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Tuesday, November 16, 2004

I notice he's wearing a black hat as I roll to a stop. Hmmm, is he going to be trouble? Well, considering I haven't had any excitement today, perhaps it's time to spice things up a bit? After hopping in, curt introductions are exchanged where I learn the gents name is Loren. During our short time together he proves to be an interesting character indeed. Why is he walking? He needs a ride to the town of Carlsbad to pick up a rebuilt carburetor because no carburetor means no car. To accommodate his request I divert my route to Carlsbad. It's not too much of an inconvenience because I don't mind helping a guy out who's a bit down on his luck.

After dropping off Loren in Carlsbad, I head south to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, some 15 miles distant.

Soon enough I pass into Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

I've visited Carlsbad Caverns once before way back as a little kid when my family had tentative plans to move to Arizona. And it was on a New York to Arizona road trip that we passed through these parts on a family vacation that doubled as my father's scouting venture. In the end we never did move to Arizona, however the long road trip, my first ever, produced many fond memories, including a visit to the caverns. My memory of Carlsbad Caverns National Park consists only of the cave experience itself, however, as I now drive to the park's visitor center, I notice there's a lot more to the park experience than its underground offerings. There's a lot to see above ground as well.

Click here for more detail and pictures of my visit to Carlsbad Caverns National Park, a magical place filled with dripping concoctions and dark, scary places.

After wrapping up my tour of Carlsbad Caverns I head back into Carlsbad to overnight. Upon arrival I spend a grueling 25 minutes searching for an Internet connection, which I eventually find with a bit of persistence. I think towns like Carlsbad are somewhat removed from the Internet grid, where the vast majority of their inhabitants have a mindset far removed from computers and technology. Thankful for my Internet connection, after updating my homepage with my current travels, I head to a grocery store to stock up my supplies.