Exploring Carlsbad Caverns: An Unforgettable Adventure

Here we are in New Mexico. We are about 2 weeks into our month long journey that I am calling the Summer of Sunscreen. We started in Galveston Texas and are slowly working our way over to Ventura California. So at this point we are stopping to explore Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns.

Let me tell you something, I seriously underestimated the desert heat. I don’t know why, I guess I am a idiot. BUT IT IS HOT HERE. Yesterday was over 100 degrees and the camper was at 90 degrees. So heading to a cave today if nothing else is just for our own sanity. The cave is a cool 56 degrees once you make the plunge of 75 stories into the ground. You can make that plunge in 2 different ways. One is the easy way that we did, take an elevator. Second is to hike switch backs down into the earth, which would be a much more scenic route. Unfortunately I am fat and lazy and decided that the elevator was the route for me.

Once inside the cave we did the self guide tour that is a one way path leading you through the Big Room Trail. This 1.25 mile flat trail is the way to go in my opinion. It allows you to explore at your own pace being able to take in all the sites for as long as you like. Or just to get out of the heat for the day and hide in a cave hundreds of feet in the ground, either way there is no judgement from me.

There are plenty of places to take a seat and relax. If you are worried about that long of a walk please do not let that stop you from experiencing this. You can sit and take many breaks, plus remember it is only 56 degrees. There is also a small snack shack, gift shop, and bathrooms located at the trail head. This was a first for me, being in a cave and having a vendor down there to eat and shop.

Bat Flight Program

Kaitlin told me that they do a bat flight program at Carlsbad Caverns and that she would like to go check it out. So I figured this was going to suck and it was going to be a Ranger telling you all about the bats in the area and what they eat, blah blah blah. NOPE I was dead wrong! We arrived about 30 minutes before sunset and already I could see swarms of black dots flying around in all directions. We walked as fast as we could to the cave entrance and was told the bats started early because of the previous days rain.

Heading down to the amphitheater located at the cave entrance. You are met with the bats leaving the cave for the night. The only way I can describe this is a bat vortex. Whirling black clouds of bats branching off into different locations into the sky. Wave after wave of what seems like an endless amount of Brazilian Free Tailed Bats. All leaving the cave at the same time. Seriously hundreds of thousands, it is a black cloud of whirling bats all above your head and if you are up early enough you can watch them return to the cave around 4 AM. Ya we did not do that so we opted to watch them leave the cave twice on your visit.

Make sure you get here early. The bats have a routine but it is not a exact schedule. They will come and go as THEY please. Not on our terms. Early is better and just wait on the show, it is worth every second.

Whites City RV Park

What a shock to the system! We went from Galveston to San Antonio, to this! White City, NM at Whites City RV Park. First lets cover the good. It is right outside of Carlsbad Caverns, only 7 miles to the visitors center. Also it does give you full hookups. That’s it, that’s all that this place has to offer.

Now the bad. The girl dressed in full goth at the front desk is crazy rude. Makes you feel like you are a bother being here giving them money.  When I checked in and I was asked by her “What do you need”. I told her I was here to check in and she threw a little notebook at me to fill out and said “fill it out”. She told the person in front of me to display the tag in a window and when they asked where they should put it because all their windows you cannot see through she told them it is not her problem.

We were never even told where the dumpster is. Want to use the Wi-Fi? Too Bad they never told us the password or that Wi-Fi even existed here. I only noticed when I was setting up my TV for my hotspot. Just remember you are not wanted here, you are a bother.

Obviously with such great service we had to pay a premium. We bought 4 gallons of water. …it was $10. Gas/diesel is easily 60 cents more a gallon. There is no playground, pool, or fire ring. Also, you can book a pull through online. Unfortunately when you get here you’ll get a back in. Don’t like it? Too bad. also the site is basically just a shoulder to the highway. Seriously that’s not a joke, the road is your front yard. Don’t let you kids play in the parking lot/campsite/road without supervision.

The people who own the RV park also own the motel across the street. That motel has a water parked that is attached. Do you think you are allowed to go to the water park? NO! Can you buy a day pass or a ticket? NO! This waterpark is for guest of the motel only. Because once again you are a bother and not wanted. Keep in mind the entire time we were here I never seen anybody at the motel nor the water park.

Are you hungry and don’t feel like cooking. Well good news the RV Park owns a restaurant located just across the street. It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. As long as dinner is before 3 PM because that is when they say they close. The reason I put it that way is the entire time we was visiting the damn restaurant never opened. The sign on the door said open 24/7 but nobody ever came! Not a single car. So who knows if they actually serve anything ever out of the restaurant.

I honesty try to not bad mouth campgrounds. I know it is a hard business and what one person may hate another person may love. This place is not even trying. You are a bother and they do not want you here. This place sucked so bad that we decided to eat the cost of one day and leave the entire area early. There is just nothing to keep us here, we will move on to a KOA that wants our business and gives us something to be happy about.