety with some of America’s most infamous outlaw gangs such as the Jesse James Gang, the Wild Bunch and Billy the Kid’s gang, the Dalton Gang robbed banks and raided trains throughout Kansas and Oklahoma. Members of a family of 15 children, the three Dalton brothers of the group were Gatton, Bob and Emmett. Their crime spree lasted about two years and ended in their hometown of Coffeyville. There, the gang attempted to rob two banks. Locals recognized the Daltons and with a 15,000 dollar bounty on their heads, gunfire quickly erupted. Grat and Bob were killed in the gunfight, along with other gang members. Although Emmett took 23 rounds, he survived to spend the next 14 years in the penitentiary.
Eva Dalton arrived in Meade, Kansas, in 1886, were she opened a shop selling women’s finery. Here she met merchant John Whipple. The couple were soon wed and John built his new bride a two story home on a hillside just south of town. News of the Dalton Gang’s crimes spread throughout the state, and local citizens in Meade began to suspect Eva’s connection to the gang. By 1892, at the height of the Dalton Gang’s nefarious activities, John and Eva slipped out of town. After the Whipple’s departure, it was discovered that a tunnel existed between the Whipple house and a nearby barn. It was then assumed that the Dalton Brothers came and went as they pleased, unknown to the town's people. 

Tucumcari, New Mexico

Stayed over night in Tucumcari, New Mexico. No, we did not stay in a Motel! This very cool retro Motor Inn was across the street from the RV Park.

  

Roswell, New Mexico

 The Roswell UFO incident took place in 1947 when an airborne object crashed on a ranch near Roswell, NM on July 7th.

 

Museum

Everyone knows

"Things go better with Coke"!