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First stop: Carlsbad Caverns! On the drive up to the visitor center, we stopped at a few places to check out the local vegetation. Unfortunately, this was the first hint that there had been a wildfire here recently.
Date: 10/09/2011
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Me at the visitor center!
Date: 10/09/2011
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There was a display about White Nose Syndrome. Batman is not pleased!
Date: 10/09/2011
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We went on the Left Hand Tunnel tour - there was a group of 15 of us and we saw some cool stuff! Here's part of the cavern that's clearly made up of shells (Carlsbad Caverns started out underwater...)
Date: 10/09/2011
Views: 32830
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This is a good example of...dang it, I don't remember. It's not cave popcorn, though - it's much finer than that. And pretty, too!
Date: 10/09/2011
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A cave pool! The light was such that it was really hard to tell at first whether there was water in it or not. (there was)
Date: 10/09/2011
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The walls of the cave looked very...cave-y.
Date: 10/09/2011
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More intricate cave walls.
Date: 10/09/2011
Views: 31761
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David sports his lantern as we head back towards the visitor center. We weren't allowed to take pictures on the way out (we only used lanterns to light the way).
Date: 10/09/2011
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Me on the same bridge, I think :-)
Date: 10/09/2011
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More impressive cave formations.
Date: 10/09/2011
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There were periodically numbers along the walls. Our guide explained that the original surveyors used them to keep track of where they'd been and avoid getting lost.
Date: 10/09/2011
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The discoloration on the cave wall was caused by bats touching it! The oils on their skin stain the walls just like the ones in human hands do (which is why we didn't touch the walls).
Date: 10/09/2011
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The Left Hand Tunnel tour was done, and we took a break and went back up to the surface for lunch. Even the elevator was impressive!
Date: 10/09/2011
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Lunch break! It was a beautiful day outside.
Date: 10/09/2011
Views: 29925
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After lunch, we went back down to the Big Room. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out that well (it's quite dark; was even a bit hard to see), but here are some nice formations.
Date: 10/09/2011
Views: 28936
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