Comments on: Travel to New Mexico – Episode 106 http://usa.amateurtraveler.com/2007/09/15/episode-106-new-mexico/ The Amateur Traveler focuses on the best places to travel to. It covers everything from road trips to swimming with whales in Tonga. It includes both a weekly audio podcast, twice monthly video podcast and a blog. Wed, 16 May 2012 21:14:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Weshttp://usa.amateurtraveler.com/2007/09/15/episode-106-new-mexico/comment-page-1/#comment-28094 Wes Tue, 18 Sep 2007 19:29:08 +0000 http://AmateurTraveler.com/2007/09/15/episode-106-new-mexico/#comment-28094 I want to reinterate that Carlsbad is awesome. If you make plans to go well in advance and are in reasonable shape, seriously look into the Wild Cave Tour. The tours are very, very limited but extremely rewarding. I went in 2002 and they only allowed 800 people A YEAR into the side cavern (3-4 hours, some very tight places). The Wild Cave Tour hits a portion of the cave that still has some of the original footprints from the first explorers in the side passage decades ago.As for the bat program, I went in late April. The bats are just beginning their nightly exodus at that time of the year. Don't expect the national park rangers to tell you that tho. They prefer you think that the bats aren't there until the summer. They even go so far as to lie about it to protect the bats (I was in disbelief, but hey...it is the government).White Sands is nice (Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado is better tho). The sand is the most amazing shade of white (gypsum).The mtns just east of Carlsbad/White Sands are a nice drive as well. You would never expect the wooded terrain considering the arid dessert below. I want to reinterate that Carlsbad is awesome. If you make plans to go well in advance and are in reasonable shape, seriously look into the Wild Cave Tour. The tours are very, very limited but extremely rewarding. I went in 2002 and they only allowed 800 people A YEAR into the side cavern (3-4 hours, some very tight places). The Wild Cave Tour hits a portion of the cave that still has some of the original footprints from the first explorers in the side passage decades ago.

As for the bat program, I went in late April. The bats are just beginning their nightly exodus at that time of the year. Don’t expect the national park rangers to tell you that tho. They prefer you think that the bats aren’t there until the summer. They even go so far as to lie about it to protect the bats (I was in disbelief, but hey…it is the government).

White Sands is nice (Great Sand Dunes NP in Colorado is better tho). The sand is the most amazing shade of white (gypsum).

The mtns just east of Carlsbad/White Sands are a nice drive as well. You would never expect the wooded terrain considering the arid dessert below.

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