Travel Read: The 10 Best of Everything for Families

With summer coming to a close, don’t despair. Use Labor Day’s respite from work as a time to set your sights on future travel. Pouring over the pages of National Geographic’s 10 Best of Everything for Families by Susan H. Magsamen is an eye-candy path to an ideas bonanza. Having future travel goals can help one feel better about being back to work or school.

When I leafed through this book, it was clear, it could take years to sample even a fraction of the ideas. Close to home or far away, the “10 best of everything” includes 10 several times over. For example, do you want to know where you can find the 10 best sandcastle competitions? The 10 best coastal cliffs? How about the 10 best farm visits? The 10 best African gatherings? It’s all here and more.

Magsamen must have had a time of it keeping track of her notes and figuring out how best to organize this vast body of information. The result is impressive.

The book is divided into thematic topics that first covers the different regions of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii, and then tackles the U.S. as a whole. No matter what your pleasure, there are destinations a-plenty with appeal for a multiple age crowd. Keep the book’s organization in mind while you browse. I kept having “Aha moments” as in, “so that’s how this book is organized. Clever.”

For example, categories like the “ten best regional specialties” and the “ten best parks and playgrounds” are repeated for each region in chapter one, “The spirit of exploration.” As you move through the pages, you learn about the regions of the U.S. and their simple to access travel options.

To find out things like the best caves in the U.S., however, look in “ten best depths” in chapter three–“traveling to learn.” Both Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, my two favorite caves destinations, are listed with brief descriptions of each. Plus, there are eight more caves. This chapter is also where you’ll find out about African gatherings, as well as, several other events that are ethnic group related. These are only part of the categories.

If your sights are set past the U.S. borders, turn to chapter five, “see the world.” Here are suggestions of the you can’t go wrong going here type destinations.

The last three chapters of the book, “travel wish list,’ “family memories” and “resources” are a round-up of personal experiences and travel tools.

Throughout the book there are quotes, factoids and travel tips related to each topic that fill out the reading pleasure.

Although this is not a book that will give you all the nuts and bolts of a particular destination, it’s a glorious buffet of ideas to return to again and again. The message of the wealth is that you’d better get cracking because there is A LOT to see–as in 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 . . . Pick up the book and you’ll know what I mean.

Oh, yeah. The most important messages are that family travel is fun, and it doesn’t take as much effort or money as one might think.

Road Trip: El Paso to Carlsbad Caverns…What Went Wrong?

Recently, my wife, my father, and I visited my grandmother in El Paso, Texas. One day, we left Grandma behind (sorry, Grandma!) and enjoyed a road trip from El Paso to Carlsbad Caverns, in New Mexico. If you’ve never been to Carlsbad Caverns, it’s definitely worth a trip. The huge rooms, gigantic decorations, and awesome colors are jaw-dropping.

Almost as amazing as the Caverns, though, was the drive from Grandma’s house to the Caverns. Living in South Florida, I was amazed by the wide, open spaces; the sharp, unfriendly-looking flora…and the speed limit. Seventy-five miles an hour?! Suddenly, I loved the southwest!

But while the first part of our road trip was mesmerizing, the last part of it was, well, not so great. So what went wrong?

We knew the Caverns were about 150 miles away from El Paso, so we were out the door at just past 8. We figured that’d put us in Carlsbad around 11, which would give us plenty of time to explore the caves and still make it back in time for dinner. (Although Grandma likes to eat what she calls “lupper” — a combination lunch/supper at about 3 or 4 — we knew that wasn’t going to happen. We figured we’d be home about 5 that evening.) We piled into Grandma’s Park Avenue, checked the gas tank — it was 3/4 full — and drove away.

Only a few miles outside El Paso, the terrain was flat, empty, and endless.

On either side of us was, literally, nothing. We passed a car about every 30 minutes. Finally, after about two hours, we reached Guadalupe Peak.

At 8749 feet, Guadalupe Peak is Texas’ highest point.

At the base of the Peak, there’s a small but adequate rest area…

…where we took some photos and stretched our legs.

It’s amazing here, because to the west, it’s fairly flat…

…while to the northeast, the Mountain rises up, almost out of nowhere.

After 20 minutes or so, we piled back into the car, and headed for the Caverns. We reached the place about 11:30, had a bite of lunch, and explored the Caverns for about 3 and a half hours.

Leaving the Caverns about 3:00, we figured we’d be home by 6. We tried to call Grandma to let her know, but there was no cell phone reception.

On the way out, we stopped in White City. Although the needle on the gas tank indicated we still had a fully half a tank, I thought it would be wise to fill up…just in case. I pulled up to the pump, popped the little door covering the gas tank, and grabbed the fuel nozzle. However, much to my surprise, the pump blinked “Please See Attendant.” Since the gas station was shut tight, I realized we wouldn’t be getting any fuel. Oh well…we still had half a tank. And in Grandma’s Park Avenue, that should be at least 10 gallons — plenty to get us home!

On the drive back, I was particularly impressed with the salt flats just southwest of Guadalupe Peak. The site of murder and betrayal in the mid 1860s, today the area is serene and peaceful. Yup, that’s Guadalupe Peak in the background.

My wife wanted to feel the water. She said it was warm, and the mud felt soft under her feet. I encouraged her to taste the water. She did. Was it salty? Surprisingly, no. Wasn’t this a salt flat?

We returned to the car and continued driving. The needle on the gauge read less than one-quarter.

A few minutes later, the orange “low fuel” came on. Gulp. Just a few minutes ago, the needle was hovering over the one-quarter mark. What happened? I didn’t know what to do. We had at least 60 miles to go. Should I announce the issue to the car? Surely, it’d just stress everybody out, and we were having such a nice trip! But I couldn’t just ignore it and keep driving. We rolled past an “outpost.” I wondered if it had a gas pump, but there wasn’t one.

I kept driving.

Finally, I confessed: “The low fuel light’s on.”

Nobody said anything for a while. My wife asked if I’d ever run out of gas before. “No,” I answered. “What about you?” She shook her head. I asked Dad if he’d ever run out of gas. “Once,” he said. “I was in my Dad’s car. The gas gauge was broken.”

We drove a little further. I was getting nervous. There was nothing out here. I didn’t want to get stranded.

We passed a road crew striping the highway. I rolled down my window and stupidly said, “Hey, the gas tank is on ‘E.’ Got any tips for where I could get some gas around here?” What a dumb question. We both knew I meant: “Hey, can I have some gas?”

“The nearest gas station is 16 miles west,” he answered, as he rolled up his window and drove off.

I slowed from 80 to 55, to conserve fuel. We turned off the air conditioner, because Dad said that was “good for a couple miles per gallon.” When we went downhill, I shifted into neutral, so as not to waste gas. I’m going to be honest: I was scared. I imagined us spending the night out here. That didn’t sound like fun.

Finally, we reached a Border Control post, which was odd, since we weren’t near a border. I slowed down, told the guy our problem, and asked him for some advice. I used my most pleading eyes. He smiled and said, “If you can make it to the top of this hill, you can coast to the nearest gas station.” I stepped on the gas and headed for the hill.

My hands were clammy as we ascended the slope. No one in the car spoke. You could feel each of us willing the car to make it to the top, to pass the peak, so we could get home. It was 6 right now, and we had 45 miles to go.

We crested the hill. I shifted into neutral again, and we coasted for about 10 minutes, cruising slower and slower…

…and slower. I looked at the dash. There seemed to be some extra warning lights down there. I took a deep breath and turned on my hazard lights. We were out of gas.

We kept coasting, but it was slow going. Where was this fabled gas station? That Border Control guy…I could wring his scrawny neck for getting our hopes up like that!

Finally, the car stopped. It was time to push. Just then, it started to rain. Naturally.

On the flat portion, of course, it was easy to push, but we finally came to a 1% grade, and we just couldn’t do it. We were — officially — stranded. The good news is that we were out of the mountains and into the out-outskirts of El Paso.

We tried the cell phone, and it worked! I called my insurance company. “Road and Travel Assistance,” a woman’s voice answered. “May I help you?”

“Yes,” I spit out. “I’m on the side of the road. I’ve run out of gas. And it’s starting to rain.”

She laughed.

While I understand that I wasn’t claiming my leg had been cut off in a horrible accident, I was hoping for some more sympathy. We discussed our location, and she arranged for a service vehicle to deliver some gas. “By the way, she said…you’ll have to pay for the gas.” Whatever, Lady — I’ll pay for whatever!

Between the pushing and the waiting, we were on the side of the road for about 45 minutes. During that time exactly 2 vehicles stopped and asked if we needed help. (Interestingly, both vehicles were driven by Hispanic couples. Coincidence?) Dad dismissed the first car by saying we were out of gas; he never thought to ask them for a lift to the gas station. The second vehicle was a truck, and they offered to take him to get fuel. Of course, it’s creepy seeing your father climb into a strange vehicle driven by people you don’t know. I wondered if this would be the last time I ever saw him.

Twenty minutes later, our saviors returned with my father. Muchas gacias, mis amigos!

Dad had purchased a one-gallon gas can (cost: $8.79) with fuel (cost: $2.89). He eagerly poured it into the car’s tank.

We loaded into the car, I turned the key, and…the engine turned over. We were ready to roll! Immediately, we called and cancelled the emergency vehicle.

When we arrived at the gas station — which was only about a mile up the road — the rain had cleared and out of the mist, not one but TWO rainbows appeared, ending at a pot of (black) gold.

It was a joyous moment. We filled the tank full and headed back to Grandma’s house. We arrived by 7:30. She had made a pot of tuna noodle casserole, and it was delicious. After a stressful afternoon, everthing turned out fine.

So what’s the moral of this story?

  1. If you go on a road trip, make certain you fill the tank full before you leave.
  2. Never trust a gas gauge that you aren’t familiar with. Consequently, see Rule #1.
  3. To call White City a “City” is the joke of the century. Do not visit and expect everything to be as you imagine a City should be. Again, see Rule #1.

Have you ever gone a road trip that went awry? How did yours end?

Hidden Gems: Carlsbad Caverns (This Place Rocks!)

Recently, I had the chance to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park with my wife and my father. Driving from my grandmother’s house in El Paso, Texas, we reached the Caverns, located in southern New Mexico’s dusty Chihuahuan Desert, in about 3 hours. Carlsbad — immense, colorful, and magical — contains 113 caves, formed over millions of years as sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone. The result is 2 miles of majestic, creepy, underground adventure — that feels like you’re exploring a very unruly planet. I had no idea what to expect before arriving. It doesn’t really matter, though, because no amount of preparation can get you ready for the enormity and the unusual beauty of the Caverns.

Happily, we managed to time our trip on the 90th Birthday of the country’s National Park System. Boy oh boy, that cake was good!

Some of you may take exception with calling Carlsbad Caverns a Hidden Gem. The Caverns see 500,000 visitors a year; are the jewel in the crown of America’s cave systems; and have had starring roles in various Hollywood films — so they’re clearly a Gem. However, they’re remote, dark, and underground, so I’m going to call them Hidden.

We arrived at the Caverns around lunchtime. Located about 20 miles south of the City of Carlsbad, the Caverns are situated just outside White City, a sleepy little village that’s been modeled after an Old West town. Although there’s a well-stocked convenience store, a gift shop, a tiny hotel, a water park, and some other facilities, I wouldn’t plan on all things being available at all times. In fact, the day we visited, the shiny new gas station was closed tight. In short: plan to gas up and stock up elsewhere.

Fortunately, we had brought some sandwiches with us, just in case we got hungry on the drive, and we gobbled them before entering the Cavern. This turned out to be a very good idea. After snarfing lunch, we posed for a photo on the way in.

Inside the Visitor’s Center — which provides an excellent overview and history of the Caverns — we learned about the Park System’s birthday celebration. When I asked the Park Rangers if I could snap their photo, one woman joyfully bubbled, “Wow…no one ever wants to take our picture.”

Just to clarify, the entire National Park System turned 90 years old that day. Carlsbad Caverns became a National monument in 1923; in 1930, the Caverns were upgraded to a State Park; and in 1995, the area became a World Heritage Site.

With that settled, we wiped cake from our faces and made our way from the Visitor’s Center to the Cavern entrance, which is about a 500-foot walk. Looking around, I was surprised with how green the surroundings were.

Green? Yes. Calling me to walk through it barefoot? No.

After being reminded (again) by a good-natured Ranger that we would go without a restroom break for more than an hour, and discouraged (again) from touching the Cavern’s formations (the oils on fingers coat the rocks, preventing them from growing), we headed to the yawning maw of the Cavern. This entrance is known as the Natural Entrance.

The amphitheater-styled seating is provided for the Bat Viewing. Each evening at sundown, from May to September, nearly 400,000 Brazilian free-tail bats exit the Cavern in search of dinner. These seats are provided for vistiors to watch the bats leave. Initially, I thought bat viewing sounded lame, but after leaving the Caverns, I wish we’d arranged to stay and watch. I mean, c’mon: when else will you see 400,000 bats flying at once? The experience would be equal parts horror movie and Wild Kingdom.

Appropriately enough, the first room inside the Natural Entrance — dark, musty, and endless — is called “the Bat Cave.” Forget taking photos — unless you like black pictures.

Entrance to the Caverns is cheap: $6 per person is the cost for self-guided tours. If you choose this option, I highly recommend shelling out the extra $3 for an audio player. You carry it with you on the trek, and when you approach a numbered marker, you punch in the number and listen to the pre-recorded hosts explain what you’re looking at. A bit cheesy? Yes, at times. But you learn a lot about what you’re seeing.

Speaking of tours, there are several kinds available. As mentioned, we took the self-guided Natural Entrance Tour, which takes about an hour and a half, and leaves you in the Big Room, which requires another hour or so. If you only have an hour, you might want to skip the Natural Entrance and head straight for the quickee-tour of the Big Room, which you can access directly via an elevator. (If you only do this tour, I think you’re short-changing yourself, but if you’ve got limited time, or you’re with people who don’t get around so well, this is the one to choose.) Finally, if you don’t want an audio tour, you can arrange for a Ranger-guided tour. Some of these tours even allow you to wear hard hats with lights and take you to otherwise inaccessible parts of the cave system, so if you’re batty for Carlsbad, you might want to explore this option.

Although the Caverns are, well, cavernous, there are times that visitors are required to walk through slightly narrow passageways. Consequently, the horribly-claustrophobic might not be interested in visiting.

Also, be aware that the temperature inside the Caverns is a constant (refreshing) 56 degrees. I found lightweight hiking pants and a short-sleeved t-shirt to be highly adequate; I never wore the long-sleeved t-shirt I brought. However, if you’re easily chilled, bring a lightweight cover-up. For your feet, sneakers are the only way to go: plan to be on your feet, on potentially slippery paths, for several hours.

Access inside the cave can be tricky. For example, this is one of the ladders we used.

I’m totally kidding. This ladder was used by National Geographic explorers in 1924 and is merely on display today. In reality, visitors walk on carefully laid-out paths, many featuring hand-rails and an occasional spotlight.

People on crutches or in wheelchairs can’t make the trip, but anyone else who can handle a 2% grade and stand for a few hours will get by fabulously.

Immediately, you’ll notice the odd shape of the rocks, which appear to be melting. Of course, they’re not melting, although sulfuric acid has been slowly dissolving the limestone for millions of years, and the result is the unusual formations we enjoy today. This particular formation is called the “Whale’s Mouth.” See the baleen?

Many of the formations — also known as “speleotherms” or (more simply) as “decorations” — grow from ceiling to floor and form massive columns that look like giant, melting candles. They’re everywhere in the Caverns.

One day, little guy…

While some decorations are relatively smooth, others look like popcorn — in fact, they’re even referred to as “popcorn” — and are created when water evaporates, leaving behind bumpy calcite deposits.

After about an hour and a half, visitors arrive at the imaginatively-named Big Room. While the decorations and scope of the Natural Entrance hike are impressive, it’s the Big Room that really takes your breath away. But before venturing into the Big Room, we stopped and spent some time at the Snack Bar, 750 feet below the surface of the earth.

That’s a bat holding the sign. Get it?

I’m going to be brutally honest here. Remember when I mentioned that we’d brought sandwiches and ate them prior to entering the cave. Yeah, well…that was a good idea, because the snack bar is woefully understocked. It has cool drinks and some candy bars, but the “meals” consist of plastic-wrapped, microwave-able burgers that resemble truck stop food and appear as old as the walls inside the Caverns. Word to the wise: don’t plan on filling up here. But the stop sure makes a cool photo!

Of course, before heading on, we needed to swing by the Gift Shop…

…and the restroom…

Usually I don’t take photos of men’s rooms, but I was so impressed and surprised by the rock formation over the urinals, that I couldn’t help myself. I even touched it to confirm it was real. It is. (Shhhh! Don’t tell the Park Rangers I touched it!)

Heading on to the Big Room, I was amazed by the vastness, scope, scale, and volume of what I saw. Helo-oo-oo-oo-o…if shouting were allowed in the Caverns, it would be deafening. Taking approximately 1½ hours, the circular route through the Big Room passes many gi-normous features including Bottomless Pit, Giant Dome, Rock of Ages, and Painted Grotto. It’s wheelchair- but NOT stroller-accessible.

Much in the way that the Grand Canyon can not be captured in photos, some of the decorations in the Big Room are un-photograph-able: they’re just to big. Unless you’re Spielberg, I doubt you’ll have the camera equipment to shoot the entire Big Room. After all, it occupies 14 football fields! I did my best, however, with some of the smaller decorations.

One of the first things you see upon entering the Big Room is this decoration known as the Lion’s Tail. I have no idea why they call it that…

Fairy Land occupies a large portion of the 8.2-acre Big Room. Named by Jim White, the original explorer of the caverns, he thought these popcorn formations resembled fairies.

Remember that White only had a small lantern, not a battery-powered flash on his camera. I think he also had a pocket full of mescaline.

So where’s all the “big stuff”? We’re getting there…

This was the only photo I let my wife take. I was a greedy camera-hog that day. I think she did a good job, though. Maybe I’ll let her shoot more photos in the future.

This formation is roughly 40 feet tall, and the ceiling flies up more than 200 feet. I got dizzy several times looking up.

Don’t bump your head!

If you’re confused about how to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, try this memory aid: stalgmites grow against gravity and are mighty; while stalactites cling tightly to the ceiling.

This decoration — dubbed the Rock of Ages — is one of the biggest in the Big Room. It stands more than 45 feet tall and is roughly 15 feet wide.

If you don’t think the decorations look like melting candles, I think these images will convince you.

And a closer look…

Not all of the formations in the Big Room are big. In fact, many of the decorations are small and exquisite. This particular formation is called the Doll’s Theater. It’s only about 15 feet tall at the mouth and only a few feet tall in the rear.

Here’s another small, delicate decoration.

Freud sees what?

Amusingly, everyone spent a lot of time looking at this decoration. As I snapped a photo of it, the grandmotherly woman standing next to me asked her friend where her husband was. When her friend said she didn’t know, the woman said, “I’m surprised he walked away already.”

We spent a little over 3 hours in the Caverns, but we probably could’ve spent an entire day, wandering amazed among the decorations amazed. There’s probably as much information about the Caverns as there are cubic inches of cave. If you want to learn more about the Caverns, check out these resources:

In summary, it was a great, big, huge day, filled with lots of walking and many unusual sights. There was only bad thing that happened…but I’ll tell you about that tomorrow.