March 9…. Deep in a hole

Last night, prior to what set off my Grumpy Old Man rant about changing times, Susanne and I went to the Carlsbad Community Theatre and enjoyed a play. I have loved live theatre, even long before both of my kids got involved in it. Sometimes there’s talent, sometimes not so much, but there’s always joy and enthusiasm. 🤩

Today, we went to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and went deep underground. Walking into the cave by the trail down through the natural entrance is a 750 ft drop, equivalent to walking down the stairs in the Empire State Building in New York. The trail switchbacks over and over, and just about when you think you’ve reached the bottom, it starts dropping again.

When we finally did reach the bottom, after more than a mile walk, we reached The Big Room, which is an enormous open cave, filled with formations, pits, pools, and lofty ceilings. The trail circling this room is more than a mile around, that’s how big the place is. I thought this one reminded me of Jabba the Hut, but Susy thinks I’m nuts.

A good part, after you’ve walked a mile and a quarter down, and a mile and a quarter around the cave, you get to ride an elevator over 800 ft back to the surface. 🥳

After the cavern walk, on the way out of the park, we found some wildlife posing by the road.

This was my fourth (maybe fifth? 🤔) visit to Carlsbad Caverns. Worth it every time. My only regret about it this time, we’re too early in the year to see the bats fly. 🙁. The bats won’t return until some time in April. The rangers do a bat flight program every evening, in season, to watch the bats take flight. MILLIONS of bats come boiling out of the cave and fly off to eat insects. Definitely worth going to. 🦇🦇🦇