Easin' Along

Helen, Mortimer, and I drove northwest from Carlsbad to spend three days in White Sands, NM, at the Army’s White Sands Missile Range campground. We’ve been here before, and I’m not sure why we don’t camp here more on our trips to the West Coast. There are only eight campsites, but at $20 a night, White Sands is a bargain and rarely filled. Our home for the next three days would be campsite number three.

To the front of our campsite sits the towering Organ Mountain Range. We arrived in mid-afternoon, set up, and stared at the scenery. At dusk, the clouds hovered over the mountains, offering a very picturesque display to wrap up the day (pictured below.

White Sands National Monument is about 30 miles east of the Missile Range. Our second day was cloudy and somewhat windy, but Helen and I decided to visit anyway. The parking lot and Visitor Center were surprisingly crowded with tourists. After a short visit to the gift shop to stamp our National Park Passport, we drove through the gate, flashing our National Park Senior Pass.

The White Sand is actually gypsum, a component of drywall, that washes down from the mountains and is reduced to tiny grains by water and wind. A basin collects the gypsum and retains it in an area that resembles a huge beach or the result of a blizzard.

Helen and I drove the Loop Rd, which takes visitors through the National Monument. The wind picked up during the drive, blowing the sand around — now it really did look like we were in a snowstorm. I felt for the folks in the picnic area.

Near the end of the Loop, we parked in front of a large sandhill to watch kids and adults alike ride down the hill on sleds. It was slow sledding. Our visit didn’t take long, but we found it both interesting and enjoyable.

Our next stop is Tucson, AZ. We will step up our game there because we booked eight nights at an upscale RV Resort. Helen will meet you on the Pickleball court.

Please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.

From our campground at Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, LA, we drove into Texas. When we are driving to the West Coast, we usually take either I-40 or I-10 across this huge state, and that was our plan for this trip. In mid-route, we decided to change things up. We had never been to Carlsbad Caverns, so we took I-20 and headed for New Mexico.

We still had to cross Texas and make a few new reservations. After looking up campgrounds along I-20. We decided on two that were adjacent to the Interstate, with very sexy names, I might add. The first was Cowtown RV Park near Fort Worth. It was a nice campground; well-run and well-maintained. The second, Whip In RV Park in Big Spring, TX, was just a dirt-and-gravel parking lot. We gave it one night and moved on.

Helen and I were unable to make a reservation in the town of Carlsbad—probably because of Memorial Day travelers —but one very helpful campground manager suggested we try White City RV Park at the entrance to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Space was available, and we booked it for three nights. It was another dirt-and-gravel parking lot next to a souvenir shop, grocery store, and a laundry room that was as affordable as any we’ve encountered. We would go exploring the next day and make a reservation for an 11:30 entry.

The National Park was short on Park Rangers, and no tour guide was available; we decided to go it alone and walked to the entrance—a massive opening. The journey to the bottom of the Cavern is a hike along a steep trail that descends 750 feet, the equivalent of 75 stories. There are innumerable switchbacks on the path that winds around the various formations. It wasn’t long before I became immeasurably impressed with Carlsbad Caverns.

The dummy that I am failed to bring a flash attachment for my Canon camera, so I put it in Auto ISO mode and snapped away. I was very pleased with most of the pictures. The crowd was light, and Helen and I walked slowly down the path, eventually reaching the bottom after a mile-and-a-half hike and an hour-and-a-half on the trail. My hips were screaming after all of the downhill walking. We took the elevator back to the top and decided to visit the Big Ballroom, the featured part of the Cavern, the next day.  Here are a few shots from day one.

My hips were still rebelling on day two, so we rode the elevator down to the bottom and walked to the trailhead at the Big Room entrance. It is another mile-and-a-half hike, covering an area the size of six football fields. Within the first few steps, I encountered the “WOW” factor. The enormity of the Big Room is stunning. There are beautiful and interesting structures at every turn. Stalagmites rising from the cavern floor meet up with stalagtites growing (very slowly) from the ceiling to form amazing columns of various sizes and textures. I couldn’t keep my mouth closed.

Carlsbad Caverns started as an underwater reef about 265 million years ago. Shifting tectonic plates around 15 million years ago continued the formation. About 4 million years ago, the Guadalupe Mountains uplifted, forming the cavern. The stalagtites and stalagmites began forming around 500,000 years ago. The result is a massive space filled with incredible natural art. I have often said that our National Parks are the greatest gifts we have given ourselves.

I took enough pictures to fill nearly an entire memory card, and have posted a few of the most unusual formations above. I have added a gallery of additional pictures below, and I hope readers will browse through them.

When we returned to our camper, I noticed a lone sheep at the top of the canyon overlooking our campground. About an hour later, I left the camper to take Mortimer for a walk. Across from our camper, a herd of about 50 Barbary sheep was grazing in what little green grass was there. Fearful that they would run away, Mortimer and I raced back to the camper, where I traded him for my camera. My fears were unfounded. The sheep paid little attention to me and came close enough for great shots. I love traveling through the West because the wildlife is so unique, and this experience is another example.

Up next for Helen, Mortimer, and me is White Sands National Park. We’ll be there for three days. Please join us. We’re Easin’ Along.

We greatly enjoyed our time in Destin, FL. We didn’t move around very much, and primarily used our three days there to better organize our new camper. As I wrote earlier, this camper has less space than our previous fifth-wheel, so Helen has worked very hard to find a home for our necessities. She did a great job, and Gracey is now functioning better as our second home on the road.

The Destin Army Recreation Center is an extraordinary facility. There are cabins, hotel and motel rooms, and a swimming pool. The Marina offers covered boat docks and rental equipment, such as Jet Skis, to military veterans and their families at affordable rates. The campground is very accommodating for large trailers like ours.

Along the sea wall at the Marina, rocking chairs sit in rows and make for an enjoyable evening of sunset watching over the surrounding bay. I took several shots to illustrate the view.

From Destin, we traveled to New Orleans, one of America’s great cities. There is a lot to do in New Orleans, and we have traveled there many times. We have driven through the Garden District to take a look at the lovely homes there. We have enjoyed the unique French Quarter experience and visited the World War II Museum, but this time, we came to eat.

We camped in the French Quarter RV Resort, about one mile from the Quarter itself. I admit, I was apprehensive at first about what this campground had to offer and whether it would be easy to tow our camper there. My fears were unfounded—the campground was perfect for our stay, and very convenient for what we had planned—finding good food. The only negative about the RV Park is that Interstate 10 runs next to it, and we heard a lot of sirens while there.

My tradition for day one in New Orleans is to rise early and head to Cafe du Monde for Beignets and coffee. We could have walked to the Cafe, but we were in a hurry for those powdered sugar delights, so we drove. Cafe du Monde was packed, but as soon as we walked up, a couple finished with a nice table near the sidewalk. A Jazz Band played softly beside our table. The morning breeze wafted through the open-air cafe. We were cool, comfortable, and in Beignet Heaven. They were as good as I remembered.

Oysters were on the evening menu, and we decided to try the selection at Acme Oyster House. We sat at the bar and watched as Jonas shucked our dozen and made sure we were taken care of. I got the raw dozen while Helen ordered a half dozen grilled and smothered with crab meat and a special cheese sauce. She allowed me a sample—made my day.

The following day, we chose to drive through the Garden District and land at Domilise’s Po-Boy Bar for lunch. My nephew recommended Domilise’s a few years ago, and I can’t thank him enough. The lunch place has been around for nearly 100 years and serves traditional Po-Boy sandwiches that are equal to or better than any found in the city. I ordered a fried Oyster Po-Boy, and Helen selected an Oyster-and-fried-shrimp combo. We washed them down with a local Amber Beer. That’s how to do lunch!

After a long nap, we agreed we should return to the Garden District for dinner at Pascal’s Manale Restaurant and Bar. This fine establishment is another oldie but goodie, opened in the 1920’s. Around 1939, a friend of the owner came in raving about a meal he had enjoyed in Chicago. Soon, the friend and the chef were in the kitchen for an all-night session and ultimately created the Famous Barbecue Shrimp recipe that put Pascal’s Manale on the map. I had to order it. Helen chose a grilled redfish dish with a side of barbecue shrimp. Our server was a delightful lady named Toi, who couldn’t have been nicer or more helpful. She gave us a loaf of the fresh bread used for dipping in the shrimp barbecue sauce to take home. What a fabulous way to wrap up two wonderful days in the Crescent City.

Our next stop is Shreveport, LA, where we’ll be back to Protein drinks and tuna salad, but at least we’ll have the memories of some awesome food. Hopefully, you’ll join us there.

We’re Easin’ Along (burp).