Carlsbad, NM was originally the town of Eddy . There was a spring in Eddy that was thought to have healing powers similar to those of a spring in Karlsbad, Austria. In 1899, the town voted to rename Eddy to Carlsbad, NM in hopes they could build a large resort with healing waters of the spring and attract visitors from around the world.

If you’re exploring Carlsbad, NM, one place you might find interesting is Sitting Bull Falls . It’s about 40 minutes SW of town, but a nice drive. It is part of the Lincoln National Forest , which is actually a HUGE area of land encompassing what used to be multiple separate forest reserves (Lincoln, Gallinas, Sacramento, Alamo and Guadalupe).

We took a quick stroll around Carlsbad, NM one evening in search of the town’s public artworks. They have an amazing plaza and arts center that has several murals and statues, but also a few murals around other parts of town. Even the police logo is artwork! Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious Mexican dinner with margaritas!

The main event for us while staying in Carlsbad was Carlsbad Caverns National Park .
Did you know that the Big Room in Carlsbad Caverns is the largest single cave chamber by volume. But this doesn’t make it the biggest cave system! That record goes to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (longest cave system in the world!)

As a full-time RVer, we usually read our books on tablets but Kate always has to snap a shot of the Little Free Libraries wherever we go! Did you know that there are over 200,000 LFL worldwide?

Travel day again! We have arrived in Carlsbad, NM! Total time in Texas was 3 months + 1 week.
Carlsbad is still in the Chihuahuan Desert , so the landscape is very similar to Terlingua, TX.

There is so much amazing hiking in the Big Bend area! On one of our last days here, we hiked the Closed Canyon Trail , a trail in Big Bend Rank State Park, about 20 miles west of where we stayed.

Our fourth trip to Big Bend during our stay in Terlingua, TX led us up the Chisos Mountains to a second visitor center. As you head up the mountain, you see the landscape change from desert to forest. It’s a slow change, but once you realize the change, you’re awestruck!

While reading up on Big Bend, we found out that from February through May each year, parts of the park are closed to protect the nesting Peregrine falcons . These incredible birds were listed as an endangered species until 1999 and are still considered a threatened species in Texas.