Day 6 & 7: Sweetwater, TX to Carlsbad, New Mexico - 2 nights
- Miles: ~260 miles
- Left: 7:15 AM Central Time, Arrived: 11:15 AM Mountain Time
- 2 Pit stops
- Weather: Party Cloudy, mid 80s & so Windy, 15% humidity
We slept great as it was a very quiet area. We did hear the wind and an occasional train but otherwise a quiet location. We plugged our coffee maker into the truck since we were not on shore power or using the truck generator. We drank our coffee, walked the dogs, packed up & were on the road shortly after 7AM. Lots of open roads as it was a very rural area of Texas. We stopped early to fill up & get breakfast & coffee at Wendy’s. Coffee & breakfast sandwich was meh, but the home fries are pretty good for a fast food restaurant.
When we got to the New Mexico State line we stopped to take a photo since we were on state road & could easily pull over. New Mexico was a new state for Steve! When we got to New Mexico we also crossed into Mountain Time. Once we hit 8AM MT I called White's City RV to reserve a spot for the next couple of nights. This time of year is pretty easy to get last minute sites especially since it was mid week. We decided on White’s City RV since it was 7 miles from Carlsbad Caverns & only 30 minutes from Guadalupe Mountains NP. The reviews were so-so but decided to try it because of the proximity. They offer a discount for AAA/AARP members so the rate was fair.
New Mexico! 
I embraced the bandanas on this trip!
We stopped at Hobbs, NM at the last gas station before heading out of town to fill up. It was busy since this part of the state has a lot of miles between gas stations. We were trying to keep the tank 1/2 full or more at all times. We got to White’s City around 11:45AM MT and even though we arrived early they let us check in & our site was already vacant. Sites are in a gravel lot but the site was level. All sites had full hook ups and each site had a shared covered picnic shelter with two tables. With this setup you are facing your neighbor. Our neighbors were a friendly couple from New Hampshire but are currently full time RV’ers traveling the country.
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| White's RV park |
Guadalupe Mountains is the largest exposed reef in the world with fossils everywhere - so the rangers tell us. We got our passport stamped & since we had the dogs we did the short prairie path walk. We put Sammie in the dog stroller & walked the Pinery Nature Trail. It was late in the day so we didn’t have much time to hike. This would be a great place to explore more. On our way out we drove through the National Park campground. It was mostly a parking lot but was cheap & close to some of the trail heads. There were water & toilets but no hookups or dump stations. Good for an overnight or two to hike the trails.
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| Another National Park |
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| Yes, Our Phones had Trouble with the Time! |
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| Pinery Nature Trail - Photo by Steve |
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| Pinery Nature Trail - Photo by Steve |
Sammie in the stroller
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| Pretty Sure Belle is Standing on Sammie |
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| Working ALL the Burners |
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| Epic Sunset! Photo Does Not do it Justice |
We got to the park around 10AM, got our passport stamped then got in line to go into the caverns. It’s off season so not a lot of people although there was a line since the park just opened. There is an option to take the elevator down to the Big Room or you can walk down the original trail. We opted for the walk down of course. The original trail is about a mile but took an hour & a half to walk down. There was so much to take in. No words can do it justice. We learned that Carlsbad Caverns is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Since it wasn’t crowded we were able to take in all the sites without people around us for the majority of the trip to the Big Room.
Once we got to the Big Room, we decided to head back up to the Visitor Center for lunch at the on-site restaurant….meh. We did take the elevator back down to tour the Big Room. The Big Room is about 1.25 miles but took us ~ 2 hours to see everything. An amazing place and with the exception of the lighting, it is all natural.
The Opening 
It Goes Way Down There 
Lots of Switchbacks
One of the Pools Another Bandana Day Mirror Lake
We got back to camp arrow 3:15PM. Dogs did well. We kept them in the camper with the air on. They most likely slept the entire time we were gone. They are getting used to the new routines. We took them on a walk then messed around camp the rest of the day. The area had a small grocery with limited provisions, gift shop & laundry mat. There was a restaurant across the street that was open for breakfast & lunch but we didn’t have a chance to try it out. There was also a gas station & small motel nearby. Other than that, Carlsbad was about 20 miles away.
White's City Provisions 
Aliens with Guns! 
Shenanigans 
Shenanigans
Overall, it was a great stay but too short of stay. At least 2 more nights would have been better to explore Guadalupe Mountains. In future, would consider staying 2 nights at Pine Springs Campground at Guadalupe National Park, 2 nights at White’s City RV park and maybe 2 nights in Carlsbad proper.
- White's City RV Park
- White's City, New Mexico
- Private campground
- Rating 4/5 - Only because of the proximity to Carlsbad Caverns.
- Don't remember the site number
- Private showers but the drain would back up after a few minutes. Gross
- $44 / night with AARP discount
- Full Hook ups
- Covered picnic table
- Gravel lot, level site
- Off Season - Campground was very quiet
- 7 miles from Carlsbad Caverns
- Road Conditions: OK
Next Stop: White Sands - Alamogordo, New Mexico
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