Back to the past

So, we had gotten to Carlsbad, NM with the plans to stay a few days and then move on.  But fate and Ford had other ideas. On the second day, we backed out of our parking space, put the car in drive and went nowhere. There was a Ford dealer in town and we had the car towed to them.  We found out shortly that the transmission was shot. The warranty covered the repairs so we got a rental car and continued on with our visits. They didn't give us an idea of time frame.

We headed to Texas again and a visit to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Guadalupe Mountains National Park is in the vast Chihuahuan Desert of western Texas. It’s known for its bright-white Salt Basin Dunes, wildlife-rich grassland and fossilized reef mountains. The Guadalupe Peak Trail weaves up through a conifer forest to the state’s highest summit, with views of the rocky El Capitan peak to the south.

Another cold day greeted us but the photos were striking.

We were told by someone at the camp that we should visit nearby Artesia. The town is a poor, rundown place that has tried to create art in public places. To be honest, it was disappointing. Mediocre barbeque finished it off.

Our last stop in Carlsbad was at the Living Desert Museum.  A really pleasant surprise in an otherwise average town. Perched high atop a mountain on the north side of Carlsbad. Lot of animals in good exhibits.

The final stop for this blog is White Sands National Monument. Simply nothing like it. Dunes of bright white sand with interesting vegetation and surprisingly alive with animals. We did try sledding down the dunes with Jo having more success than me. Big surprise, huh? I sat down on the disc and pretty much sat still.  The walk back up the dunes was a killer.

By the way, two and half weeks and still no car.

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