Driving Across the United States day 3

After a couple days of seeing next to nothing while driving through southwestern Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas, a day of absolutely nothing was on tap in the form of West Texas. Our drive took us from Abilene through Sweetwater to Big Spring where we ditched the interstate in favor of state highways. Plentiful along this route are oil wells, pumps visible for as far as one can see. There were also a number of drilling crews working to create new wells in the the most productive oil fields on the continent. Additionally, Sweetwater is home to the largest wind generator concentration in the Western hemisphere. The hills in the town are home to innumerable multi-megawatt, 90+ meter diameter wind turbines. Other than said hills, the highest thing around is a highway overpass, from which I took a few pictures.

After passing through Hobbs, NM, we headed south-southeast toward Carlsbad, NM in order to see the Carlsbad Cavern near that town. Though I had been to Luray Caverns as a kid, I remembered little of that cave. No matter, as Carlsbad dwarfs its East-coast equivalent. The size of the cavern, from the incredible entrance and the significant depth to the amazing underground area is astounding. Most striking is the lighting, apparently designed by a Broadway theater technician. If you are going through Arizona, Carlsbad Cavern is certainly something to stop and see. Even outside of the cave, the drive through the canyon in the park and the resulting view from the mesa are worth the trip.