Solar Eclipse- Carlsbad Caverns and Home!

The last time we were at Carlsbad Caverns was July 2018. It was very fun to try to recreate the elevator picture 6 years later

 

The caves are absolutely surreal. I'm glad that we made it back. It was fun having kids that were interested in the informational signs this time around. 

Imagine climbing down that rickety ladder with just a lantern for light. Primitive cave explorers had to be a special brand of crazy. 

stabby ceiling

Don't those formations look like wise rock wizards?

Fairy Land

Lion Tails

The caves are vast, and we explored a tiny amount of them. It's a magical place!

We then drove our tired selves back home! We stopped in Vail to return the Hays's RV and then loaded in the Flythemobile for the rest of the drive home. To get enough seat belts, Lakin volunteered to be strapped into the 5 point harness on the bed for a nap drive. 

The next day before they left, we had time for a quick foraging adventure to give these kids a taste of the desert. 

My minions diligently removing seeds from the barrel cactus fruits

This was a memorable trip, definitely worth pulling the kids out of school for a few days! Being in the path of totality was worth the effort. The Hays are excellent road trip companions. They are cool in a crisis and love to plan. We love being around them. I'm glad we didn't take the easy option of meeting them in Texas and instead turned this into a journey. 

Parting thoughts about RVs: I am now convinced I don't want to own a large RV! Too much maintenance. I did love the camper van. It was very convenient being able to roll in late at night and not have to set up camp. The kids LOVED sleeping in the RV. It worked for us since our kids are small and don't need much space. We will stay in our tent era for the foreseeable future.