Day 3 March 27, 2006

Day 3
March 27, 2006
Carlsbad, NM to Bottomless Lakes State Park, NM



We woke up to the view of beautiful mountains and fresh air.



Now out of Texas, we were in no rush to leave because we had no destination. Oatmeal and some snacks for breakfast, and hot showers provided by the KOA. They were very nice and clean, and had heat lamps over the showers and everything.

Gavin and Erik were able to switch out the blown fuse without any issues, and all was right again in the land of blinkers and brake lights.



Packed back up, we were headed back towards Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Knowing that the walk-through tour was estimated at an hour and a half, we opted to stop for lunch beforehand. We happened upon this – the No Whiner Diner.



The restaurant was Rebecca’s pick. As a child, her parents had made comedic imitations of the classic Saturday Night Live skits “The Whiners”. Whenever the kids got squirmy on road trips, they’d pull out the whiny voice and funny one-liners, but the jokes were often lost on the youngsters. Now older and wiser, Rebecca likes to remember those great times – and what better way than this aptly-named eatery.

The food was great, and we were able to pick up wireless internet in the area. We quickly got the previous day’s entry up on the web for the eagerly awaiting spectators like you.







Spank went for a walk to the playground next door, and found his own iron horse.



Bellies full and a few packs of crackers stowed for later, we saddled up and headed out. Spank decided to hitch a ride with Deb for a change, and later informed her that her right rear blinker was out. What is it with this bunch and lights?



Someone let Erik have control of a camera for the ride over to the caverns, so we have lots of this…





On our way up the winding ribbon of highway, we stopped for some scenic photo ops.





Once atop the mountain, the Caverns awaited. We bought our tickets (only $6, not a bad deal) and headed down 750 feet in the elevator to the labyrinth of caverns below. Expecting high humidity, we were all pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn’t nearly as bad as a mid-summer day in Houston.



The pictures are too numerous to post in their entirety, so here is a sampling…









After the caverns, we raced the setting sun heading north to Bottomless Lakes State Park.



We won the race, but upon arrival we were faced with a decision – primitive camping ‘over yonder’ for $10 or a site with water and electric (surrounded by RVs) for $14. After a quick recon mission through three inches of pea-sized gravel, Rebecca made the decision that Deb would certainly NOT be traveling through that section. Debbie, the camp hostess, met us at the entrance and helped us decide. The choice was clear – primitive, scenic camping nestled in the hills next to a lake.

We made quick time of tent erection, and pulled the V-Strom closer to the picnic table so as to get some power for the laptop. Bad move on our part. May we present exhibit A:



Little did she know, but when Rebecca tried to unlock her still-mounted saddle bag, the sink hole lying in wait below the side stand decided to give way. Nothing broken, bent, or scratched thanks to the soft dirt, but a large hole in the ground that we would have to watch out for the remainder of our stay.

Bungee cords were used to string up everything from gear to bags to camelbaks. While attempting to get the largest of our lights hung over the picnic table, Rebecca had the misfortune of knocking it off the table, crashing down on the concrete below. Not to worry, electrical tape and duct tape to the rescue! Exhibit B:



Some dehydrated backpacking food was prepped and served, and before anyone could say “whistlebritches”, it was 10:30 local time (which, at some unknown point, changed from Central to Mountain) and time for us to call it quits on day 3.