Our Carlsbad Experience, Caverns and Artesia

Proof we were really here

So we drive to Carlsbad Friday and check into the KOA. (See my earlier post about this.) We apparently have a lot of time still so we head out to appointment at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Our plan is to take the guided tour of the Kings Palace and a couple of other rooms there.

Kings Palace (one view)

The tour takes us about 830 feet below the surface and lasted just under 90 minutes. Of course, we got the obligatory "lights out" to see how dark it can really get and let me tell you, dude, it gets bloody dark. The absolute absence of light is somewhat scary but then again, the absolute absence of sound is pretty scary, too. Of course, we didn't get the sound part because the guide kept flapping her lips and the guy next to me was actually breathing (can you believe some people? :) 

I try to hide in the dark.

The tour was actually really nice and I didn't mind it at all. Coming back, we had to climb a moderately steep trail but we persisted and decided to walk the unguided Big Room route. Now there were some huge rooms!

We finally make it back to the elevator area and head back to the surface. Notice that we didn't make the Natural Entrance walk either coming or going. I think next time we might want to go into the caverns using that walk instead of the elevators. 

We head outside to wait until the bats start to come out and I notice we have about 3 hours to wait. Well, guess we'll do this some other time as my foot is hurting (did I say I broke my little toe about a week before this trip?) and I'd like to get something to eat. We decide to take a trip to Artesia!

View at Carlsbad Caverns NP

On the way there, my Sweetie searches for a steak restaurant because I'm in the mood for a steak! She finds a couple of them and we decide to check out the micro brewery pub and restaurant called The Wellhead. This place is decorated in all sorts of oil and gas drilling pictures, paintings, and displays and may be the only place I know that uses drill bits as "Objets d′art".

My Sweetie and I both decide to have the Roughneck Red ale to go along with our Spinach Artichoke dip and steaks. I opted for the NY Strip (medium rare) while my Sweetie chose the 8 ounce Flat Iron (medium). The ale was exceptional! The appetizer was good and our steaks were great. Nice place.

The menu also had a surprise that put a big smile on my face and, actually, I even chuckled a bit at it. So, check out the "Dry Hole Special" on the menu! I suspect that this menu item isn't very popular and, I would even wager a few dollars, that it hasn't been ordered by a sane or sober customer since it's been on the menu.

Coming up: 

Our visit to one great state park, Living Desert State Park and Zoo
Our visit to Guadalupe Mountains State Park (back in Texas for a bit)