Carlsbad Caverns and MTA Charlie

Sunset over Bradley Lake

Bradley Lake is at least the 3^rd or 4^th large reservoir we’ve seen this trip that has a very low water level, that’s getting kind of scary. The state park campground sits on a knoll overlooking the lake. The campground is very nice, the only negative is the burr’s growing everywhere; the dogs have to stay on the paved surfaces or the camp site.

On the road to Carlsbad Caverns

On Thursday we went to Carlsbad Caverns National Park to tour the big cave. We elected to walk down the natural entrance, a long decline of 800 feet spread over 1.5 miles. At the bottom we took the 1.5 mile self guided tour. 

This is the entrance if you choose to walk down the natural entrance

After about 3 hours underground I thought one of the large stalagmites looked familiar and for a minute I thought we had been here before and were going in circles. You really can’t do that because you follow a paved walkway with handrails on each side. Other than a short cut to the elevators about half way thru the walk you just follow the path to the end.

Stalactites and stalagmites in the big room

 I couldn’t help thinking of the old folk song about Charlie and the MTA. It was a protest song after the transit authority in Boston (circa 1949) raised the subway price by a nickel. Charlie gets on the subway but doesn’t have the extra nickel for the exit fare so cannot get off. The chorus went;

    Did he ever return?

    No he never returned

    And his fate is still unlearn'd

    He may ride forever

    'neath the streets of Boston

    He's the man who never returned.

So I’ve got this song replaying in my head as we round a dark bend in the path. Around the corner one of the wall fixtures cast a dim light on a small bench and there sat Charlie! The old man sat in silence with the forlorn look of someone in a hopeless situation, his long hair and beard completed my mental picture of Charlie still riding beneath the streets of Boston. “Did he ever return, no he never returned, and his fate is.........”

Hard to believe these huge stalagmites where formed by dripping water

We meandered along and completed the self guided tour in about 4 hours, then taking the elevator 800 feet to the surface. The huge cave is quite an experience and one we feel everyone should add to their bucket list.