CARLSBAD CAVERNS

CONTINUING ON THE VACATION, WE HAVE COME TO THURSDAY. THIS IS THE BIG DAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO CARLSBAD CAVERNS! LET ME OPEN THIS WITH SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT MY FIRST VISIT TO THE CAVERNS. THE FIRST TIME I WENT WAS WITH MARTIN, 2 YEAR OLD SISSY, MARTIN'S MOM AND BOBBIE JO IN MY TUMMY. THE CAVERNS ARE INCREDIBLY HUGE, AND IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO BE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THE TREK. ON THIS FIRST VISIT, I WAS 21, 5 MONTHS PREGNANT AND STILL DISILLUSIONED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I WAS NOT IN THE PERFECT PHYSICAL CONDITION I HAD BEEN IN ONLY ABOUT 5 MONTHS BEFORE. YOU CAN GO TO THE CAVERN BY ELEVATOR OR BY WALKING THE TRAIL THAT TAKES JUST ABOUT AN HOUR GOING STRAIGHT DOWNHILL. THE WALKING TRAIL IS SO FABULOUS, BUT WITHIN A FEW MOMENTS, YOU LEGS BEGIN TO ACHE AND YOU START TO FEEL THE BURN. MARTIN AND HIS MOM WERE JUST WALKING ALONG, FULL OF PEP, AND I TRAILED BEHIND, FULL OF, WELL, I HAD TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. I BEGAN TO WONDER IF I COULD HOLD IT. TRYING TO HOLD IT, MADE MY STOMACH UPSET, AND NOW I HAD TWO THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT. I DON'T WANT TO BE A PARTY POOPER, BUT NATURE IS KNOCKING ON MY DOOR, (BOTH OF THEM) AND I WAS GETTING NERVOUS. I FINALLY SPOKE UP AND ASKED THE TOUR GUIDE IF THERE WAS A BATHROOM DOWN THERE, AND HE SAID "SURE, BUT IT IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAIL". I ASKED IF HE MEANT THE BOTTOM OF THE TRAIL THAT WAS AN HOUR AWAY, AND HE SAID YES. GREAT. ABOUT HALF WAY DOWN, THERE WAS THE DOOR TO THE ELEVATOR THAT WOULD GO TO THE TOP. I WAS DESPERATE BY THEN, AND WAS JUST GOING TO GIVE IN AND ASK IF WE COULD GO UP- (GOSH I HATE STUFF LIKE THAT), WHEN, TO MY IMMENSE RELIEF, MARTIN'S MOM WHO WAS A HEART PATIENT, SAID THAT SHE WAS TOO TIRED TO GO ON. I WAS VERY SYMPATHETIC AND TOLD MARTIN TO GET HER IN THE ELEVATOR AND TAKE HER UP. SO, THE FIRST VISIT TO THE CAVERNS ENDED PREMATURELY. WE DRAGGED OUTSELVES OUT OF THE VISITOR'S CENTER AND INTO THE CAR AND BACK TO EL PASO WHERE MARTIN WAS STATIONED AT THE TIME.
THE SECOND VISIT OCCURRED 4 YEARS AGO. BOBBIE JO, JARED, MARTIN AND I HAD GONE TO PHOENIX TO SEE MY NEW GRANDDAUGHTER, ALEX. WE DROVE OUT TO PHOENIX AND IT WAS QUITE A TRIP. WE DID A LOT OF SIGHT-SEEING, AND TOOK MANY PHOTOS. WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME. AS IT CAME TIME TO GO HOME, BOBBIE JO GOT THE IDEA THAT SINCE WE WOULD BE CLOSE TO THE CAVERNS ON THE WAY HOME, WHY DIDN'T WE STOP IN FOR A DAY AND TAKE THE TOUR. I WASN'T SO ENTHUSIASTIC, AS I STILL REMEMBERD THE FIRST TIME I WENT. JAYBIRD WAS SO EXCITED TO GO, I COULDN'T SAY NO, AND SO, WE DROVE FROM PHOENIX TO EL PASO, AND ON TO THE CAVERNS IN ONE DAY. THE CAVERNS WERE FARTHER THAN WE REMEMBERED, AND WE CONTINUED TO DRIVE INTO THE NIGHT. FINALLY, AROUND 11:00 PM, WE ARRIVED AT WHITE'S CITY WHICH IS ABOUT 8 MILES FROM THE CAVERNS. THERE WAS A MOTEL AVAILABLE, AND SO WE GRATEFULLY BOOKED A ROOM. THE HOTEL WAS NEAR A MOUNTAIN SIDE, AND WHEN WE CHECKED IN, THE CLERK TOLD US TO BE CAREFUL OPENING THE DOOR BECAUSE, (I WAS SO TIRED, ALL I HEARD WAS "BLAH, BLAH BLAH). I TOOK THE KEY, WENT TO THE TRUCK AND WE DROVE TO THE ROOM. WHEN I OPENED TO DOOR, (I WAS IN A FATIGUE FOG) JAYBIRD BEGAN TO SCREAM AND BOBBIE JO RAN IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION. MARTIN WAS YELLING TO WATCH OUT, AND I JUST STOOD THERE. TWO OF THE LARGEST RACCOONS THAT I HAVE EVERY SEEN, (THE LOOKED LIKE SMALL PIGS WITH MASKS ON) RAN INTO THE ROOM, LOOKING FOR FOOD. BOBBIE JO CAME BACK WITH A BROOM AND HANDED IT TO MARTIN, SAYING THAT SHE HAD TO CALM JAYBIRD DOWN. HE TOLD HER SHE WAS CRAZY IF SHE THOUGHT THAT HE WAS GOING IN THERE WITH THOSE MONSTER RACCOONS, AND I JUST STOOD THERE. I ASKED MYSELF WHY THOSE RACCOONS WOULD EVEN GO INTO A ROOM WITH PEOPLE, AND I REALIZED THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR FOOD. I GOT MY GUTS TOGETHER AND OPENED A COUPLE OF GRANOLA BARS, WAVED THEM IN THE DOORWAY TO GET THE ATTENTION OF THE RACCOONS AND HOPED FOR THE BEST. THEY WERENT PAYING MUCH ATTENTION TO ME AND JAYBIRD POINTED OUT THAT MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T LIKE GRANOLA BARS. WELL, I WAS TIRED AND TRAVEL WEARY, NOT TO MENTION THAT I WAS STILL WORRIED ABOUT THE TREK INTO THE CAVERNS THE NEXT DAY. I GRABBED THE BROOM AND SWATTED ONE OF THOSE RACCOONS AND BOTH OF THEM JUST RAN OUT OF THE ROOM. IN GRATITUDE, I THREW THE GRANOLA BARS OUT AFTER THEM, ONLY TO GET A SPEECH FROM THE HOTEL CLERK WHO HAD COME TO SEE WHAT THE RACKET WAS. "DIDN'T I HEAR HIM TELL ME THAT THERE WERE RACCOONS IN THE AREA THAT WOULD CHARGE INTO THE ROOM IF I WASN'T CAREFUL?" HE SNAPPED. (NO, ALL I HEARD WAS BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, REMEMBER?) HE TOLD ME I WAS IRRESPONSIBLE TO FEED THE ANIMALS, AFTER ALL, HOW COULD THEY KEEP THEM AWAY IF "TOURISTS" KEPT FEEDING THEM. HE WAS STILL GOING ON WHEN I SLAMMED THE DOOR IN HIS FACE. LET HIM STAY OUT THERE WITH THEY "MAVERICK COONS". I HAD HAD ENOUGH. WE GOT SETTLED IN, TURNED OUT THE LIGHT, AND JAYBIRD WHISPERED, "NANA, DID YOU COUNT HOW MANY RACCOONS CAME IN? ARE YOU SURE THEY ALL GOT OUT?" NO, I WAS NOT SURE. WAS THERE ANOTHER COON IN THE ROOM? WAS IT HIDING, ONLY TO JUMP OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO TERRORIZE US? SO, ON GO THE LIGHTS, AND WITH NERVES STRUNG TIGHT, WE CHECK UNDER THE BED, IN THE CLOSET AND IN THE BATHROOM. NO RACCOONS. STILL, I COULD NOT RELAX, I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT THEM GETTING BACK IN THE ROOM SOMEHOW. THE NEXT DAY, TIRED AND EXHAUSTED, WE GO TO THE CAVERNS. THIS TIME, WE ARE SMART ENOUGH TO TAKE THE ELEVATOR DOWN. I GOT POOPED OUT WITHIN THE FIRST LEG OF THE TRAIL, AND WENT BACK TO AWAIT THE REST OF THE FAMILY. IT TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR OR A BIT MORE, AND THEY RETURNED, FULL OF WONDER AND AMAZEMENT AT THE FABULOUS SITES OF THE HUGE UNDERGROUND CAVERN. I HID MY RESENTMENT AT NOT BEING IN BETTER SHAPE TO TAKE THE FULL TOUR, AND FOR THE SECOND TIME, CARLSBAD CAVERNS WAS A DISSAPOINTMENT TO ME.
SO, ON THIS, THE THIRD TRIP TO THE CAVERNS, I VOWED TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT. AS WE DROVE UP TO THE CAVERNS, AARON AND I HAD SOME WONDERFUL VISITING TIME. WE ARRIVED AT THE CAVERN VISITOR'S CENTER, AND I HID MY FEAR OF NOT ENJOYING MYSELF. MY FEET STILL HURT FROM THE WALKING OF THE PREVIOUS DAYS AND AS USUAL I WORRIED THAT AS SOON AS I GOT INTO THE CAVERNS I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. I ALSO THOUGHT I WOULD GIVE OUT BEFORE THE TOUR WAS OVER AND HAVE TO SIT WITH THE REST OF THE "CAVERN TOUR FAILURES" WHILE I ONCE AGAIN WAITED FOR THE FAMILY. WITH DETERMINATION, I STARTED OFF THE ELEVATOR INTO THE CAVERNS. I TRIED NOT TO THINK OF THE UPCOMING TWO MILE TREK, UP THE TRAIL AND DOWN THE TRAIL, 750 FEET UNDERGROUND. I CLOSED MY MIND TO MY BLISTERED FEET AND BEGAN TO ENJOY THE FABULOUS TEMPERATURE OF 68 DEGREES. THE CHILDREN WE LIKE LITTLE PUPPIES, GAMBOLING ALONG THE TRAIL TO THE CONSTANT REMINDER TO "STAY CLOSE BY". AS I WALKED ALONG, WONDERING AT THE MAJESTY OF THE CREATIONS OF HEAVENLY FATHER, I BEGAN TO POUR SWEAT WITH EXERTION. I KEPT MY MOUTH CLOSED. ON AND ON WE WALKED, COMMENTING ON THE BEAUTY OF THE PLACE, AND I BEGAN TO RELY MORE AND MORE ON THE HANDRAILS TO KEEP GOING. AFTER ABOUT AN HOUR, I WAS STRUGGLING AND SOAKING WET WITH PERSPIRATION. I HAD THOUGHTS OF JUST SITTING DOWN FOR AWHILE, AND LETTING THE FAMILY GO ON AHEAD. THEN, QUIETLY, AARON TOOK MY ARM AND ASKED IF I WAS DOING OKAY. I TRIED TO SAY THAT I WAS, BUT IT WAS APPARENT THAT I WAS GETTING POOPED OUT. HE TOLD THE FAMILY TO STOP AND LET ME REST, AND FOR AWHILE, WE SAT ON THE SIDE OF THE TRAIL AND TALKED OF ALL THE THINGS WE HAD SEEN AND OUR IMPRESSIONS. THEN, UP WE GOT AND ON WE WENT. THE TRAIL WENT SHARPLY UPHILL FOR AWHILE, AND ELI STAYED BEHIND AND "WATCHED AFTER ME". HE APPPOINTED HIMSELF MY "GUARDIAN" AND NEVER LEFT MY SIDE. HE CAREFULLY EXPLAINED THE BEST WAY TO WALK DOWNHILL ON A SLIPPERY SLOPE, AND WE SO ATTENTIVE. FINALLY, AFTER ABOUT 2 HOURS, THE MOST WELCOME SITE OF THE END OF THE TRAIL CAME INTO VIEW. I HAD MADE IT! IN SPITE OF BLISTERED FEET, BURNING LEGS AND CRUSHING FATIGUE, I HAD MADE IT. IT WAS TRULY ONE OF THE BEST MOMENTS OF MY LIFE. I WILL NEVER FORGET THE INCIDENTS OF THIS TREK THROUGH THE CAVERNS. IT WAS SO AMAZING, AND I LEARNED THAT I COULD DO IT IF I TRIED. ELI AND I WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE MEMORY OF HIS HELPING ME TOO- HOW PRECIOUS. THE NEXT DAY WAS A DAY OF RECOVERY, AND BECKY FLEW IN SO THAT SHE COULD DRIVE HOME WITH US ON SUNDAY. TOMORROW, I WILL TELL YOU ABOUT THE EVERYBODIES BIRTHDAY PARTY AND THE TRIP HOME. SO, TILL THEN, LOVE, NANASEE