W for White Sands National Park #BlogchatterA2Z

 White Sands National Park, New Mexico 

White Sands National Park, located in a desert in New Mexico, is home to the World's largest Gypsum sand dune. The park is accessible via an 8-mile drive. 

White sand, which is soft and like fine powder, looks very bright on hot days with sun rays reflecting on it. A great place for sand sledding. 

Put on sunscreen, Googles, and sled through the sand! Both kids and adults can enjoy sledding. Since the sand is very soft, there won't be any injuries, and you can enjoy sledding safely.

A lot of fun for sure!

Here is our travelogue.

Until next time,

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Other A2Z Posts:

A for Arches National Park

B for Bigbend National park

C for Capitol Reef National Park

D for Disney

E for Escalante National Monument

F for Fort Davis

G for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

H for Hot Springs National Park

I for Idaho Springs

J for Jackson Hole

K for Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

L for Las Vegas

M for Monument Valley

N for Niagara Falls

O for Orlando

P for Pikes Peak

Q for Quiet and Secluded

R for Rocky Mountain National Park

S for Santa Fe

T for Talimena Scenic Drive

U for Utah

V for Vermont

W for White Sands National Park

X for Xtreme Weather

Y for Yellowstone National Park

Z for Zion National Park

S for Santa Fe #BlogchatterA2Z

 Santa Fe, New Mexico 

Santa Fe has been our favorite town for vacation for a long time. 

Santa Fe is the capital of New Mexico state. 

Camel Rock Monument, Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks Monument, and Bandelier National Monument are unique places to hike. We can watch rocks formed from volcanic ash, ancient Pueblo cliff dwellings, and petroglyphs. 

The architecture of Loretto Chapel and its unique stairs are worth a visit. 

We love the Mexican food. They ask our preference for red chile or green chile in all their dishes in Santa Fe. 

It is also an art city. There are innumerable art displays, metal installations, and creative displays on Canyon Road. There are more than 200 art galleries in town. 

Here is our travelogue.

Whatever might be your taste - hiking, architecture, art, food, etc., you will love this place. 

I love this art installation outside Meow Wolf. As the name sounds, Meow Wolf is a fun place to see unexpected and interesting art installations, such as illusions, interactive media, and confusing mazes.

Until next time,

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Other A2Z Posts:

A for Arches National Park

B for Bigbend National park

C for Capitol Reef National Park

D for Disney

E for Escalante National Monument

F for Fort Davis

G for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

H for Hot Springs National Park

I for Idaho Springs

J for Jackson Hole

K for Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

L for Las Vegas

M for Monument Valley

N for Niagara Falls

O for Orlando

P for Pikes Peak

Q for Quiet and Secluded

R for Rocky Mountain National Park

S for Santa Fe

T for Talimena Scenic Drive

U for Utah

V for Vermont

W for White Sands National Park

X for Xtreme Weather

Y for Yellowstone National Park

Z for Zion National Park

K for Kasha - Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument #BlogchatterA2Z

 Kasha - Katuwe Tent Rocks , New Mexico

Does that name seem a little odd? I couldn't find info on how it got its name. Maybe it is due to the local tribes living nearer to it?

This National Monument is in New Mexico and is 45 minutes away from Santa Fe. 

Santa Fe is our favorite destination and a wonderful place to spend a vacation, but that's for another day.

The unique cone-shaped rocks formed by the layers of volcanic ash and rocks by pyroclastic flow from the volcano of Jemez Springs are beautiful to watch/hike. This eruption that occurred 6 to 7 million years ago caused the slot canyon and tent rocks. 

Here is our travelogue.

The highlight of our trip is this view after the hike. 

Until next time,

I'm participating in #BlogchatterA2Z

Other A2Z Posts:

A for Arches National Park

B for Bigbend National park

C for Capitol Reef National Park

D for Disney

E for Escalante National Monument

F for Fort Davis

G for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

H for Hot Springs National Park

I for Idaho Springs

J for Jackson Hole

K for Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument

L for Las Vegas

M for Monument Valley

N for Niagara Falls

O for Orlando

P for Pikes Peak

Q for Quiet and Secluded

R for Rocky Mountain National Park

S for Santa Fe

T for Talimena Scenic Drive

U for Utah

V for Vermont

W for White Sands National Park

X for Xtreme Weather

Y for Yellowstone National Park

Z for Zion National Park

I give you one travel recommendation for each letter of the alphabet. So, follow my blog every day in April for travel recommendations.

I might post these on social media as well, here are the links if you want to follow me there..

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White Sands National park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park - A Travelogue #FridayReflections

This post may contain affiliate links, clicking on those links may earn some commission to us without any additional cost to you.

Hello again! This is the continuation of our trip to Big Bend National Park.

You can read Part 1 and Part 2 here. 

Here is the map of the places we visited:

We started from Big Bend National Park around noon and drove through Marfa to Elpaso. 

Marfa:

Marfa is a small desert town and is also an art hub. 

Outside the town is a viewing platform to see the mysterious lights in the sky - sometimes red, white, and blue that appear randomly at night. The source of these lights is still a mystery. Marfa is famous for this unexplainable phenomenon. We couldn't see these lights as we traveled in the noon and couldn't stay in Marfa.

On the way to Elpaso, we can watch the Prada store on US-90 which lies in an isolated place and is a fun stop. It is a permanent art installation around 26 miles northwest of Marfa.

Prada Store

Locks for Good luck?

Elpaso :

Elpaso is the sixth largest city in Texas. 

Casa De Azucar (Sugar House) is a fun place to stop by. We missed it as I didn't note down the place name while planning the trip. Don't miss it if you are driving through ElPaso. 

We planned to drive to the scenic overlook in Elpaso, but couldn't due to lack of time. I read from many blogs that this drive is worth the time.

We reached Las Cruces by evening that day and stayed there for the night. 

New mexico

White Sands National Park:

The next day morning, we drove to White Sands National Park which is around 53 mins from Las Cruces.

This is our second visit to White Sands. Here is the old travelogue. 

White Sands National park

Sledding fun

White Sands is the world's largest Gypsum dune field. The sand is very soft and white. We had many hours of fun sledding through the sand.

It's good that there are restrooms and picnic areas at many places in the park. The visitor center is great too with exhibits and info on how the dunes are formed. There are restrooms and a gift shop inside the visitor center. 

Entry to the park is $25 per vehicle. The Dune drive is 8 miles loop with many places to stop at and sled. 

We did an easy hike of 0.4 miles which is called 'The Interdune boardwalk'. It's a good introductory hike in the park.

I heard Alkali Flat Trail is the best hike in the park. It's a strenuous 5-mile round-trip hike. We couldn't do it with kids. Someday we might do this trail. 

We started our drive to Carlsbad which is 3.5 hrs. We reached by the night and we stayed at Whites city cavern inn in Carlsbad.

The location is great as it's just 6.8 miles from the caves.

Accommodation near Las Cruces:

Carlsbad Caverns National Park:

Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is unlike any other caves. These caves were formed 20 - 30 million years ago in the Guadalupe mountains. Around 110 caves were formed with stunning formations due to the mineral-laden water seeping through the fractures of ancient limestone sedimentation.

Carlsbad Caverns National park

Carlsbad Caverns National park

Here is my old travelogue to Carlsbad Caverns. Last time, we booked King's Palace tour and I highly recommend it. The guided tour is 1.5 hrs and it's very interesting and informative.

This time, we just did a self-guided tour through the Big Room trail which is 1.25 miles. We spent some time in the visitor center watching the exhibits and learning more about how caves are formed. We took an elevator to the caves.

Carlsbad Caves

Cave Formations

Last time, we entered the cave through Natural Entrance Trail. This was the toughest trail then but completely worth it. This trail is 1.25 miles taking us down to 750 ft.

We had great lunch in the national park cafe. I highly recommend eating there. My kids completed their junior ranger program and got their badges.

By the time, we came out of the caves, it was around 4 Pm. We drove to Guadalupe Peak in the Guadalupe Mountains national park. 

Accommodations near Carlsbad:

Guadalupe Mountains National Park:

Guadalupe Mountains National Park is only 34 mins from Carlsbad, so don't miss it if you can. 

We didn't have much time and were tired after the caves, but wanted to see Guadalupe Peak and cover El Capitan Overlook.

Guadalupe Peak

Guadalupe Mountains National Park

We just covered those two and returned to our motel in Whites City. 

3.8 mile Devil's Hall trail is very popular in Guadalupe mountains national park. It takes 3 to 4 hrs to finish the trail and it starts from pine springs campground. This trail gives beautiful views of canyons and geological formations.

Some easy trails recommended by other bloggers and friends are:

• The trail from dog canyon campground to Marcus Overlook
• McKittrick Canyon to Pratt's cabin and on to Grotto

We couldn't do any of these trails due to the lack of time.

The next day morning we started our return journey to Austin. 

That was our best South Western Texas and New Mexico trip. How did you like it?

Please let me know in the comments. 

Until next time,

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Linking this to #FridayReflections hosted by Corinne. 

 Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico. It is abbreviated as ABQ and gets its name from Spanish. ABQ is a great place for a family vacation due to its unique landscape and mild weather throughout the year.

5 Best things to do in Albuquerque with Kids:

1. Experiencing the International Baloon Festival

The International Baloon Fiesta organized every year in October is the most anticipated event in Albuquerque. In 2021, it is scheduled for October 2nd to 10th, and usually, the tickets start selling by June itself. 

The colorful balloons in creative shapes dotting the skyline during Sunrise / SunSet are considered to be a wonderful sight. Balloon rides also will be available to see the city from the air.

We are planning to attend this year, but have to see if we can make it.

There is a hot air balloon museum in the city if you want to know more about balloons!

Image by Thaddeus Moore from Pixabay 

2. Hiking the Petroglyph National monument 

This is a must-visit place if you are traveling with kids. Petroglyph National monument protects a landscape of 17 miles with designs and ancient symbols carved on volcanic rocks by Native Americans from 500 to 700 years ago.

The Park is split into 3 areas - Boca Negra Canyon, Rinconada Canyon, and Piedras Marcadas Canyon.

 Mesa Point trail in Boca Negra canyon is an easy 0.4-mile trail with a little bit of climbing to the top and is a good introduction to petroglyphs. The cliff base trail and Macaw trail are both easy.

Rinconada Canyon and Piedras Marcadas Canyon have options for longer hikes with more petroglyphs to view.

3. Ride the Sandia peak tramway

Reaching the Sandia peak of 11,000 ft elevation on the tramway in mere 15 mins is great to relish the views of this desert city. 

While the top of the mountain is 20 to 30 degrees cooler than city temperature, there are hundreds of hiking trails to access from the peak. There is also a restaurant TEN3 on the peak.

Watching Sunset riding on the tramway is considered the most memorable experience for any.

We couldn't ride the tram due to high winds when we went in February, but we drove to the peak. We came across the ski area and hiking trails on the way.

Photo courtesy: Flickr

4. Enjoy the Mexican Food

If you are like us who love Mexican food, Albuquerque seems like a paradise for food lovers. El pinto restaurant in North Valley is unique in the interior and exterior decoration and famous for the authentic and tasty Mexican food.

It's difficult to get a table on weekends and weekdays alike, so we reserved ahead for dinner. We loved the experience and 100% recommend it to all visitors.

Be prepared to answer if you want green chile or red or Christmas(a combination of both red and green).

Some other highly recommended Mexican restaurants are Flying star Cafe, Papa Felipe's Mexican Restaurant, Padilla's Mexican kitchen, Little Anita's, Cocina Azul, and Church Street Cafe.

5. Walk the Old downtown Albuquerque 

No trip is complete without understanding the culture and history of the place, right? I suggest you don't miss a walk downtown.

Church street cafe is famous in the downtown which you can consider for lunch. San De Felip Neri church is the oldest standing church. This church has an interesting Virgin Mary sculpture carved in the tree which is known as the Virgen De Guadalupe tree.  Turquoise jewelry is famous here! Don't forget to shop downtown.

San Felipe De Neri Church PC: Creative common license

  Bonus tips:

1. We loved exploring the National Museum of Nuclear science and history. It takes 2 to 4 hrs to cover the museum, but kids will love this. ABQ Bio park is another recommended place for kids.

2. Someday trips to consider from Albuquerque : 

a. Jemez Mountain scenic byway with hot springs and waterfalls

b. Santa Fe - Read this travelogue for more details

c. Sky city at Acoma pueblo (the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in North America) - around 1.5 hrs from Albuquerque 

d. Bisti Badlands near Farmington - 2.5 hrs from Albuquerque 

e. Chaco culture national historic park - 2.5 hrs from Albuquerque 

3. Read more about our New Mexico Road trip if you want to extend your trip from Albuquerque to Four corners monument, White sands National park, Roswell and Bandelier National Monument, and Kasha- Katuwe National Monument.

The weather is getting better, are you planning for any trip? Would love to know your travel plans. 

Feel free to comment.

Until next time,

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A Day at Carlsbad Caverns National Park #NewMexicoTrip #Day2

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Read our #Day1 Travelogue of New Mexico trip here.

Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico is unlike any other caves. These caves were formed 20 - 30 million years ago in Guadalupe mountains. Around 110 caves were formed with stunning formations due to the mineral-laden water seeping through the fractures of ancient limestone sedimentation. 

Geologists found that sulfuric acid played an important role in the dissolution of all Guadalupe mountain caves.

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Our whole New Mexico trip was planned around spending more time exploring Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands National Monument. So, we decided to stay one night at Whites city to start early to the caves and explore the caves with full energy after breakfast.


Caves open at 8 AM itself. Since we were visiting the Caves with 2 kids - 8 and 5 yr olds, we had to plan enough breaks. 

We have booked the only one ranger-led tour which allows 5 yr olds - The King's Palace tour. We booked this tour online at least 2 weeks ahead. We reached the Visitor Center by 9 AM. Roamed around to understand the geology of park through the exhibits, took the map and Junior ranger guide material for kids. 

The King's Palace Tour

By 9.45AM, we reached down through the elevator to the starting point of the tour. The King's Palace tour is a 1.5 hr tour which takes us through 4 highly decorated and stunning chambers of the cave. The elevator takes us down to around 700 ft underground. 

The guide was very knowledgeable and explained the different types of formations like Stalactites, stalagmites, draperies, columns, popcorn, and soda straws. 

She also explained how Jim White found this cave, explored in those days and worked to make this beautiful place open to the public. We were amazed at the dedication of national park service in preserving these delicate and stunning formations inside the caves.

This tour was very informative and it was like a good starting point for us. 

The Big Room Trail

The Big Room trail is the trail going through the largest cave chamber and it is a must-visit. The trail is relatively flat 1.25 miles which goes through all unique formations in the cave. 

It took around 1.5 hrs for us to complete this trail and there are no restrooms in between. Restrooms are available near the elevator at the starting of the trail though. 

Kids were too tired after this trail and so, we headed back to the visitor center through the elevator. We had a tasty traditional Mexican lunch in the cafeteria. The food was great.

Now, we were left with the famous Natural Entrance trail. We knew this will be the toughest trail with kids, especially with our 5 yr old. Hiking up the trail is too difficult, so we settled to hike it down after lunch. 

Natural Entrance Trail

I wouldn't say it was not tough, but it was the most memorable trail in the caverns for us. We struggled, took breaks, huffed and puffed but it was completely worth it.

This 1.25-mile trail was extremely steep and took us down to 750 ft. It was amazing in all aspects. We took a lot of photos on the way to the Big room. We returned back to the visitor center through the elevator.

We visited the Caverns in Feb, so we missed the bat flight program. I heard it is amazing to see all the bats flying outside together in the evening from August to September. The park even arranges to sit in the amphitheater for the bat flight program. 

Here are some quick Facts about Caverns:

- There are 120 known caves here by this time.
- The caves are at 56 F throughout the year
- There are at least 17 species of bats in the park. The most famous one is the Brazillian free-tailed bats.
- Lechuguilla caves are famous (the deepest limestone caves in North America), but not accessible to the public and only open for research purposes.
- Apparently, the bat pop - guano was a powerful fertilizer and people used to visit these caves to mine the guano and export it.
- If you know the famous movie 'The Journey to the center of the Earth', you might realize that some parts are picturized in these caves!

Now, that you know about Carlsbad Caverns National park, don't miss it if you are near Texas, New Mexico or Colorado. 

Until next time,

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Stay near Carlsbad Caves!