Carlsbad Cavern is an enormous cave discovered while early settlers were “harvesting” bat droppings for fertiliser. The droppings were twelve metres deep by the way, so the bats had been there a while. Developed as a tourist attraction (fertiliser removed) the Cavern is 230 metres straight down or a two kilometre walk down a 20 degree slope. “Best Cave” award goes to……..

Model of the Cavern. Note elevator from visitors centre.

Inside 230 metres down

Inside. Four kilometres in.

The Cavern is 95% dry. So it doesn’t sparkle as much as some.

The walkway in.

Just up the road is Guadalupe National Park. The Butterfield Stage used to run through here delivering mail clear across America from St Louis, Missouri to San Francisco, California. 

Averaging 120 miles a day and running day and night the passengers must have loved it. The mail contract specified 25 days per run so John Butterfield purchased 100 stagecoaches at $1500 each and set up the way stations. The mail was apparently never late. Rain, like today, or shine the mail went through.

Guadalupe Cloud.

Guadalupe Dead Tree.

Guadalupe National Park.

Walking in the desert.

This place has more unfriendly plants than “The Little Shop of Horrors”. It seems every plant is purpose designed to keep the tourists at bay. Check out this array of nasties…