14 February

Today it was awake, up and ready to go by 7:20. I had my toast with vegemite but forgot and let it go really brown and off went the smoke alarm. Had to open the door and fan the alarm to remove the smoke.
I drove out to Carlsbad Caverns – from White City (barely a town) it is nearly 7 miles (11.2 km) at less than 40 miles an hour (65 km/hr) for most of the way. I arrived at the Visitors’ Centre (or rather the mishmash of portable accommodation serving as it during remodelling). The centre opened not long after I arrived so I paid for the tour (but not the entrance, as that’s in the National Parks pass) and the audio set. I debated the worth of it, but as I’m most likely never going to be there again, I thought, “What the heck?”
There was a little time to wait so I was chatting with a fellow now from San José but originally from New Hampshire. We compared cave systems and also discussed what I could visit in New Hampshire and when. If the weather remains too cold, I could cross the border at Toronto (if I can then) and spend a little time there between Toronto and Montreal at the end of March.
I picked up the audio tour guide (an audio stick with programmed material at certain waypoints) and set off not long after the cave opened. Although it is suggested it could take up to an hour and fifteen minutes to walk down, I did it in forty-five minutes, even pausing to take photos and listen. It is a long walk in, and the suggestion as to consider the alternative if you are unfit is well advised.
At the bottom there is (wait for it) a cafeteria, seating for hundreds, toilets which are quite large (in number, not the individual toilet bowls in size, although I have noticed US toilets are considerably larger than Australian ones – I sit in danger of falling in) and souvenir shops! The alternative for entry is an elevator going down the over 200 metres in just over a minute (and there are four of them!).
I was on the 10 a.m. tour of the King’s Palace so had a quick snack before being corralled (yes, we were all placed in a roped and chained-off area, separate from others) and then, after more warnings of what not to do, we were off. That tour was excellent value, though if I had a lot more time, there are others I would do as well. The entrance walk, together with the Big Cave, which I did after lunch, are self-guided tours. Although rangers are around, I really feel the temptation to do the wrong thing is very strong and they would be better with rangers taking ever tour group. The logistics of doing that with over three million visitors may be beyond their capabilities.
After seeing all and taking a lot of photos (and some may be out of focus either because there was insufficient light for the camera to focus itself or I forgot and left the manual focus on for the wrong distance), I set off in the direction of San Antonio. The time, and time zone changes, meant I wouldn’t have got to San Antonio until after 11, so I decided to settle for a closer destination. After stopping in Pecos and looking at the Visitor’s Centre there (and being convinced to see the museum, which I also did, after being given a sheriff’s badge – how cheap am I that a badge will buy me?) and spending nearly an hour at the museum, I landed it Fort Stockton for the night. Motel6 was booked out so I settled for Super8Motel down the road (actually a Comfort Inn under another name, so I get breakfast tomorrow – out with the vegemite again and onto the table), booked in (not as cheap, but at least I can do everything) and unpacked.
After checking emails and replying to them, I wrote this blog (and posted it) and then still have to do the photos, post them, have some tea, relax and be asleep for a 6 a.m. start (breakfast) and a 6:30 departure to get me to the Alamo in the early afternoon (out with all those Davy Crockett hats!).