This morning we visited Carlsbad Caverns. Before entering the visitors center Hans gave me a crash course on using the new telephoto lens. We opted to use the natural cave entrance (versus using the elevator) so we could complete the 800-foot descent into the cave. The cave itself was incredible. Hans had visited when we was 12 and he said that it was lit with colored lights at the time. Now it is illuminated with white lights, which Hans said are better for enhancing the natural beauty of the formations. I agree. The main room takes you on a one-and-a-half mile loop, on which we spent a great deal of time taking pictures. When we were done we took the elevator back up and prepared to drive north.
The cave entrance
Roswell, unfortunately, was a little disappointing. We visited the UFO museum briefly and then left town.
We decided to press on to Santa Fe a day early. The road was fairly smooth except for the last hour of driving in which we saw some snow, but it appears we arrived just after they had a snow storm.
We drove a short ways to the downtown area in search of some food. We had decided on a pizza place that boasted a 100+ beer menu in the guidebooks. The menu, while not 100+, was still pretty good. Hans tried a locally made porter and I had a pale ale from Boulder, CO. The food wasn’t stellar but we were appreciative of the casual atmosphere and a few pints after a long day. I pretty much fell into a deep sleep as soon as we got back to the hotel.