Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

DESTINATIONS

LORD KNOWS THAT TRAVELing across the country can be time-consuming enough without adding side-trips to the schedule, but Carlsbad Caverns is a must-see.

Located near White’s City, 30 miles southwest of Carlsbad, New Mexico, the caverns aren't near any of the major east-west routes, although Interstate 20 comes closest. Still, the extra miles involved are well worth the effort. A 750-foot elevator ride underground delivers you from the park’s visitors center to one of the world’s largest underground caves— 14 acres worth, with a ceiling that stretches to 200 feet in some points.

Awaiting you in this chamber, appropriately called the Big Room, is an hour-long walk through an awesome, eye-filling array of geological forma-

tions. A forest of stalactites, looking like icicles of stone, hangs ominously overhead. Stalagmites, built up drip by drip over 500,000 years, rise from the floor, resembling geysers of rock frozen forever. Elsewhere are giant, thrusting columns, mirrorlike cave pools and seemingly bottomless pits. All in all, visual overload hundreds of feet below the earth's surface.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is open yearround, except for Christmas Day. And, yes, an excursion there will add a few hours to your trip. And an unforgettable page to your memory book.

David Edwards