Carlsbad Caverns

Well after a long (but leisurely) drive through the rest of Texas on RT 180, we landed at some BLM land in New Mexico for the night.  Nothing special, but the price was right ;-)  And we followed that the next morning with a very healthy and yummy breakfast of steel cut oats, berries, plus lots of special ingredients.  Check out the recipe at the end of this post if you are interested.  Oh yeah, and some Aeropress cafe americano.

A Place for the Night, Hackberry Lake OHV, GPS: 32.570285 -103.968682, Artesia, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Healthy Breakfast, Hackberry Lake OHV, GPS: 32.570285 -103.968682, Artesia, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

The Carlsbad Caverns were great, and we got some exercise, as we opted for the self-guided tour walking down into the cave, and then departing via the elevator.  If you really want exercise, you can go the other direction.

Walk Down, Elevator Up, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Cavern Entrance, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Birds, not Bats, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

By the way, those are birds, not bats in the last photo (since it is daytime).  I would love to come here again and watch the bats take flight in the evening.  That's probably something to behold.

There's lots to see here -- we probably spent 2.5 hours underground.  I took a gazillion photos, and here are a few to give you the flavor.  I opted for no flash in the photos, so the color is due to the cavern lights.

Whale's Teeth?, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

First Look, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Stalactites, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Bottomless Pit, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Stalactites and Stalagmites, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Swords of Damocles?, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Jellyfish?, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Snow and Ice?, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Shadow and Light, Carlsbad Caverns, Carlsbad, NM, March 2017 © Steven Crisp  [Click on the photo to enlarge]

Oh yeah, and here is that recipe I promised:

We make up a large batch of oats and then reheat each morning.  Boil 8 cups water, add 2 cups steel cut oats, turn down to low boil and stir occasionally.  Should be creamy after 30 minutes.  Then turn heat off, re-cover pot, and let sit for 5-10 minutes.

For each serving (~1/2 cup oats), add:
- 1/8 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp ground flax seed
- 1 Tbsp raw shelled hemp seed
- 2 Tbsp raisins
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- and add 1/4 cup Almond milk if reheating the following day

(Note:  we have grown accustomed to this level of turmeric -- you may use less if just starting out.  But turmeric is a miracle spice, so it's worth having as much as possible.)

To the warm oatmeal mixture, add fresh berries (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries), if available, or if not, add brown sugar to taste.  A banana is also good.  Then add more almond milk to get your desired consistency.