Greetings from Long Island - back home Howdy from Long Island - I'm back home after a truly memorable road trip with my amazing cousin Tanya and all the kiddies. I will say, it was quite pleasant going to sleep in my own comfy bed last night! After two easy and thankfully, uneventful flights back from New Mexico yesterday, the girls and I were happy to be in New York. Tedd picked us up from the airport and being famished after a long day of flying, I had a sudden urge for the "Eggplant Marino" from Anthony's Coal Fire Pizza nearby in Carle Place. I had all intentions of taking pictures of both my eggplant and my Califlower Vegetarian pizza, but hunger got the best of me and I never even touched my camera.
Last night, I had a chance to flip through all my pictures from our New Mexico Road Trip and decided to pick out my favorite photo from each day! Tanya and I will be adding a ton of snaps to Tanya and Elisa's New Mexico Road Trip page, as well as any and all reference material to the places we stayed and the sights we saw Check back in the next few days. Enjoy your sunday!! -E | White Sands to Saguaro!Greetings from Alamogordo! It's Sunday, and it's another day on the road for us! No worries if you've never heard of Alamogordo before - because neither had I, until I switched our booking last month from originally staying in Carlsbad, NM to Alamogordo, NM. Mainly because I wanted to avoid doing the 3hr drive this morning and just get it over with last night. That way we didn't have to wake up so darn early! lol We stayed in Alamogordo yesterday after over 8.5hrs of driving, which included visiting Carlsbad Caverns National Park.   Such pretty wildflowers along the route to the Cavern It was our first time there and I know that Elisa & the girlies would've loved it! We had a great time, we took the natural entrance and hiked one mile into, yes INTO the mountain!  This is where you begin going down, down, down! 
 More switch-backs!  Over 75 stories beneath the surface! 750 feet down the switch backs, and then 1.25 miles around the beyond enormous and aptly named "Big Room"! I was in awe of the vast size that could never be relayed in a photography or video. You can fit six football fields in this one room!!! Almost like going to the Grand Canyon and then trying to explain it or share it with someone who's never been...it's impossible, you just can't!  Google Image The kids were busy listening to their audio guides, as we walked down and down and down, and just when you think that you've reached the bottom, you've still got a long way down to go!  It was incredible!! I overheard a reference as it being like climbing down the equivalent of 4 Statues of Liberty! Anyhow, once we were finished in the cavern, we headed to the visitors center, caught the film, picked up some souvenirs, and then waited for the historic 'Bat Flight Program', which is in it's 84th year!! I'll let you know 2 things right now: 1: They would not permit any photos, or electronics during the 'Bat Flight Program" 2: I'm scared of bats. After listening to the Park Ranger's intro to the program and me getting freaked out when he mentioned all of the animals that come out at night including tarantellas, snakes, and other creeping little crawlers.  IMAGES from GOOGLE - not my images!  Just to give you an idea!!! (taken from Google)  Amazing, but scary (for me). Again jsyk - this is not my picture. My excepts from the experience: "Well that was incredibly exhilarating! As I sat there terrified in fear with my eyes peeled (I don't think I blinked even once), and my hand cupped over my mouth (to keep me from screaming). As the bats finally made their appearance at just before 7pm. They swarmed out of the cave, flying erratically and some "diving" into the crowd and just over my head!! I yelped, as my eyes welled with tears and the kids found this most hysterical! The swarm continued for what seemed like forever. As additional bats got "too close for comfort", I sank to the ground and curled up into a ball. In between their laughter, the kids had asked me if I wanted to leave. I didn't. I wanted to stick it out!"
All quite fansinating! But I'm still scared of bats. I'm not afraid that they will bite me or anything like that and I wish them no harm whatsoever! I'm just very afraid of being touched by them! I know it sounds silly, but I'm just being honest, I would seriously freak out! So next was picking up dinner, and that was beyond interesting - all I've got to say is that there are serious "characters" everywhere I turn in this neck of the woods... Then the three hour drive to get us to Alamogordo where the fun had only just begun. Having made our reservations over a month ago, we arrived & attempted to check in. Only to be told that they can't find our reservation. Not by name or confirmation number, and that I could speak to the manager in the morning! What good is that gonna do me?!?! We need place to stay & to go to sleep!! My adrenaline was through the roof as I contacted Hotels.com, my first three attempts were disconnected. Finally my call went through and the relocation specialist attempted to find us a new place to stay. After being placed on hold the agent came back on the line to apologize, because it seemed everything in town was booked! My timing is just impeccable - I'm apparently here in time for the Lincoln Rodeo! Finally the agent comes back on the line and finds us a room other than the Motel 6 (which I was being told was the only place with rooms available) and we finally "kind of" settled in for the night (Cosette was quite unhappy with our new accommodations and noted how she would've preferred to sleep in the car!). Well that was my fun filled Saturday, and now we are off to see White Sands National Monument, and then head to Tucson, where we will go to Saguaro National Park. Based on further research, I've decide to remove Silver City from my plans (I only added it a few days ago), it just doesn't look like my type of place. So off I go! See ya back here tomorrow for our last day on the road!! Wishing you a great Sunday! -T |
