Joseph & Dad Go to Texas & New Mexico

For Joseph's High School graduation last year, we gave him a trip to any National Park site that he chose. He picked Guadalupe National Park & Carlsbad Cavern National Park, which are about 30 miles apart from one another. Guadalupe has great hiking, including a hike to the highest point in Texas and a canyon that's been called the most scenic spot in all of Texas. Carlsbad Caverns is the largest cave in the Western hemisphere, and has 300,000 bats which fly out of the cave every night (there's an amphitheater built for you to watch) in search of insects.

In July 2017, Joseph and Dad made the big trip. Coincidentally, we had to fly through Phoenix to go to the parks, and the Nationals were playing the Diamondbacks that weekend - so we were also able to fit in a baseball game as well!

On the way up Guadalupe Peak

On Guadalupe Peak

The view from the top

The summit of Guadalupe Peak

Close encounter with a rattlesnake on the way down!

Hike #2 - Rattlesnake Canyon

Rattlesnake Canyon. Despite the blue skies, we turned around when we heard an approaching thunderstorm

Inside Carlsbad Cavern

 

Carlsbad Cavern

Hike #3: McKittrick Canyon

McKittrick Canyon

At the Nationals-Diamondbacks Game