Spring Break Excursions That Give You a Break

This year, like so many others, thousands of college students and friends will flock to the locations that make a name for themselves as the Spring Break Capitals of the world. Sun, sand, ocean, or amusement, all offer the same essential goods: a chance to get away from the fusty dorms and hushed hallways of the mighty campuses of higher learning, a chance to forget inhibitions and forgo studying.

But none of these “FUN PLACES” offer peace, tranquility or rest. Moreover, their costs continue to rise every year, not only in the hard cash laid out for travel, hotel stays and the like, but in the endless hassles of fending off the hawkers of cheap souvenirs, the slog through customs at the point of reentry airport, the mind-numbingly dull wait in the screening line while yet another college student is caught trying to smuggle his smokes onto the planeâÂ?¦

What some of these college students are now turning to is an escape, not only from the halls of learning, but from the madness of the standard vacation destinations. They are withdrawing to the places that the bulk of tourists have never heard of, and are returning, not only refreshed by their vacation, but with stories of beauty and wonder that outstrips anything seen in the harried frenzy of Aruba. Perhaps you are among these, or perhaps you are looking for a vacation that will not bankrupt you for the next three months. If so, you are invited to turn your eyes toward a State in the Union that is often forgotten, and rarely visited: New Mexico, the Land of Enchantment.

Two destinations in the southern reaches of the state are worth putting on your calendar. Neither offers wild parties or all-night raves, but they do offer the timeless peace and grandeur of Nature in her finest element, yet offer simultaneously the amenities and comforts of modern living and technology. They are worlds apart from each other, and yet lie only some 150 miles apart, a three-hour drive separating them through the mountainous terrain of the southeastern New Mexico. It is your choice, to go into the heights of the Rockies, or the depths of the earth.

Going UP!

Cloudcroft, NM, sits at nearly 8200 feet above sea level, and is only accessible by the winding road that reaches upwards through the massive Gila National Forest. Once a mining and logging village serviced by narrow-gauge railway, Cloudcroft today is a thriving and bustling city among the clouds, boasting a dozen or more cabin-rental locations and access to the beautiful Sleepygrass National Campground. Amenities in the area include a live-catch trout farm (for the fisherman who wants to be sure of his catch), several stores selling a variety of handmade crafts, and one of the finest barbeque restaurants in the region. For the truly romantic, Mountain Park, a village that lies some 11 miles from Cloudcroft, boasts the Good Life Inn, a stately bed-and-breakfast nestled in the mountain pines of the Gila Forest, and furnished in Southwestern designs created by some of the area’s best artists and builders.

Continuing along the winding roads that lead past the Sleepygrass Campground, you will reach the second of the area’s marvels, the high-tech facility of the Sunspot Solar Observatory. No less that four state-of-the-art telescopes are in use constantly, including a massive tower that sits (and floats) in a track filled with ten tons of mercury. The Observatory is open every day to visitors and offers a self-guided walking tour that winds through and past the observation scopes and along to breathtaking views of the scenery. Admission is free, although donations are accepted.

Further along the same road lies the quaint village of Timberon, a tiny outpost of civilization in otherwise deep wilderness. During snowy months, the area sports bobsledding and snow tubing locations; during the springtime, the area is home to wildlife of all shapes and sizes. The Lodge, the only hotel in Timberon, offers a clean and well-appointed room at a reasonable price. Recent improvements, such as the paving of the 13.6 mile stretch of road that leads into the backwoods town, has brought an increase in the trickle of tourism to the area, but it is still close to its “undiscovered country” title.

Going DOWN!

Heading over the mountains, instead of up them, takes you into the city of Artesia, where a turn to the south sets you on your way to Carlsbad, a thriving city in the southeastern corner of New Mexico. Founded in the late 1600’s, the area was a way station and ranching post, and continues to be a center for commerce and industry. Just south of the city is the hamlet of White’s City, named after cowboy Jim White, the part-time spelunker who discovered the location of some of the most extensive natural caverns.

Acclaimed as the “Eighth Wonder of the Natural World,” Carlsbad Caverns National Park has a modern road that switchbacks through an astonishing array of low- and high-desert landscape en route to the Visitor’s Center. From there, explorers have the option to descend into the Caverns via the natural entrance and move through the labyrinth that surrounds Iceberg Rock, the largest single stone in the Caverns and so named since less than one-eighth of it is visible at any time to hikers. The trail eventually delivers its passengers to the underground lunch room, where a small canteen caters to hungry and thirsty travelers. From here, a spot also reachable by elevator from the Visitor’s Center, explorers enter the largest of the Caverns: the Big Room.

The size of roughly fifteen football fields, the Big Room is home to many of the Cavern’s best-known landmarks, including the mighty Rock of Ages. The walking tour is self-paced and about 1.2 miles in length. A light sweater is advised, as the ambient temperature in the Caverns hovers around 56 degrees. A headset and taped narration pack is available at the Visitor’s Center for both the natural entrance tour and the Big Room.

Those interested in exploring the Caverns further have several additional options, all ranger-led tours into other, deeper areas of the Caverns. Among these are the trip to Lechugilla Cave, a newer location with certain portions of the trail still under construction, and the trip into the deeper Queen’s Room. Nighttime at the Caverns brings yet another spectacle; that Caverns are home to several thousand Mexican freetail bats, which flow upwards out of the Caverns’ natural entrance in a huge swarm of squeaks and wings. A ranger talk about the bats and their exodus brings listeners up to date on the bats and their summer home in the Bat Cave.

Accommodations in White’s City are reasonably priced, and a small water park nearby opens daily from the middle of spring to late fall. Admission is included in the cost of the hotel room when you stay at the Best Western in White’s City; the cost otherwise is around $5-8 a head. I recommend against the food in White’s City, though; it’s worth the extra time to drive into Carlsbad to get something tastier.

Getting to the area

I highly recommend driving if at all possible, as the nearest airport of any size is located 2 hours drive south of Carlsbad in El Paso, TX. Interstates 10 and 25 meet up in Las Cruces, NM, which lies some 100 miles from Cloudcroft. Those interested in making the trip from farther away should look into flying into El Paso International Airport and renting a vehicle to make the drive into either Cloudcroft (96 miles) or Carlsbad (111 miles).