Big Skies and Big Distances at Big Bend National Park

Big Bend National Park is not on the way to anywhere. Situated at the southern point of the “dip” in West Texas, it is essentially a peninsula of the US with Mexico on three sides. The park is located in the heart of the harsh Chihuahuan Desert, and the park’s southern border is also the … Read more

Underground Wonders at Carlsbad Caverns and Foggy Hiking at Guadalupe Mountains

East of El Paso, in a remote corner of the Chihuahuan Desert, two national parks straddle the border between Texas and New Mexico. Since we were in the area, we made sure to plan a visit to the almost-adjacent Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Camping at Guadalupe Mountains The only campground … Read more

Sun, Sand, Space, and Nuts in Alamogordo, NM

Driving from T or C to our next destination in Alamogordo was a challenge, because a weather front brought us 20 mph winds that whipped up the fine New Mexico sands into fog-like sandstorms. Despite the inauspicious start to our stay, we ended up really enjoying Alamogordo. We took our cues directly from our friends … Read more

Atomic City Explorations

As certified science geeks, we could not visit northern New Mexico without making a stop at Los Alamos, home of the scientific laboratory component of the Manhattan Project which created the world’s first nuclear weapons. The extreme secrecy of the project’s purpose and location – personnel, supplies, and mail all arrived in Santa Fe – … Read more