Places Visited:

Texas: Balmorhea SP & Pecos

New Mexico: White's City, Carlsbad Caverns & Carlsbad

We plan to be in New Mexico for the next month or so. If you have
anything you think we should do or see please let us know.

Sunday, June 8, 2003
We drove 229-miles to Balmorhea State Park Balmorhea, Texas. 50-amps water & cable $14 no
shade.

We were scheduled to do a variety of things to the kid goats less than a
year old today but several things conspired to unravel the plans. Maggie
is still not feeling well enough to work goats and the sky looks like
rain. Everyone turns out to herd goats to pastures with protection from
possible hail. Maggie decided to call off the planned activities. With
that decision Joyce and I knew it was time for us to continue our journey
west. We have already stayed two days longer than intended.

By noon we have the motorhome ready for travel and say our good-buys. It
has been a wonderful time but we need to be moving on.

We have made some great friends, had a wonderful time and learned so
much about this unique lifestyle. Everyone we came into contact with has
been so gracious and helpful. They are truly wonderful people.

Heading west on I-10 out of Sonora can be a boring drive. Not to us. We
have a long list of things to look for and experience. We have each item
of interest listed in our SA-8 mapping program on the laptop that is
connected to GPS. As we travel these notes pop up reminding us to look
for this or that and what mile marker to look for them. We are looking
for road-cuts at specific mile markers that show certain geological
features. This information is presented in the book Roadside Geology of
Texas. The information it provides is so interesting and presented in
such a way that non-geologist can better understand what they are seeing.

Shortly after leaving Sonora we pass the sign directing visitors to
the Caverns of Sonora one of the most beautiful caves in the world.
Many professional speleologists consider it to be "the-best" cave tour in
the world. We did not stop this time but have toured it before and highly
recommend it. If you are an RV'er they also have an RV-Park.

After passing the road to the caverns there is nothing until we get to the
small town of Ozona. Ozona is the only city in a county larger than
Delaware. How about that for some trivia. Ozona also is home to "The
Davie Crockett Museum". It is Sunday and we are sure that it is not open
otherwise we would have stopped. For RV'ers they have a nice RV-Park just
off I-10. We are amazed at how individuals like Davie Crocket, Jim Bowie
and others traveled around the country on horseback in the mid 1800s.
Those people rode horses farther and to more places than most individuals
travel today in automobiles.

At Mile Marker 339 we exited I-10 to take a side trip on Texas 290, a
"scenic-drive" if ever there was one. Texas 290 makes a dip to the south
of I-10 then turns west and runs parallel with I-10 through old Fort
Lancaster (now a State Park) and the small city of Sheffield before
returning to I-10 around mile marker 325. We were going from east to west
today. That piece of information is important if you are traveling in a
motorhome or RV because there is a steep grade to negotiate. Shortly
after exiting I-10 we realized that we were riding on the top of Edwards
Plateau. Road signs warned of a steep decent ahead. The signs were not
joking. Texas 290 rounds a bend and dramatically the Pecos valley is
spread out in all its glory. The grandeur of the view overwhelms you then
immediately the reality of the grade sets in. There is virtually no
traffic on the road so I dropped down to 2nd gear and let the exhaust
break hold our decent speed to under 10-mph. At that speed we enjoyed the
view for the maximum time. The only other vehicle we saw on the entire
descent was one old bus conversion motorhome struggling up the long, steep
grade, obviously in the other direction. It is impossible to adequately
explain the awesome view but the Edwards Plateau is a thousand feet or so
above the Pecos Valley. In my opinion the view is best when going from
east to west since you can view the valley while descending into the
canyon. This edge of the Edwards Plateau appears to be an escarpment that
drops dramatically into the valley below. Texas 290 has been carved out
of the side of a canyon wall as it makes its dramatic descent to the
valley below. There should be no problem for automobiles but heavy RVs
should exercise caution. The grade is LONG and STEEP, be prepared. In my
opinion, it would be a dangerous grade to descend in a diesel powered rig
without exhaust breaks. With that said everyone, properly equipped and
transiting that section of I-10 should make the detour and enjoy that view
and scenic road especially from east to west.

Mile Marker 297 has a roadside park that displays the three-toed
footprints of a flesh-eating dinosaur. This dinosaur was kin to
Tyrannosaurus Rex. Looking at the current desolate terrain it is
difficult to visualize a time when this part of Texas was a swamp.
However, the footprints in solid rock provide evidence of those
terrifying animals that roamed long ago in this watery swamp.

Just west of the fossilized footprints we pass the wind energy capital of
Texas if not the world. On mesas surrounding I-10 hundreds of wind
generators are producing electricity. The sheer number of these
structures with huge three-blade propellers spinning in the wind are a
sight to behold. If you want to see more it is easy to take a side trip
to the north on county roads and see even more of them.

West of Fort Stockton the Davis Mountains come into view on the south west
horizon. We are headed to Balmorhea State Park and know that it sits at
the foot of those mountains. The Park is situated around a huge spring.
Water in this desolate landscape is an "oasis" for people as well as
wildlife. In addition to a huge natural swimming area the State Park has
cabins and an RV-Park. The "oasis" attracts and concentrates a wide
variety of birds and wildlife. Joyce and I are going to spend a day or so
enjoying the wildlife before we head to Carlsbad, New Mexico.

Driving I-10 from east to west across Texas is a visual geology
lesson. East of San Antonio Texas is mostly flat, from San Antonio
west for several hundred miles you go through the Hill Country that
has been thrust upward by forces deep in the bowls of Mother Earth.
Erosion has worked its miracle on this uplifted portion to create the Hill
Country.

The amount of water a region receives plays a major part in what the
topography will look like. On the eastern side of the uplift where
rainfall approaches 30 inches per-year the topography consists of
rolling hills. By the time I-10 reaches Fort Stockton annual rainfall has
decreased to 14 inches per-year and rolling hills have given way to sharp
edged mesas and buttes. West of Sonora and particularly west of Fort
Stockton is west Texas desert.

The Pecos River flows east out of mountains around Carlsbad New Mexico
until it encounters the Edwards Plateau. Upon meeting the Edwards Plateau
it turns south until it joins the Rio Grande, River southeast of Langtry,
Texas. Joyce and I took note that the Edwards Plateau is a "divide" of
sorts. Water flowing east from the Continental Divide stops its eastward
trek and must flow south upon reaching this new "divide". Now I have to
do some research and see if scientist actually recognize the Edwards
Plateau as some kind of divide for the Pecos River watershed.

Monday, June 9, 2003
Balmorhea State Park Balmorhea, Texas. 50-amps water & cable $14 no
shade.

East of Balmorhea is desert. West of Balmorhea is the Davis
Mountains. Rain over the Davis Mountains percolates into the aquifer
before surfacing in the Balmorhea spring. Water from the spring at
Balmorhea provides water to irrigate crops in the desert after it flows
through the giant swimming pool at Balmorhea Springs State Park.

Water from the spring has attracted man since the beginning of time.
European settlers recognized the value of this water source and began
constructing canals as early as 1851, to irrigate crops in the surrounding
desert. A thriving farming community has existed since that time as a
direct result of that irrigation. In 1935 the Civilian Conservation Corps
began construction on the park's swimming pool and other buildings. The
pool they constructed is the largest spring fed swimming pool in the
country. An acre or so of the bottom of this pool looks to be natural
with native rock cemented together making up the sides. One arm off the
huge pool has cement sides and bottom that resemble a normal swimming pool
except that it is about an acre in size. A wide concrete walkway goes
around the entire pool area. The part of the pool that has a natural
bottom is from 20 to 30 feet deep and is used extensively by scuba divers.
Water from the spring flows into the giant pool before entering into the
regions irrigation system.

We spent the day around the park chilling out and watching wildlife.
About the only wildlife we have not seen is javelina (collared
Peccary) that are regular visitors in the Park.

Around 8 PM a vicious sand storm came rolling in off the Davis
Mountains. We had been watching a large thunderstorm to the southwest of
us over the Davis Mountains for most of the afternoon. For hours the
storm did not move it just pounded the highest peaks of the Davis
Mountains. Then around 8 PM the dark clouds and lightning started moving
north. At this time a brown cloud about 10 miles wide that stretched from
the ground to high in the sky started moving north adjacent to the black
clouds in the thunderstorm. As this frightening swirling cloud approached
us it appeared to be a tornado so Joyce and I took shelter in one of the
bathhouses. For a 10 to 12 minute period violent winds approaching
80-miles per-hour buffeted the area. It was a Texas thunderstorm the
locals told us. Sand and dust is everywhere, in our noses, mouth and
hair. It completely blankets the automobile and motorhome with grit and
grime. At the end a few drops of rain fell. The few drops of rain turned
out to be exactly like the locals said it would be, just enough to make
the dirt and grime stick to the car and motorhome. What an unholy mess.
Joyce and I are lucky to have spotted it coming and had enough presence of
mind to take shelter in the sturdy bathhouse. At the campground terrified
campers in tents and popups realized they had survived. Shortly they were
scurrying about trying to locate possessions in the surrounding desert
vegetation. The only thing of ours missing was a doormat that I located
about 100 yards away under a mesquite bush. I have no idea how the
tenters will ever get the sand out of what remains of their tents. Some
may be lucky to find their tents. The next day when we turned on the air
conditioner in the Saturn we got blasted with sand and dust all over
again. Things will be a total mess for days if not forever.

Tuesday, June 10, 2003
We drove 129-miles to Whites City RV-Resort. Full hookup with 30-amps in the blazing sun.
Guests can use the Best Western pool and other facilities. $20

We drove north from Balmorhea, Texas through Pecos, Texas then into
Whites City, New Mexico. From Balmorhea to Pecos we traveled Texas 17
through towns like Saragosa, Verhalen, Goban, Valleyfarm, Worsham and
Locker. The drive was straight as an arrow following a rail line. The
towns may have names on a map but most do not even have a store. The only
way to tell we were passing through one of these "cities" was the GPS
mapping system. Most only consisted of a few buildings and possibly a
road intersecting with Texas 17. This area is desolate.

We stopped in Pecos and spent three hours going through the "West of
the Pecos Museum". For a city the size of Pecos they have done a good job
of putting together a history of the area. From the museum's section on
Balmorhea we learned that many people earned their living in the calera
pits and nearly all homes in nearby towns were made from cement mixed from
the Brogado calera pits. When I saw the term "calera" pits and "cement
mixed" from calera pits it made me wonder. What is calera? I have a
sister and brother-in-law that live in Calera, Alabama and my
brother-in-law works for a cement manufacturer in Calera. Coincidence? I
think not. Calera must be some kind of limestone or similar substance.
However, "calera" is not in any of my dictionaries or encyclopedias. Does
anyone want to research the word "calera" and see what it means? Thanks
in advance.

The West of the Pecos Museum in Pecos, Texas is one of the things you
should visit when in the area. The museum is located in the old Orient
Hotel built in 1896 and added to in 1904. The two story red sandstone
building; a Saloon with bedrooms upstairs was constructed in 1896. In
1904, a three-story addition constructed of concrete blocks produced with
a hand-operated molding machine increased the size of the famous Orient
Hotel. It was the finest Hotel between El Paso and Abilene. Wild West
shoot-outs took place in the Saloon located on the first-floor. Plaques
on the floor commemorate where the "looser" of each gun battle fell.
Bullet holes from these shoot-outs are pointed out on the walls.

Out of Pecos we travel north on US-285 to Malaga, New Mexico before
turning west on NM-396 into White's City and Carlsbad Caverns National
Park. The drive north of Pecos was even more desolate. Vegetation has a
hard time surviving on salty, gypsum-rich Permian basin deposits of the
Chihuahuan Desert. Desert plants are only a few feet tall and scattered.
From Pecos to Malaga on US-285 we are constantly gaining altitude. It
appears to be a constant grade of 1% or more. There is NO coasting. The
engine is constantly under a load.

Information for RV'ers concerning Carlsbad Caverns NP follows:
There is NO free overnight parking of RVs (boondocking) in the
National Park or in White's City. White's City is at the entrance to
Carlsbad Caverns National Park. There is an RV-Park in White's City
operated by the Best Western Motel. Full hookups with 30-amps is $20.
Electric and water sites are less. Other RV-Parks are available in
Carlsbad but that is 20-miles north of the National Park. Now you
know your options.

From White's City, at the entrance to the National Park, it is a
7-mile drive through Walnut Canyon to the Visitor's Center and the
Cave entrance. RV's can make the drive and many do. However, if
possible it would be better to drop the RV in White's City and drive
the tow car into the park. There is plenty of parking for your RV at
White's City. You just can't boondock overnight.

The road to Carlsbad Caverns starts in Whites City. For most of the
seven-mile paved drive, the highway follows Walnut Canyon upstream.
Except during floods, the canyon is dry, its floor dominated by white
limestone cobbles and boulders. Small, scattered walnut trees give the
canyon its name (emphasis on SMALL and SCATTERED). Cliffs of weathered
limestone make up the canyon walls and desert plants carpet the slopes.
Several miles down into the park the road stops following the canyon and
begins its climb out of the canyon with a big horseshoe bend and starts
the CLIMB up the hill. A massive cut-stone guardrail on the downhill side
of the road was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the
Depression. We also learn that the CCC constructed many of the park
facilities.

The Caverns are situated on the northern edge of the Chihuahuan desert
that we crossed in the motorhome yesterday. At the Visitors center we
realize that we have climbed to the top of the escarpment we had been
seeing in the distance while traveling this way yesterday across the
desert. Awesome views stretch far south into Texas where on clear days
you can see the Davis Mountains more than 100 miles to the South.
The entire eastern escarpment of the Guadalupe Mountains is visible,
including the high peaks of Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas.

We ate an early dinner in White's City before heading to the National Park
Visitors Center parking lot and walking the 500-yards to the main Cave
entrance to Carlsbad Caverns. Every night during the summer an
amphitheater at the entrance to the cave fills up to view the nightly exit
of 300,000 to 500,000 Mexican Free tail bats. As you know we have missed
several other bat cave tours but tonight we hit the jackpot. Just after
8:00 thousands of bats started exiting the cave in a circular motion
similar to a whirlwind. The mass exodus of over 5,000 bats per-minute
lasted for the next thirty minutes and possibly longer. We left after
30-minutes and the exit column appeared to be as thick then as at the
beginning. The Ranger said the cave was discovered in the late 1880s when
ranchers went to investigate "smoke". Of course the "smoke" turned out to
be bats exiting the cave. At one time the cave was home to 9-million
bats. I can only imagine the sight of 9-million bats emerging from the
entrance.

Female bats consume ½ their weight in insects during a nights flight
especially when nursing. Males consume about 1/3 their weight. While
spending the day in the cave 9-million bats do a lot of "pooping". The
result is a lot of guano. Between 1903 and 1923 the guano was mined.
Miners were lowered 170 feet into the bat cave. Over 100,000 tons of
guano was mined most of which was shipped to orange groves in southern
California. Now you know why California oranges taste strange. Just
joking! VBG

Guano in the bat cave remains over 20' deep in the bat cave today.
Bats enter and exit from the main cave entrance. It is the same
entrance that visitors use to walk down to the "Big room" if they do
not take the elevator. Somewhere between the entrance and the 750
foot level there is an entrance to the "bat cave" where the bats
roost. Visitors are not allowed in that part of the cave system. As you
might suspect visitors are not allowed to be in the entrance cave when
bats may be exiting.

All day long and particularly in the evening prior to the bat flight,
hundreds of cave swallows dart in and out of the cave entrance as they
make trips to and from their nest somewhere in the cave. It is uncanny
how the swallows disappear just before the bats exit. It just makes sense
the cave swallows would want to be snug in their nest before the bats exit
every night. I can only imagine the predicament a swallow would find
itself in if caught trying to fly into the cave against the flow of all
those bats.

Wednesday, June 11, 2003
Whites City RV-Resort. Full hookup with 30-amps in the blazing sun.
Guests can use the Best Western pool and other facilities. $20.

The Chihuahuan Desert, one of this continent's four great desert
regions, extends from deep in the Mexican state of Chihuahua north
into Texas and New Mexico. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is located in
the northern tip of this ancient desert. This morning we drove the
"Walnut Canyon Desert Drive" in Carlsbad Caverns NP. The scenic drive is
a gravel path into this desert world. The 9.5 mile loop follows the top
of the Guadalupe Escarpment for a few miles then turns and dips into upper
Walnut Canyon. From there it follows the canyon floor back to the park
entrance road and PAVEMENT.

Before starting this "scenic-drive" we purchased a guide keyed to
numbered areas along the route. From the top of the escarpment we can see
what seems like forever across the Chihuahuan Desert south of us. Actually
the view ends with the Davis Mountains some 100-miles distant. To the
southwest extends the backbone of the Guadalupe Mountains, ending in the
plunging cliffs of El Capitan.

With the help of the guide we learn to tell the difference between
Torrey yucca and soaptree yucca. Once the characteristics of each is
pointed out it becomes fairly easy for us to tell the difference. We also
learned to identify the lechuguilla (lay-choo-GHEE-ye) Plant. It has
sword like leaves and poses a hazard to travel in desert regions. It can
pierce the legs of horses and mules and seriously injure a thrown rider.
The stiff, pointed blade can also puncture automobile tires and slice the
soles of hiking boots. Like the century plant it sends up a single stalk
after many years, blossoming only once before it dies. Lechuguilla like
sotol are indicator plants of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem.

The scenic-drive along with the guide has been very educational for
us.

After the scenic-drive we returned to the Visitors Center at Carlsbad for
lunch then took the elevator 750-feet down to the "Big Room" where we
walked the mile or so of the "Big Room" tour of the cave. There are many
different cave tours available. The "Big Room" tour was the only one
Joyce would agree to do. I wanted to walk down the cave entrance where
the bats exited last night. That walk ends in the "Big Room" near the
elevator shaft. That experience will have to wait, possibly my grandson
will do it with me some day.

Thursday, June 12, 2003
We drove 17-miles to Windmill RV Park; Carlsbad, New Mexico. Full hookup 50-amps some
shade, modem connection, laundry, cable and pool for $23.04 per-night.

We said good by to Whites City and headed for the city of Carlsbad
20-miles north where we are going to spend a few days. We have to get
prescription medicines and do laundry. We have really had a good time the
past two weeks but it is now time to slow down and take care of essential
chores. One other thing we need to do is go through all of our New Mexico
material and organize it into folders by city. Some things have been put
off and put off but we are now in New Mexico and have to get our
information in order.

Once in Carlsbad and after lunch we headed out to find "the flume".
The "flume" is one of the things everyone visiting Carlsbad should
see. Why would anyone want to see a "flume" when almost no one even
knows what a "flume" is? That is the reason I want to see it!
According to the dictionary, a flume is a narrow gorge with a stream
flowing through it, usually, or and artificial channel or chute for a
stream of water. The flume in Carlsbad is the latter.

Back in the late 1880s a project to dam and use the water from the
Pecos River for irrigating fertile but arid land took shape. The dam was
built creating Avalon Reservoir. At the same time the canal system was
constructed. However, much of the fertile land was located on the west
side of the Pecos River while the canal carrying irrigation water was on
the east side. In order to get the water to the west side of the Pecos
they constructed a wooden flume 475 feet long by 25 feet wide carrying 8
feet of water across the river. The wooden flume completed in 1890 worked
well until 1902 when it was destroyed in a flood. This time the flume was
rebuilt in concrete, at that time it was the largest concrete structure in
the world. That same concrete flume is still in use today as part of the
area irrigation system. At one time the flume was featured in Ripley's
"Believe It or Not" as the river that crosses itself since Pecos River
water from Lake Avalon flows across the Pecos River in the "FLUME" to
irrigate farmland located west of the river.

The only disappointment for us was that the Pecos River was dry. In
other words the Pecos River was not flowing under the flume. We could see
the dry river bed but dry it was. I suppose Ripley's Believe it or Not
does not think it is so unique since there is no Pecos River for it to
cross. None-the-less the flume is a unique structure performing a unique
function and we enjoyed seeing it. It is especially awe inspiring knowing
that it was constructed in 1902.

Back at the RV-Park I asked the locals in the office what happened to the
Pecos since we did not see it under the flume. As usual "locals" have no
idea. They also did not know the source of water in the flume. They do
not know where the Pecos River in downtown gets water since as far as they
know the Pecos River flows under the flume. The Pecos River has water in
it as the river passes through the town proper. I am beginning to suspect
that the "Pecos River" in the downtown area may just be a lake formed in
the traditional riverbed of the famous Pecos River. A dam across the old
riverbed south of town and water supplied by the irrigation system may
keep just enough water in the "lake" "river" to give the appearance that
the Pecos still flows through town.

Friday, June 13, 2003
Windmill RV Park; Carlsbad, New Mexico. Full hookup 50-amps some
shade, modem connection, laundry, cable and pool for $23.04 per-night.

The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens State Park here in Carlsbad was our
first stop today. Through both indoor and outdoor exhibits we were
able to view up close many of the Chihuahuan Desert plants, animals,
birds and reptiles. A 1.3 mile trail meanders through various rock
formations typical of the desert uplands. The large visitor center
has a number of very professional exhibits on the area's plants and
animals, as well as geology and history. The hands on discovery
section was educational as well. Joyce and I both enjoyed looking
closely at a cross section of a Juniper tree that was in excess of
150-years old. Someone had painstakingly counted the growth rings and
marked them at 25-years intervals. The most remarkable thing about it was
the size. It was less than one foot in diameter. Trees do not grow fast
out here.

The 1.3 mile trail was well marked with information on types of desert
shrubbery, plants, trees, cactus and succulents all the way from pinon
pine to prickly pear. We were able better hone our skills of naming the
regions plants.

After lunch we toured the local historical museum. Carlsbad has put
together a nice museum showcasing a number of interesting collections and
preserving some old equipment from the 1800s.

I questioned a policeman about the Pecos River today. He was as
clueless as other locals at the RV-Park except he tried to act like he
knew something. In a very authoritative voice he told me that "none of
the water in the irrigation system came from the Pecos River, it comes
from Lake Avalon". When I ask him the source of water in Lake Avalon he
said he didn't know but the irrigation water came from Lake Avalon NOT the
Pecos River". DUH! Even a cursory glance at a map and you will see that
Lake Avalon was created by a dam across the Pecos River. Plus all the
written information about the flume talks about how they constructed a dam
across the Pecos. I guess that is why he is a policeman.

I did some scouting around in the car today. The "Pecos River" in the
downtown area is indeed a lake in fact it is called Lake Carlsbad as well
as the Pecos River. Several dams within the city limits are the only
reason the Pecos River has any water at all. There is NO water flowing
south of the southern most dam on Lake Carlsbad. I would not be at all
surprised if the water in Lake Carlsbad is the treated runoff from the
cities waste water treatment facility.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix