New Mexico: Journey to the Center of the Earf

Hey there Road Trip fans, it's your friend Adam. We are currently in Carlsbad, New Mexico. We left Austin, TX Tuesday morning (big thanks to Jordan Green again for housing us) and drove 6 hours across West Texas to Ft. Stockton. Along the way we ate some dope German food in Fredericksburg, which is 75 miles west of Austin. This special place was definitely Small Town, USA. It is known as the "Little Bavaria of Texas Hill Country." They pride themselves on their strong German heritage, thus we had to stop to get some schnitzel and kraut. Delicious through and through. (thanks to Susie Shirc for for 1000 Places to See Before You Die in the USA - the book that got us to Fredericksburg). We made our way from there due west. Along the way through West Texas, we saw a lot of dirt, fences, wide open spaces, dirt, desert-like terrain, a couple of cows, some goats, and dirt. However, we were in good company with good jams playing in the speakers.

We finally arrived in Ft. Stockton by sunset and set up shop at A&M RV Park. We were the only tenters there... the owner said we could stay for free "out back on the grass behind the office." So we did. It was goofy to say the least but we got after it.

We woke up in Ft. Stockton this morning, Wed. 2/25 and drove a few hours to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The drive once we hit New Mexico was absolutely gorgeous... very vast and very desert-like. We drove to the park around lunch time, got some grub at the visitor center, and set sail for a self-guided tour through Carlsbad Caverns. This was on the "Caves" episode of Planet Earth, and it was frickin' awesome. It took us about two hours to go through the whole cavern system. We saw a lot of stalagtites, stalagmites, guano (bat droppings), and a bottomless pit. It definitely gave Mammoth Cave a run for its money.

After the caverns, we arrive here, the Carlsbad Campgrounds. It is a full service RV park with an indoor pool, a game room (w/ Crusin' USA and a ping pong table), and plenty of grass piece to pitch a tent (in the non-sensual way). For only $18.50, we decided to hit up. Matt and I are sitting inside the game room as we speak. Tomorrow we will embark for western New Mexico. Stay tuned sports fans.

Peace, Love, and UofL Basketball for all,

Adam Corbett Shircliff the First