Pitstop: Carlsbad, NM

Because the drive from Tucson, AZ to Austin, TX was entirely more hours than we wanted to do in a day--we decided to split up the drive and camp for the night in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Carlsbad is known for its caverns found 750 ft under ground (that's 75 stories down!). We were so thankful for relief from the desert heat when we learned that caverns stay at a cool temperature of 56 degrees all year. We learned all about cave exploration and had a refresher course in cave formations (remember stalactites and stalagmites from that 4th grade science lesson?). Our favorite part was the "black out" where our entire group sat in silence and complete (and we are talking COMPLETE) darkness to experience the cave's natural presence. Eerie, but amazing and well worth the detour!