Any tips for Carlsbad caverns or white sands national park

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whoop1995
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10:54a, 2/25/24
AG
Going there with my boys age 20 and 14 in March for part of spring break. Also going to Roswell and Amarillo as my eldest son is up to the steak challenge. Our home base is in Clovis New Mexico.

Itinerary
Fly into Amarillo or Lubbock - Friday from Houston with youngest drive to Clovis to meet eldest son.
Spend night in Clovis - go throw axes go out to eat
Sat morning - Start driving at 7am to Roswell and see ufo museum. Get there at nine when opens.
Leave around 12-1pm after lunch drive to white sands.
Get to white sands about 3-4pm and sled down some hills see the place at night etc go to hotel in white sands

Sunday morning start driving to Carlsbad caverns get there by 9-10a, not sure on ticketing process so I guess wait - complete tour and then drive 3 hours back to Clovis.

Monday drive to Amarillo - paint some cars at Cadillac ranch , drive to restaurant and do steak challenge - drive back to Clovis - go to arcade

Tuesday catch a flight home from Amarillo or Lubbock

Looked into white sands and it looks like no problem to get in but Carlsbad looks like a time slot? Anything to shave time of travel or get there early for x event?

I am ex military - son is 14 and 20 so cost of national parks is minimal. Anything we are missing to do or must do along the way? like seeing the worlds largest pistachio? Any problems yalll see with this plan?
I collect ticket stubs! looking for Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949- all home and away 2012-2013- media or suite passes for bowl games in 2021, 2023 and 2024
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corndog04
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11:18a, 2/25/24
AG
If it were me I'd skip Roswell and hit Lincoln instead, or give yourself time for a nice lunch and stroll in the mountain air of Ruidoso or Cloudroft. Another option would be hit Valley of Fires and White Sands same day. It would really start to stretch the day but between Valley of Fires and White Sands you could also hit up Three Rivers Petroglyphs.

After White Sands I'm assuming you are going to stay in Alamogordo? May not get there until too late but they have a small but neat space history museum there. If you like Beer, 575 brewing has a great little beer garden. They'll have food trucks on the weekend, other nights they have a pretty basic food menu of their own.
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whoop1995
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In reply to corndog04 • 11:31a, 2/25/24
AG


Thanks corndog04!!!! Lincoln looks pretty cool as does the space museum! The others are good to go as well! More choices for the boys!
I collect ticket stubs! looking for Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949- all home and away 2012-2013- media or suite passes for bowl games in 2021, 2023 and 2024
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Pro Sandy
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5:42p, 2/25/24
AG
You'll need to make reservations for the Caves. Go to their website. https://www.recreation.gov/ticket/facility/234637

They haven't reopened all the guided tours yet. Looks like a couple in the main cave, but the other cave isn't open yet.

I've done the Lower Cave tour. Pretty cool. The self tour is nice, but you'll be thankful you did one of the guided ones too.
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chick79
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7:29p, 2/25/24
AG
Whatever you do avoid Clovis like the plague. My wife has family from there. Armpit of America.
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redaszag99
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12:11a, 2/26/24
We planned to walk in to cavern and elevator out. The line to elevator out was hours long. We walked out which was fine, but I was afraid my 5 year old was going to have to be carried out. He made it but was pooped.

We should have elevator in and walked out.
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redaszag99
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12:13a, 2/26/24
White sands is fun

I think we bought sled disks at the grocery store in Ruidoso where we were staying

I think the also sold them at the white sands gift shop but they were way more expensive
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EMY92
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In reply to chick79 • 6:30a, 2/26/24
AG
chick79 said:
Whatever you do avoid Clovis like the plague. My wife has family from there. Armpit of America.
Clovis is a paradise compared to Hobbs.
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AggieOO
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7:07a, 2/26/24
Unless you are big UFO people, highly unlikely you will need 3 hours at the ufo museum.
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wessimo
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9:41a, 2/26/24
AG
At the White Sands visitor center they sell sleds for ~$25 and buy them back for $5. You can save a few bucks by asking someone on the way out if you can buy their sled off of them for $5 or $10.
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jja79
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In reply to chick79 • 9:45a, 2/26/24
AG
Never been to Houston huh?
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Bluecat_Aggie94
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12:41p, 2/26/24
AG
All doable but man, I'd get out to Palo Duro Canyon on your Amarillo swing. Way better than the Cadillac Ranch thing...

FYI we did Carlsbad Caverns during spring break and half the elevators were down. Me and three kids walked out, my wife waited 3 hours with the two youngest for the elevator. I'd make a tentative plan to walk out...it's good exercise but as long as nobody has any mobility issues, it's not that bad. If you plan on it and then the elevator line isn't that bad, then no loss. That was on a Saturday, so if you're hitting it on a weekday shouldn't be as bad.


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whoop1995
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1:48p, 2/26/24
AG
Thank y'all so much for the advice and we are revising plans the more we dig into it. Looking at possibly staying in cloudcroft at the lodge after white sands. Going to Lincoln for sure and going to ufo museum after Carlsbad if time allows. Also going to air and space museum in Amarillo, checking on Palo Duro canyon ( might be a good way to get hungry for steak). All of us are healthy and we can walk out of Carlsbad in my estimation.

Can't avoid Clovis as my son is staying there during an internship while he works for Cargill in Bovina, Texas.

Thank y'all again, keep it coming. I will be sure to post pictures and final itinerary when done.

Kids are excited so that makes me excited!
I collect ticket stubs! looking for Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949- all home and away 2012-2013- media or suite passes for bowl games in 2021, 2023 and 2024
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to whoop1995 • 5:59p, 2/26/24
AG
I'll try to chime in later with more. But short term, check the airfares. Amarillo and Lubbock are going to be equidistant from Clovis, but it seems like fares are generally cheaper than Amarillo.

Also, on a scale from 1-10, Palo Duro Canyon is a 10, Roswell is a -2, as is the Cadillac Ranch.

The Big Texan 72 ounce steak is a great marketing tool. Never been that impressed with a normal steak there.


And keep in mind that it is not just the steak. You have to eat a salad, a baked potato, a roll, and a shrimp cocktail


All in an hour, no upchucking
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to whoop1995 • 8:48p, 2/26/24
AG
So, write me off as an old grump, but here goes.

Roswell UFO stuff and Cadillac Ranch: waste of time. Kudos to the people who hype them up and generate tourist dollars, but was never impressed with them. We were in Roswell for something else decades ago, and looked at the UFO museum. Was bored and unimpressed. The funny thing is, there is a museum in town that covers a real rocket man, Robert Goddard, who did experiments near Roswell.

Cadillac Ranch is simply junk cars in a field. Whoopee. If your kids want to go and paint, so they can put it on their Instagram, tell them to knock themselves out. I wouldn't drive a block to do so, much less miles. I drove by them daily when working for USDA a couple of years, and never stopped, and never regretted not stopping.

I'm not as negative about Big Texan, because the owners are good people. who tirelessly promote Amarillo. The 72 oz steak challenge (Steak? That's a roast!) brings in lots of attention and business. Something like 11% of the challengers succeed. We only went there a time or two, with out-of-town guests. I thought their normal steaks were median quality for premium price. Challenge rules below:

https://www.bigtexan.com/72-oz-steak/

Clovis to Roswell or Carlsbad is a long, boring drive, with almost no gas stations. Elida, NM, does feature a speed trap, so be aware.

I agree with the other poster that I'd go to Lincoln, NM, not Roswell. Also recommend Fort Stanton, a well preserved Army post. It was established in 1855, but looks a lot like it did when a TB hospital in the middle of the last century.

Cloudcroft is a cool town, and the Space Museum in Alamogordo is 3/5 stars for me. I'd like to hear what anyone else has to say about the rocket/missile museum at White Sands. It's on the opposite (west) side of White Sands, about 35 miles from the park, Never been there, partially because it was closed by COVID.

Carlsbad Caverns is a bucket list item. I would follow other's advice for scheduling, and make it the centerpiece of the trip. Plan all your other Southern New Mexico travels around the times you are allowed to enter the Caverns. I don't know if the bats are there this time of year. If they are, plan to be there at sunset for the bat flight.

As far as other things to do, it would be a shame to go to the Amarillo area and not go to Palo Duro Canyon. We also love Caprock Canyons, but it's a bit out of your way.

Museums, the Air and Space Museum is Amarillo is not very big, and is in the middle of a move. If you fly into Lubbock, definitely look at Silent Wings Museum, glider museum with unique items. Also at Lubbock, the Ranching Heritage Center is outstanding. The Panhandle Plains Museum in Canyon is also outstanding, one of the best regional museums in the US. Comanchero Canyons Museum in Quitaque is very good if you end up going to Caprock Canyons, but they have very limited hours.

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Wahoo82
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9:37p, 2/26/24
AG
Did a similar trip with kids a few years ago over spring break, but flew into El Paso.

Started with a hike at Guadalupe NP.

Carlsbad Caverns was great and the previous advice about the guided tour is spot on. .

Roswell - agree with previous poster. It is cheesy and stupid. I would give it a miss.

We went to Cloudcroft before White Sands. Bought our disks there and they told us where to find snow to use disks on. Took the disks to White Sands and used them on the dunes. Gave them to a family for their use.

Stayed in Las Cruses, which was nice.

Lots of amazing nature to see in this part of the world.
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Bluecat_Aggie94
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 8:18a, 2/27/24
AG
CanyonAg77 said:

Carlsbad Caverns is a bucket list item. I would follow other's advice for scheduling, and make it the centerpiece of the trip. Plan all your other Southern New Mexico travels around the times you are allowed to enter the Caverns. I don't know if the bats are there this time of year. If they are, plan to be there at sunset for the bat flight.

Bad news on the bats. I was there at the beginning of this summer and was going to do this with two of my kids. The rangers said just be prepared for not many bats. The last few years the numbers have declined so that what used to be a cloud of millions of bats is now just a trickle.
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Head Ninja In Charge
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8:27a, 2/27/24
AG
Depending on where you're lodging or your tolerance for night driving, I would highly recommend watching the sunset at White Sands NP. A lot of people go during the day only, which is cool for sure - but I'm struggling to find a better place to catch a sunset than on your own chosen dune at White Sands. It's honestly surreal.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Bluecat_Aggie94 • 11:14a, 2/27/24
AG
Quote:
The last few years the numbers have declined so that what used to be a cloud of millions of bats is now just a trickle.
Hate to hear that. I would guess it's the white nose fungus, or whatever it is. Lots of caves with bats ask you not to tour if you've been to another bat cave recently. Or at minimum, wear different clothes and shoes. One we visited had antiseptic liquid you had to walk through to enter.
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NoahAg
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4:16p, 2/27/24
Maybe it's just me but Carlsbad Caverns was just ok. Sure, it is really really big, but I've been a lot more impressed by the formations I've seen in the Texas caves I've visited.
Now, I don't remember waiting hours for the elevator like others mentioned. Pretty sure we went on an August weekday though.
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BaileyAg
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2:03p, 2/28/24
AG
Went to Roswell this summer with 14 yo son while we were staying in Palo Duro.
Not really worth the drive, imo. Museum is no big deal and there was not much else to do aside from a few pics at the sign as you enter town
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CDub06
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In reply to whoop1995 • 9:18a, 2/29/24
AG

Just a couple of notes (that I'm sure have been covered in the replies).

The UFO museum is an hour tops... I think I spent 30 minutes in there and was good to go. You can knock it out in a hurry and get lunch in Ruidoso instead.

Casa Suenos up in Tularosa is my favorite restaurant in the Alamogordo area.

Book your tour for the Caverns early. They've had fewer tours recently and they do sell out.

Carniceria San Juan de Los Lagos in Carlsbad is an EXCELLENT lunch stop.

The Clovis to Amarillo to Clovis to Amarillo stretch at the end sounds awful I'd retool that personally.


This is a pretty tight trip, so it's hard to suggest anything extra to see. The Pistachio farms are a unique sight for sure. Alamogordo also has a really nice Space History museum. And the White Sands Missile Range has a nice Museum, but that's practically in Las Cruces.

Cloudcroft has some nice hikes and a couple of good restaurants, but it looks like you'll be going through early morning. As you drive up to cloudcroft, be sure to look in the rearview mirror. It's wild how quickly you climb up (and how fast the temperature drops) and you can see the white sands rise from the desert.

Obviously, you won't be far from Guadalupe Mountains NP if you want to hit the trifecta.

Oh, and Palo Duro Canyon is definitely a worthwhile stop if you're set on spending that much time in Amarillo.

I'm not sure how familiar you are with New Mexico, but you'll be driving through the worst parts of the state. Don't hold southeastern New Mexico against the rest of the Land of Enchantment.
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Milwaukees Best Light
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9:37a, 2/29/24
AG
Your Monday/Tuesday plan sounds terrible. Stay the night in Amarillo. If the 20 year old has to go back to Clovis, he can drive it solo. Cadillac Ranch is 20 minutes, tops. It is worth the stop, just for the pics, if you are driving by. Otherwise, not worth a trip on its own. Big Texan steaks are not good. If you need some peace and quiet, go there because all your jaws will be too tired from chewing to talk. Their beer is pretty good though. They had a cool car to pick you up, but I am unfamiliar with how to arrange it. Palo Duro canyon needs to be added to your trip.
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Aggiewes
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10:34a, 2/29/24
AG
Agree with everyone on Roswell. Good bathroom stop but that is it!

Cloudcroft was beautiful and we stumbled into Sunspot which has a neat telescope museum and you get a great view of White Sands from the top of a mountain. Good little museum. You can tour the telescope during certain hours.

White Sands was exceptional. If you are looking to fill time, we enjoyed a couple of hours at the Pistachio farm east of Alamagordo.

Aggiewes '87
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to Aggiewes • 11:15a, 2/29/24
AG
When did you visit Sunspot? Seemed like they had some problems and closed, even before COVID. Would be great if they are back open.
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CanyonAg77
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In reply to CDub06 • 12:14p, 2/29/24
AG
Quote:
I'm not sure how familiar you are with New Mexico, but you'll be driving through the worst parts of the state. Don't hold southeastern New Mexico against the rest of the Land of Enchantment.
I enjoy road trips as much as anyone, but I agree. I can find interesting Ag or geology almost any trip, but there is a lot of nothing but scrub brush in SE Newer Mexico.

People often pop up on TexAgs saying they want to see Santa Fe and Carlsbad Caverns in the same trip. I strongly discourage any trips doing Northern and Southern NM in the same vacation. Lots of driving through very boring country.
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corndog04
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 1:10p, 2/29/24
AG
CanyonAg77 said:
When did you visit Sunspot? Seemed like they had some problems and closed, even before COVID. Would be great if they are back open.


Gift shop and grounds are open, but all other buildings currently closed to the public at least as of last summer.

Still a cool spot to check out, but a long detour if heading from white sands to Carlsbad
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Aggiewes
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 10:01p, 2/29/24
AG
CanyonAg77 said:
When did you visit Sunspot? Seemed like they had some problems and closed, even before COVID. Would be great if they are back open.


We went in October 2023.
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CDub06
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In reply to CanyonAg77 • 8:41a, 3/1/24
AG
I was talking to someone this week that grew up in Clovis and left thinking their home state was the ugliest state in existence. They then returned later in life and toured the rest of the state and was astounded at the beauty and variety the state had to offer.

That's the experience of a lot of Texans that only see that corner of the state. Heck, it was my experience until I started traveling around NM for work.
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ShinerBlonde
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10:13a, 3/1/24
AG
We did Palo Duro this summer and stayed 2 night at Dove's Rest cabins and it was amazing! We drove into Amarillo and did the Big Texan statehouse and the Cadillac ranch. I highly recommend Dove's Rest for a stay.
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AgRyan04
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7:13p, 3/1/24
Scattershooting.....

- There is a Smoky Bear museum in Capitan, NM that my family really enjoyed

- I'd get your Carlsbad reservations as soon as you have your day and time window nailed down.

- Sunsets in White Sands NP are some of the best I've ever seen
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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jja79
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In reply to CDub06 • 12:11p, 3/2/24
AG
Imagine what people that only travel Houston, Dallas, Waco up either 35 think Texas must be the ugliest place ever unless they get out of that God forsaken area.
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BaileyAg
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In reply to ShinerBlonde • 5:16p, 3/2/24
AG
ShinerBlonde said:
We did Palo Duro this summer and stayed 2 night at Dove's Rest cabins and it was amazing! We drove into Amarillo and did the Big Texan statehouse and the Cadillac ranch. I highly recommend Dove's Rest for a stay.


We did the same last June. Beautiful
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whoop1995
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8:54p, 3/12/24
AG
Howdy Aggies and thank you for your tips and tricks - thought I owed y'all a recap and told y'all what happened.

Youngest son and I decided to drive this past Friday from Houston to Clovis, New Mexico to stay with older brother on an internship nearby in bovina, Texas. Left around 7:30am got there at 6pm central time. New Mexico is on mountain time. At 6 pm mountain time we went bowling and man I haven't bowled in years and I think the dents on the floor proved it.

Saturday Morning
Next morning left 7am - weird thing we stopped for kolaches - not fruit but sausage and were asked if we wanted mustard- and got to Lincoln, New Mexico and toured the town where Billy the Kid and his gang shot several people and started a 5 day war etc. - went into every building we could get into and saw interesting items - the mercantile store was the coolest I thought as it had the shelves stocked with items exactly the way they were from the 1800's. Listen to several of the "park rangers" and they told a lot of history. I mean a lot. Bill the kid was one ruthless person.

At about noon drove to white sands - longer journey than we thought but peaceful and very pretty through Ruidoso and I should have stopped to place a bet for the Aggies winning the national championship in baseball and football. Also saw the worlds largest pistachio!

White Sands - Wow! Crazy place, not sand but gypsum, not hot at all like regular sand- stunning to see. Got in free with military veteran stamped on my drivers license. Bought our sleds (full price - forgot about stopping and nobody to buy from at counter) - no worries though. Sled for a couple of hours - man I am out of shape and my legs were wobbly after about ten times walking in the sand to get back up the hill.

Proceeded on to Cloudcroft, New Mexico to spend the night at The Lodge. Wow what a hotel! History galore, Cary Grant, Judy Garland stayed there. Pancho Via and the president of Mexico met there to discuss business, and plenty of tales of gangsters with secret room and tunnels leading away from the hotel. We ate a great meal in the dining room - we were a bit under dressed- and sat at a bar that used to be Al Capones complete with a bullet hole. Cloudcroft is a very cool town and the drive up to it scared the crap out of my 14 year old as we ascended about 5k feet with winds and turns looking over a cliff the entire time. I would bet that hotel would be awesome in the summer. It also snowed on the way up the mountain just a little bit.

SUNDAY
Woke up and ate at a little diner in Cloudcroft and proceeded to head down the other side of the mountain. I swear I barely touched the gas petal and we coasted for miles upon miles down the mountain. Got to Carlsbad Caverns at 11am for our 11:30am check in. - thank you so much for the tip of checking in and buying the pass we would have been screwed. I presented my veteran tag on drivers license and again family got in free and they even gave me a pass for life to get into any National park for free. That was awesome! No tours available because it was flooded so we did a self guided tour of the caverns that were open including the Big Room. Took about 2 hours to walk all of it and read about 85% of placards. Incredible place to visit!

Left about 2 pm and headed to Roswell to see the Alien Museum. Okay Y'all were right but it was a neat stop and driving through the town every business was into it so very amusing to see an alien holding up the baskin robbins sign along with the McDonald's play ground being the shape of a saucer.

Drove to Clovis to spend the night.

MONDAY

Got up and drove towards Palo Duro Canyon and stopped in Hereford, Texas along the way fro breakfast. Our first pick for breakfast was not open but we found a diamond in the rough called taqueria vaquero and it hit the spot. Nice little place for a good solid breakfast: hash browns, sausage, toast, 3 scrambled eggs for $7. Off to Palo Duro canyon and thank you for the recommendation - man it was as close to the Grand Canyon as you could get - stunning color - we walked a small trail and drove the whole road slowly to take in sights.

Off to the Cadillac Ranch and it was what it was but still unique stop - yes we painted the cars and people gave us spray paint . Next stop was the Big Texan - ok I get this is a tourist spot but I am amazed at all the businesses in that place- horse boarding, hotel, steak place, gift shop, bar, camping, etc. the list goes on…. Ordered steaks and ribs - the boys though it was great.

Back to Clovis

TUESDAY - today

The long slog home took 10 hours with a stop for gas and food. Drove through some pretty country. Man, Texas is beautiful and so varied in its beauty from plateau's, to canyons, to rivers, rolling plains, mountains, desert. If you haven't seen it y'all got to get out there.

Stats

Rented a Toyota Rav 4 drove for 2200 miles in 5 days visiting two National parks and one state park, one New Mexico historical site, one museum, one art place, one tourist place and went bowling. Walked over 10 miles according to my fitness app and received passes for free admittance in to any national park for me and three guests for life and any state park in Texas for life. If you are a veteran I would highly recommend you get these passes. The number one stat was two very happy sons! Pictures will be added soon!

Thank you once again Aggies! It was awesome and I couldn't have done it without you!
I collect ticket stubs! looking for Aggie vs tu stubs - 1926 and below, 1935-1937, 1939-1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1953, 1956-1957, 1959, 1960, 1963-1966, 1969-1970, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1984, 1990, 2004, 2008 also looking for vs Villanova 1949- all home and away 2012-2013- media or suite passes for bowl games in 2021, 2023 and 2024
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frenchtoast
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10:16p, 3/12/24
If you're in Cloudcroft and you have a couple of hours, hit up Mad Jacks. Best Texas BBQ outside of Texas I've had. Jack will talk your ear off while he's cutting your brisket. He's from south Texas (can't remember where), and he drives to Luling every 10 days or so to get his wood.

For White Sands, my only advice is to try to hit up the Alkali Flat trail and time it to end around sunset. The colors are absolutely magical.

DH Lescombes in Alamogordo has pretty decent food for the price
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