Traveling I-10 through Texas

We all enjoyed watching the landscape change as we cruised swiftly along I-10 towards Carlsbad, New Mexico (the speed limit is 80 on much of I-10, which is about our max in the packed out Suburban. No risk of a speeding ticket here!) Before we knew it we were driving between the rocky hills that had been carved out to create the long, smooth highway that would carry us across Texas. The grassy hills we left in San Antonio were traded in for mesas and buttes covered in sand, gravel and rock. Instead of tall, wispy palm trees we saw prickly pear cactus and low-lying shrubs and trees. We stopped for a late lunch and when I stepped out of the car, the sweet, distinctive smell of the desert hit me and a smile crept across my face. It feels so good to be back in this part of the United States. We arrived at Carlsbad at 5:30 (saved an hour as we crossed in to the Mountain Time Zone). We pulled in next to a family from Maine who are traveling with their 4 boys. Playmates – check. When we were booking the trip, I had visions of popping up the tents in the middle of nowhere on the dry, cracked ground of New Mexico with nothing but us, the dirt and rocks on the ground and perhaps a few scrubby little bushes under the great, big desert sky. I thought of all the snakes, scorpions and spiders who might be wandering around with us as we slept in the middle of nowhere. I needn’t have worried. Carlsbad RV park has a lot to offer, and is nestled between ‘HAPPYS’ Restaurant and an RV dealer next door along a somewhat busy stretch in this little city in the desert. At first, I was kicking myself for shelling out the extra cash for the cabins but then I thought, at least it saved us popping up all the tents (and saved us time in taking them down too – we’re going to need to get a real early start on the 9-hour haul to Tucson tomorrow). So much for the protection against critters too. We met up with a tarantula the size of a tennis ball as we headed out to wash up before bed. Harry hung out with us for awhile, just poking around the campsite looking for some mates. We’ve already rolled up the rug to cover the gap under the cabin door. Sweet as Harry is, we don’t want to have any uninvited guests this evening while we sleep. The owners/managers of Carlsbad RV Park are very friendly and helpful. The kids are enjoying brushing and petting their miniature ponies and even got some time with their Chihuahuas (Ben keeps asking for one). What a joy it is to be able to sit out on our little cabin porch in the evening and enjoy a beer and not have to worry about getting eaten by mosquitoes, or blown away by the wind. As James and I sit out here on the porch, the dry air is just perfect right now and so is the company.