Carlsbad Caverns National Park

We're staying in West Texas and decided to take a side trip to Carlsbad Caverns NP in New Mexico. The last time Denise and I were here was in 1977 - on our honeymoon! The cave hasn't changed much. It's still the most impressive cave we've ever seen with huge rooms and amazing formations.

Big stalagmites in Carlsbad Caverns

We decided to retrace our steps from 37 years ago and walk down rather than take the elevator. Here is the view down into the entrance to the cave. To get the "Big Room" you walk down 1.25 miles and 754 vertical feet. 

Looking down into the entrance

Looking back up to the natural light at the entrance

The walk down took about 45 minutes and we encountered several large rooms along the way. We passed from one room to another, linked by passageways, until we entered "The Big Room", a natural limestone chamber which is almost 4,000 feet long, 625 feet wide and 225 feet high. That's 8.2 acres!!

The entrance to the Big Room

The walk down is pretty easy, and then you walk around the "Big Room" for another mile and spot amazing spelotherms (aka cave formations). Here are a few - pictures don't do them justice.

"Whale's Mouth" - aptly named

These look like mushrooms to me

More spelotherms 

The ambience in the cave is hushed - the lighting is low and people are encouraged to whisper. We were lucky because it wasn't that crowded. When you are done with the self-guided tour you take an elevator up 754 feet to the visitor center. 

We also stopped at another National Park nearby - Guadalupe Mountains NP. Not as impressive but still very interesting and worth a stop.

Guadalupe Mountains NP

Two national parks in one day is a good day. We especially enjoyed retracing our steps from our first visit to Carlsbad Caverns in 1977. 

Back on the road - in a sandstorm

We were on our way to Las Cruces, traveling east on I-10 on a windy day near the AZ-NM border. Just as we got into New Mexico the wind starting gusting and the sand started blowing - a desert sandstorm!

Dust devil ahead - the start of the sandstorm

We heard later from the police that the visibility was zero down the road - a complete brownout - and there was a pile-up involving several tractor-trailers. We were routed off of I-10 to a truck stop to wait it out. 

I-10 is closed

Waiting with the big boys for the wind to die down
(our motorhome looks small next to them)

We waited for about 10 minutes and then I decided to talk to the police about the situation. The state trooper thought it was going to be several hours before the wind subsided, and he gave me some advice about a side route. We gave it a go, heading south to Route 9, then east, then back north to I-10. The wind was fierce and there was one short short stretch where I couldn't see even 5 feet in front of the vehicle. I slowed to 5 miles per hour through that stretch and then it cleared. The motorhome (and towed car) held the road pretty well - thanks in large part to the tax axle. 

Finally we made it to Las Cruces, arriving only an hour late at about 7 pm. I read later that I-10 was closed until 8 pm, so we definitely made the right choice taking the detour. 

We plan to spend a couple of days in Las Cruces and then head east toward Austin TX.

The Fire Wave - Valley of Fire State Park

We've been to lots of places in the Southwest and this short hike to the Fire Wave in Nevada ranks up there with the best of them. It's in Valley of Fire State Park which is 45 minutes outside of Las Vegas. Most of the tourists on the strip have no idea this exists.  

The Fire Wave in Nevada

Up until last year this rock formation was a "hidden treasure" with no marked trail, but the State Park opened up a trail in 2013. The trailhead is not on their map yet so it's not very well-known. You need to go to parking lot #3 and look carefully for the sign (ask at the Visitor center). It's worth it - a short 1 mile hike over the rocks to this very cool formation.

We went there with our friends George and Cathy who we met in Las Vegas while we were staying in Palm Springs. We all really enjoyed Valley of Fire State Park in addition to the Vegas nightlife - and this hike was the highlight for me. 

George on the rocks
 Photo taken looking back from the Fire Wave 

We were lucky enough to be there with very few people. You can climb on the rocks easily and take photos from several angles. 

It's even more amazing in person - go there

Denise contemplating the geology

George, Cathy and Denise enjoying the day

Cathy and Denise (and my huge shadow)
taken from atop the Fire Wave

There is another remote place on the Arizona/Utah border called "The Wave" which this place is named after.  "The Wave" in Arizona  "The Wave" is a much larger version of similar rock formations and it's supposed to be one of the most amazing places in the Southwest - but its pretty remote and there is a lottery run by the BLM to get hiking permits to go there. They only allow 20 people a day to visit, so it's a tough ticket. It's very high on my bucket list and we plan to apply for permits (they say there is a 1-2% chance of success). 

But if you can't get to the actual "Wave" then this hike near Vegas is the next best thing - and it's pretty easy to get to if you know about it. Leave the strip behind for an afternoon and check it out! 

Saying Goodbye to Palm Springs

We spent a fantastic winter in Palm Springs, and sadly we are leaving on April 1. This place is fun, modern, retro and hip all at the same time. They have managed to recapture the optimism and party atmosphere of the 50's and early 60's but in an updated way. 

There is this cool (and very large) statue of Marilyn in downtown Palm Springs framed against the San Jacinto mountains. The town is jumping every day of the week with live music, bars and restaurants. 

One of our favorite places for music is the "Purple Room". This was a rat pack hangout in the 60's which kind of went downhill for a while but was revived in past few years. It's a "supper club" and the bands here are great.

A lot of the architecture in Palm Springs is from the 50's and they call it "mid-century modern". They celebrate this with a week of events and tours called "Modernism Week". We took an interesting tour of the homes, many of which were formerly owned by stars like Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope and Dinah Shore. 

Modernism Week tour

Mid-century Modern architecture

During the days we did lots of biking and hiking - and I tried to learn golf (with limited success). Joshua Tree National Park is nearby - this unique tree (Yucca brevifolia) grows mostly in the Mohave desert.

Joshua Tree National Park

Denise is practicing her rock climbing (just kidding)

Skull Rock at Joshua Tree NP

Another beautiful area near Palm Springs is called Indian Canyons. It's an oasis full of California Fan palm trees which grow in the middle of the desert supported by an underground aquifer. 

California Palm trees at Indian Canyons

We also had the opportunity to visit with my Mom and Dad a few times - they live 2 hours away in LA. They are doing great and while we were in California both of them had birthdays (Mom is 90 and Dad is 93). I had the opportunity to golf with them (they still get out to the course twice a week!) and I'm happy to report that my Dad easily beat me. 

My mom with her birthday present (new clubs)

My Dad on the golf course

While we were here we met some new friends - Ruth and Brian from Vancouver. They have been coming to Palm Springs every winter over the past several years and we really enjoyed their company on various bike rides, excursions and dinners out. Brian is a pilot who owns a small plane, and they were nice enough to take us on a flight to Catalina Island one day.

Ruth and Brian with their Piper Arrow

Approaching the "Airport in the Sky" on Catalina

A fun excursion to Catalina Island

Overall we had a great time on our "winter vacation" in Palm Springs. The desert is beautiful and the weather was perfect. We leave for parts east on April 1 to complete our first counter-clockwise circumnavigation of the United States. We will spend some time in New Mexico and Texas and then head to the southeast before we work our way back to Philadelphia.  

Sunny Palm Springs

We are spending Jan and Feb in sunny Palm Springs (actually Cathedral City). The weather has been pretty much perfect so far. We are at a nice RV resort called Outdoor Resorts of Palm Springs, which has a golf course, 8 pools, tennis courts and 2 clubhouses (and 1200 RV sites!). 

Our site on the golf course 

View from our site

This place is filled with snowbirds like us who are staying pretty active - it should be a good place to spend the winter. Haven't seen any bears or elk here... but we did spot a roadrunner walking through our site. We are planning some side trips to Joshua Tree NP, Temecula and back to Northridge to see my folks. 

What happens in Vegas...

It's been a while since I've posted... we spent a month with family in Los Angeles. Since then, we've been to Vegas and are now in Lake Havasu AZ. 

We had a fantastic time in Las Vegas, probably the best week we've spent there. We stayed at a world-class RV resort and also spent a couple of days at the Wynn Encore hotel during a mid-week special. The Encore was first class all the way - a bit quieter than the central strip hotels - and we really enjoyed it. 

Holiday Decorations at the Wynn Hotel

Everything in Vegas is over the top - including the RV Park! 

While staying at the Encore on the strip we took in a Cirque du Soleil show called "Love". It's a tribute to the Beatles and we really enjoyed it. We also saw a comedy show which unfortunately wasn't that funny. 

The restaurant scene in Vegas is amazing - right up there with the best American restaurant cities. We sampled a few "celebrity chef" places on the strip (Mario Batali's Carnevino, Julian Serrano Tapas, Emeril's Table 10) which were all excellent (especially Carnevino). 

But the better choices were off-the-strip. The quality was equal to the big hotels without the huge prices. Kabuto is the most authentic and best sushi restaurant we've ever been to - it's like visiting Japan in the middle of a tacky strip mall. The fish is flown in daily and they have an huge assortment of sushi that you've never tried before. It was all delicious. In the same strip mall is Raku Grill, an authentic Japanese-style robata grill. Here is an idea of what they do there off the charcoal flame: 

Kobe Beef Filet with Wasabi

The robata grill makes everything taste wonderful, and you must try the fresh tofu (even if you hate tofu like I do). 

There is a place nearby by the same chef called Roku Sweets where they serve mind-altering desserts. Once again, a picture says it all: 

Apple pie and ice cream Raku-style

If you visit Vegas and enjoy good food, I highly recommend the guidebook "Eating Las Vegas" which describes the 50 best restaurants. I found it to be cleverly written and on target - and it's really good for finding off-strip places where the prices are far less obscene. 

We also managed to take a hike in one day at Red Rock Canyon recreation area. I don't think we burned nearly enough calories to make up for our culinary sins, but hey... it's Vegas. 

Red Rock Canyon - 30 min from the strip

Overall it was a great week in Las Vegas. Our stomachs are bigger and our wallets are smaller... and we can't wait to go back! 

Bald Eagles at Lake Casitas

We have settled into Southern California to visit family for the month of November. We are currently at Lake Casitas, a recreation area near Ojai. There is a pair of bald eagles living here and I was able to spot them in their "home tree" near the lake. 

Bald Eagle at Lake Casitas

The ranger told us that this pair had a couple of eaglets this spring. The rangers at the lake were pretty excited because it's the first babies born here in many years. The eaglets have since flown the coop, but Mom and Dad are still hanging around near the nest.

Mom and Dad near the nest

I caught one of the eagles flying but unfortunately didn't have the right camera setting to catch him in focus. Here you go anyway...

Bald eagle in flight

It's nice to see that the bald eagles have rebounded so significantly in the US in recent years. Hopefully this pair will have another family this spring!