Playing Ketchup

We realize it’s been over a week since we last updated the blog. You wouldn’t believe how hard it is to get an internet connection when you’re moving all over the place! It’s been an action-packed week, so hold on to your (cowboy) hats for the recap!

We did find our Marfa sticker after a little digging. The town’s book store only had “WWJD” stickers (What Would Judd Do) and we didn’t think those were exactly right. We asked where we might get any other Marfa sticker and they recommended checking out Marfa Public Radio, just next door. We chatted with the station manager and bought a great sticker for $2.

The Focus with a brand new sticker

Then we hit the road, just of a giant hailstorm going through Marfa with golf-ball-sized hail (we heard the news flash on Marfa Public Radio, the only station in that part of the state). We had to get to Carlsbad Caverns by the afternoon and were going the long way through the scenic Texas mountains (yeah, we didn’t know such a thing existed, either). We hit up Fort Davis and Chris flashed our National Park Annual Pass for a quick historical movie with a busload of old folks.

Scenic roads in NW Texas

We reached Carlsbad Caverns around 4:30, right before the Visitor Center closed. It was too late to go down into the caverns, and it looked like a storm was moving in so we had to cross our fingers that they wouldn’t cancel the bat flight at dusk. We went down to the town at the bottom of the hill and set up camp at the RV park. By the time we got back up to the caverns, our weather luck held up and it was a beautiful clear dusk sky. Ranger John started the presentation about the “poor, MIS-UNDER-STOOD bats” and 30 minutes or so later the bats emerged. Although we were told it was a small turnout on the bats’ behalf, it was pretty durn cool.

Bat exit amphitheater

We were packed up and back at the cave by 8:30 the next morning for tours of the caverns.  We met back up with our Ranger friend from Tuscaloosa down in King’s Cavern, who told us some good details about the Gila Wilderness, which was our destination that afternoon.

Back in the car, we headed through New Mexico and stopped in Las Cruces at a small sport shop, where we got more good deets on the Gila.  Liz wanted to go to Truth or Consequences (the town) for dinner, but since it was out of the way we decided to stop in Hatch and, after crossing the Rio Grande, pulled up by a gem of a BBQ spot, Sparky’s.

Chris and the Colonel outside Sparky's

After another long day of driving, we were almost to the Gila when we encountered a storm that slowed us down.  It was still very beautiful, and when the storm cleared some rainbows appeared to help us keep moving.

Rainbows from the Great Integrity

We finally landed at Little Bear Lake, in a valley of the black hills, for a free quick and dirty site for the night.  We were completely exhausted but it was definitely worth the long drive, and a great prelude for the next three days in the wilderness!