21 Sep: Our last objective in New Mexico on this trip was Carlsbad Caverns. The road into the park winds through hilly terrain as it ascends onto a plateau where the cave is. At an overlook on the way in, where we had stopped to read the sign describing the archaeological evidence of an ancient camp inside a rock alcove, a teacher there with her family showed us how to slice open a prickly pear cactus fruit and scoop out the inside to eat. Although the outside of the fruit has tiny prickly spines on it, the pulp inside was juicy and sweet.
Carlsbad Cavern is a very large limestone cave with an optional trail entering the natural entrance and descending to the large caverns below and a main trail circling through the Big Room that can be accessed either by elevator or the natural entrance trail. The trails are made for self-guided touring, with signs and audio guides providing details of the formations and the history of the cave. We felt that Carlsbad compared very favorably with the other caves in national parks & monuments we have toured through. The variety, beauty, and scale of the formations are very impressive. The key features are highlighted tastefully with accent lighting, while maintaining a dimly lit cave experience.
What does the Prickly Pear fruit taste like? It certainly looks YUMMY 😋