Southwest National Parks (April 2024)
In April we planned a trip to see 4 national parks in the southwest and do some sightseeing on our way to Texas.
New Orleans
Our first trip to the Big Easy was a success. We ate beignets and drank Café du Lait at an open-air cafe while listening to a jazz band. We walked down Bourbon Street, saw dozens of sculptures, and watched a paddleboat float down the Mississippi River. We snacked on pralines and had a Po Boy fish sandwich and shrimp ettoufee for dinner. It was a beautiful day in New Orleans.
Home Free
We continued our trip by stopping in Lake Charles, LA. We had dinner there on the lake and then attended a concert by one of my favorite acapella bands, Home Free. The concert was in an intimate setting at the Golden Nugget in Lake Charles, LA. It was fantastic. Here is one of my favorite Home Free songs.
Louisiana Coast
The next day we drove south to the Louisiana coastline and stopped at Holly Beach near Cameron, LA. Often referred to as the "Cajun Riviera," Holly Beach is known for its rustic charm and is a great spot for fishing, shelling, and birdwatching. You actually drive right up to the beach and park on the beach.
We continued driving across the southern coast of Louisiana until we came to the end of the road. There we experienced another first for us. We waited for the Cameron Ferry, also known as the Holly Beach Ferry, to ferry us across the Calcasieu Ship Channel. It was quite a scenic way to travel. After leaving the ferry, we drove to the Texas - Louisiana border and drove up to see Tammie’s mom in Pittsburg, TX.
Solar Eclipse
When we were making our plans to visit the 4 southwestern national parks we realized that we could plan the trip to coincide with the total eclipse of the sun that was scheduled to pass directly over Pittsburg, TX. So with safety glasses in hand we were able to sit in the driveway at Tammie’s mom’s house to observe one of the wonders of nature.
Our 20th national park that we have visited together was Big Bend in western Texas. We hiked to a balanced rock, walked along the Rio Grande, and drove the scenic drive. Two words describe Big Bend: big (it takes forever to drive from one side of the park to the other side) and remote (it takes forever to drive to get into the park). It was a long day but we had a great time.
The highlight to me was getting to see the Rio Grande for the first time. I grew up watching cowboy movies on TV and invariably one of my cowboy heroes would chase the bad guys across the Rio Grande. So I decided I would take the opportunity to cross the Rio Grande myself. Unfortunately I had to cross on foot not on horseback. So I became an illegal immigrant for five minutes as I crossed into Mexico. My wife's former students will be happy to know that my wife refused to participate in my illegal activity. She stayed on the USA side and took the pictures.
But I think John Wayne would have been proud of me.
The next stop on our trip was White Sands National Park in New Mexico. It was the 21st national park that we have visited together. Seeing the white sands was amazing but the most fun was sand sledding. My wife is an expert sand sledder. Me not so much. We also did a short hike and had lunch under one of their cool picnic shelters.
Our 22nd national park was Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. We walked 1.25 miles down into the natural cave entrance. It was the equivalent of walking down 75 stories. Then another 1.25 miles around the great room. Getting pictures in a cave is always tricky but these were the best I could do. Oh, by the way, we took the elevator back up. They also had the best gift shop of all the national parks we have been too.
On our drive back from Carlsbad Caverns to Texas we passed through a small town called Artesia. It was a fascinating place. We stayed just long enough to look at several sculptured statues that told the story of the town. These statues were huge and fun to investigate. It looks like a great place to live.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Our final national park on this trip contains the highest peak in Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park. That peak is just over 8,000 feet. We hiked several trails and saw the ruins of an old stagecoach station. It was a great trip but left us both exhausted.
