Caverns, Sand Dunes, and Red Rocks
On Friday, the day after we arrived in Carlsbad, we went to Carlsbad Caverns State Park which was less than a half hour away. We'd gotten an appointment to go down to the caverns that morning, so we went straight there. The natural entrance to the caverns was a huge black hole in the ground, which was kind of intimidating. The winding pathway led down past formations of stalagmites and stalactites, 1027 feet below the earth. The deepest point of the caverns was the Big Room, a huge chamber with breathtaking formations, pits leading to pitch black depths, and clear pools of water. But before we entered the Big Room, we went to the underground snack bar. It was such a unique experience, eating chips hundreds of feet below the surface. After the Big Room, we rode the elevator back up (our ears were popping as we watched the depth marker change on the screen in the elevator) to the gift shop, theater, and museum. The caverns were awe-inspiring, and we all enjoye