Day 1
After Thanksgiving with family: I got home slept for 6 hours, took off for Carlsbad, NM before sunlight, arrived afternoon. I took a cave tour of The King's Palace.(829 Feet below the surface). They take you down by elevator, about 80 stories or you can walk it down through the Natural Entrance. I, of course, took the elevator...maybe I'll hoof it next time. In the middle of tour they have you sit down, turn off the lights, and everyone must be silent to get the feel of the experience being inside a cave. After that tour, I went on a self-guided tour of The Big Room. I cannot describe how it was to be in there, it was just too much. I spent 3 hours total in that part of the caverns, then they kicked everyone out and I called it a day.