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Carlsbad is a city in Southern New Mexico . It sits at about 3300 feet above sea level and is in the Chihuahua Desert . The Pecos River runs right through the city and even has a really nice recreational area near the entrance to the city called Lake Carlsbad. It is one of the few places in this part of the USA where you can cool off in the extreme heat of the summers by water skiing, jet skiing, or just playing in the water.

The most famous attraction for Carlsbad is the world famous Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Actually, the caverns are about 20 miles outside of Carlsbad, but most people stay in Carlsbad when coming to visit them. If you want to stay closer, White's City is a tiny little "touristy trap" place just at the bottom of the hill that leads up to the Caverns. There are a couple of pretty nice hotels in White's City and the food is not too bad. White's City was founded and is still run by the White family. Jim White was the man who is credited with discovering the Caverns and making it a popular destination.

The Caverns are really a spectacular sight to behold. Make sure to get to the Caverns early enough to take the 3 1/2 mile trek down through the natural entrance and eventually ending up in the lunch room which is 750 feet below the surface.

You will see some spectacular stalagmites and stalagtites and other formations on your way down. It is quite a hike, so make sure you are in decent shape if you are going to make the trip. Also, you are not allowed to take strollers down, so be ready to carry the young ones in your arms.

The lighting in the background of the caves is amazing. It gives you a chance to see just how large and spectacular the caves actually are. Once you arrive in the lunchroom, you should try some of the snacks and then get ready to travel through the Big Room which I believe is the most spectacular room of the whole cave.

If you do not want to make the entire walk down to the lunch room, you do have the option of riding the elevator down and just doing the Big Room tour. All tours are self guided, but you can rent a handheld device that tells you all about the cave as you travel through it.

Those of us who live in Carlsbad are very proud of our National Park. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family has.