{"id":449,"date":"2015-08-19T21:50:21","date_gmt":"2015-08-19T21:50:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/?p=449"},"modified":"2015-08-21T15:49:20","modified_gmt":"2015-08-21T15:49:20","slug":"making-the-most-of-a-road-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isobaresoffit.com\/2015\/08\/19\/making-the-most-of-a-road-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Making the Most of a Road Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"

Several years ago, we had taken a road trip to Carlsbad Caverns National Park and when taking long trips by car, we will often stop at places of interest along the way.\u00a0 On this particular trip our journey took us past Fort Sumner New Mexico, which is the location of the tombstone for the infamous Billy the Kid, as well as Roswell New Mexico, the site of a supposed UFO crash that the government is covering up.\u00a0 We knew that we wanted to stop at Roswell, but stopping at Billy the Kid’s tombstone was a spur of the moment decision when we saw signs on the road for the attraction.\u00a0 While visiting the caverns was definitely the purpose of the trip, those added stops made the entire trip that much more interesting.<\/p>\n

\"UFO<\/a>
UFO Warning Sign<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Carlsbad<\/a>
Carlsbad Cavern Formation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There isn’t much else to see in Fort Sumner other than Billy the Kid’s tombstone, but for a quick detour while traveling through New Mexico, it was fun to see.\u00a0 With all of the technology that surrounds us in our modern world, it is somehow relaxing to reflect on\u00a0just how recent it was that our world was not so complex.\u00a0 According to legend, Billy the Kid shot and killed\u00a0twenty-one men, although current belief is that it was only\u00a0eight men, before being gunned down by Sheriff Pat Garrett in 1881.\u00a0 From Fort Sumner, we continued on to Roswell and we went from life in the old west to space invaders in the span of less than an hour.<\/p>\n

\"Billy<\/a>
Billy the Kid Tombstone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Tombstone<\/a>
Tombstone Close Up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Do aliens really exist?\u00a0 We’re not sure if they do, but we are positive that there are more than enough unique individuals on earth that we don’t need to import them from space.\u00a0 As it turned out, it was the annual UFO Festival when we arrived in Roswell, so the town was crowded with enthusiasts.\u00a0 After spending a few hours surrounded by people in costume, wearing tin foil hats, ufologists, and vendors trying to sell us UFO memorabilia, we were ready to jump into a spaceship and head to the rugged terrain of Carlsbad.<\/p>\n

\"Aliens<\/a>
Aliens at UFO Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"UFO<\/a>
UFO Festival<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We were just there for a weekend trip, so our time in Carlsbad was fairly short, but we definitely enjoyed the caverns and the town.\u00a0 One of the more unique things, other than touring the caverns and learning about stalagmites and stalactites, was learning about the bats.\u00a0 Hundreds of bats make the Carlsbad Cavern their home and at sunset they all fly out over the heads of the tourists seated in the amphitheater to watch the spectacle.\u00a0 It is quite impressive to see as there are so many of them that they literally look like a swirling black cloud as they zoom off to feed.\u00a0 The kids enjoyed making bat guano jokes throughout the return trip home, but at least they listened to the ranger talk during the tour.<\/p>\n

\"Giant<\/a>
Giant Bat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Carlsbad<\/a>
Carlsbad Cavern Formation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

So, whether making a drive across country or just getting away for the weekend like we did, it is certainly worth making little detours along the way.\u00a0 As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Life is a journey, not a destination” and so should your travels.\u00a0 Make the most of the journey and you’ll enjoy the destination that much more.<\/p>\n

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