Day 15

Start mileage 93682
End mileage  93933 - corrected to 93993
Daily mileage 248   - corrected to 308
Total mileage 2958 -  corrected to 3018

Well the evening was interesting. I went to bed it was 83 degrees, I got up it was 42 degrees. The wind was blowing at about 15- 20 miles per hour. I was very comfy and had no issues, until I rolled out and got up around 7:00 am Central time. It was still blowing some, very chilly so I put on my jeans instead of shorts and got  my leatherette jacket for warmth. Did my early morning duties and came out of the john and discovered it was raining slightly. Darn!

Well I had to have breakfast so I pulled out the cereal, peanut butter, rolls, banana and milk. The breakfast food was just as cold as the temp. I cleaned up camp and started to break camp all the while everything was getting rained upon, not severely but  just enough to make me miserable. I decided to put on my leatherette jacket under my yellow riding jacket and put on my rain pants also a thermal shirt for good measure. So off I went leaving Ft Stockton campground behind.

I got on US 285 and headed towards Ft Stockton. I discovered I had to go through town to take this route so decided to stop for gas and then back to Lowes grocery for a few supplies. I found the shampoo but all the bottles were too bid. I really didn't have any room. Leaving Ft Stockton was wet and cold. I rode about 40 miles until I couldn't take the cold any longer. I stopped and got out my electric heated jacket and took off the leatherette one that just wasn't keeping me comfortable. When I started out again with the nice heat from the jacket I noticed it just stopped raining. On we went.

West Texas is flat and has tons of oil wells some pumping and some not. Didn't see much of anything else. The next town was Pecos, TX. In the center of  town they have a big statue of Pecos Bill. I didn't stop to take a picture due to traffic but this guy did.

 

Next stop the New Mexico boarder. New Mexico is in Mountain Time Zone. So I set the clock back one hour on the bike. As I was driving through the Texas country side today I made note that when I started this morning in it was flat, gray and dark. Later it turned into flat, bright gray and some sun.

 

Made it to New Mexico and out of Texas.

 

Just as soon as I drove over the boarder the scenery changed from flat dull scrub to rolling hills and scrub. The oil wells seemed to be more numerous and newer, cleaner and well cared for. All morning in both Texas and New Mexico there were gobs of oil takers running the highways.

 

Finally got to the point I had to leave US  285 and head towards Carlsbad Caverns on US 62/180. The sign said 20 miles to Caverns. When I reached the point of the Caverns I had to turn right onto the side road. That road said seven miles to the Carlsbad Caverns. I thought well I am retired, am in no hurry, and always wanted to see the Carlsbad Caverns so lets just ride on down this road. Well as soon as you start you are going into canyon area. The vistas were gorgeous and the road challenging for a motor cycle. Towards the end of the seven miles you realize you have been climbing the entire time you were on the seven mile road. The wind was overly zealous in its attempts to blow me off the road. The temp was down into the 40's. It was a very less than congenial reception for one who drove so far. Well  I just get no respect.

  

Road to Carlsbad Caverns

 You got to have one with the bike in the picture.

 



There actually is a car way up on the far side.

The sign out front.

 

 

Just some of the sites inside.

The elevator(I chickened out on hiking in) took me down 700+ feet to the cave floor.

It is very quiet down here. Very ethereal.

There is a spot in the cavern called the Dome. It is the highest point in the cave. It is over what is called the bottomless pit. Really it is only 140 ft deep. From Dome to bottom it is some 370 ft or there abouts. Anyway I am standing there in the dark, quiet and stillness of this ancient cave and am looking up while white knuckled holding onto the railing getting exceedingly dizzy. I had to look away and walk away from the railing. It was awesome. 

 



The cave is approximately 600,000 square foot in size. About the length of 16 foot ball fields.

It took me a while to walk the 1.3 mile path around  the Big Room.

 





BTW, when exiting the building I found the wind and temps to be just as uncomfortable as they were when I went in. Silly me to expect any better. I get no respect.

Rode back to US 285 and headed for Roswell NM. The home of  the UFO Research Center.

I pasted this building the first time and went around the block. About every other building had something to sell related to the UFO's. Seems to be a big draw to the town.

Exhibit there.

Rendering of what the landing might have looked like.

Just more exhibits.

I took this picture to show the size of the UFO Research Center. It is not large and there are adjacent rooms of exhibits. I wanted to state that there are many affidavits from people involved in the entire episode of the Roswell aliens  but no substantive proof. Seems the government decide the reporting of UFO's where more of a threat to the public safety than actual aliens. The government did, as the affidavits state) threaten to kill all involved even their children if the spoke of what they knew.

Well I had enough so I got on the bike. I was looking for a campground as it was already 4:00 pm local time. To my chagrin I found nothing. I stopped for gas and was told the next little town down US 70 would probably have something. I started riding on the most beautiful roadway with absolutely gorgeous scenery that I didn't mind that the next town, Hondo, was not 30 but 50 miles away. They had no campgrounds. I thought I ought to call the wife since it was three hours later at home so she would not worry. I told her I over planned and should have stopped before Roswell and the UFO's but here I was out in the middle of nowhere on a beautiful highway that eventually would lead to a motel since it was getting so late and was so cold. I found a Day's Inn in  Ruidoso NM. They have a horse track and  casino so there are motels.

The room is warm, I  turned the heat up. I ate at Jorge's Restaurant and had chimichanga's and lots of hot coffee for supper.

Now blogging and getting ready for a nice hot shower.

Setting out tomorrow heading towards Las Cruces, NM. After that maybe on to Phoenix.