Day 8: Santa Fe > Carlsbad Caverns

Adler outside of Meow Wolf next to a large wolf. 

Meow Wolf. That's what my friend Jeff told us not to miss. Along our road trip I'd explained to strangers our planned route and it seemed like everyone that we talked to had journeyed through Santa Fe before us to experience Meow Wolf. That's what it is--an experience. You can call it an art installation. Others have referred to it as being in Alice's Wonderland. It felt to me like the incarnation of a David Lynch film/show. There was a underlying mystery that you could spend hours attempting to solve or you could just meander through at your own pace. Either way, in the House of Eternal Return exhibit you start in a very normal house that leads you into a bizarre and creative alternate universe (which forces you to question what is real and what is imaginary) laden with clues about what may have happened. It's visual, tactile and visceral. It plays into all of the senses save for taste and smell. It's perfect for kid's though mine was oblivious to the side story. His interest was touching everything and exploring. That's where Meow Wolf succeeds on creating an experience that can be different for every guest. All leave satisfied and bewildered. Jeff was correct, go see it.

Adler adjusting his glasses in a section of Meow Wolf

Before embarking on the long drive to Carlsbad Caverns we made only our third fast food stop of the trip at Taco Bell. It's been at least six years since I've eaten at a Taco Bell. Probably the last time was when the Doritos Locos Taco came out and I wanted to give it a taste. There hasn't really been a reason to return since then. But the convenience of fast food on a road trip especially before/during a long drive cannot be beat. After placing our order Adler selected hot sauces from their offerings. He chose two Mild packets and then looked at the one labeled Diabla Sauce and asked what that meant. I told him that Diabla was the Spanish word for devil. He followed that answer to inquire what the devil was. Even as mature and philosophical this trip has been so far I wasn't ready to introduce him to the concept of eternal damnation and the anti-Christ. I changed the subject and he quickly forgot about it.

We'd selected a campsite at a place called White's City that was adjacent to the entrance to Carlsbad Cavern because there ain't anything close to where we would be going. White's City was a destination for campers, RV travelers and anyone who needed a rest stop passing down a long rural highway. There was a variety of decorations inside to photograph and even a small gold panning exhibit. We selected our campsite, erected the tent and then made our way up the seven mile drive at 7 pm that night to partake in bat flight.

Inside White's City offices

Every night at dusk the bats inside the cave come out and normally in grand fashion. The park built an amphitheater to facilitate watching the nightly event. A park ranger with a microphone took questions from the 500+ person audience before having a few rounds of bat trivia. He invited two children to come to the front with him and asked them and the audience a number of questions. Did you know that the Brazilian Free-Tail Bat which lives in Carlsbad Caverns weighs the same as three nickels? Or that before oil was discovered in Texas that bat guano was their number one mineral export? Or that the agave plant is pollinated by three species of bat--two of which are now endangered. It was a very educational experience. But this trivia competition lasted far too long and, I think, made too much noise. For the bats never flew out in a mass wave blanketing the sky above our heads. Eventually as darkness had settled in you could see gray shadows moving about in erratic patterns but it did not meet our expectations. And I had a very disappointed child who didn't understand why he hadn't seen any bats. We drove the seven miles back to our campsite and went to bed anxious to delve into the cavern tomorrow...

Today's Miles: 316
Total Miles: 2691