Third day -- from Clovis to Carlsbad, NM
Since Motel 6 in Clovis
does not serve any kind of
breakfast we start up early and enjoy(!) our breakfast at the nearest
rest area: home-made chicken-spaghetti soup and Swedish crisp
bread. There is not much to say about the east New Mexican landscape
at this point, sand and flat, flat sand. Still, what is interesting,
is that we have climbed up to 3000 feet after leaving
Oklahoma. Clovis's elevation is even over 4000'.
Without much extra sightseeing we head south to Carlsbad
Caverns National Park. We hike two hours underground (750 feet
down from the natural entrance, which is 8000 feet above sea level).
Conveniently, before dusk we find a campground at Brantley
Lake State Park, north of Carlsbad. Yes, there really is a lake,
but we take
a shower at the campground (we pay $14 for it), since it seems that
the lake is meant for boats. So, camping in a desert is not hard (but
literally); there are no snakes, no vultures, and no water, as it
turns out next morning.
