Plainview, Texas
January 7, 2020
Yesterday I skipped out of Guadalupe Mountains National Park (✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️) and pointed the truck toward Palo Duro Canyon State Park. I didn’t quite get there but had a fun journey.
First stop was White’s City. Quite the name. It actually is named for Jack White who was the first white man to explore Carlsbad Caverns.
Next was Carlsbad Caverns National Park which is in New Mexico. Wow! Impressive. A bit dated - the path dates back to the 1930s - but “vintage.” Park gets 450,000 visitors a year so glad I was there early on a Monday morning. I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit again, but it was on my route. But it did help me get in my 10,000 steps. 😁
Here is a view of the Chihuahuan Desert from the visitors’ center. On the right you can see El Capitan at Guadalupe National Park. It is probably 45 miles away. I’m not on the East Cosst!
Next through the interesting town of Carlsbad The area around it is known for potash mining and oil fields and the town and surrounding area reflects that.
The drive from Carlsbad is flat and still the Chihuahuan Desert - flat and a good amount of oil derricks and rigs. Around Lovington (they dropped the “s”) the desert gave way to farm land and cows. Then I came back into Texas and into Central Time) as the sun was sinking lower. It was a beautiful time of day. Came across Earth, Texas and decided to spend the night in Plainview. $50 for a three-star hotel room. It felt great to sleep in a bed without the wind howling outside the truck.
