The first New Mexico town we drove through was Zuni Pueblo. This town specializes in Indian pottery. While driving through it seemed like every couple of houses had a pottery kiln in their yard. Further down the road we found a New Mexico adventure, the Bandera Volcano and Ice Cave. Hiking through the lava fields enroute to the ice cave gave us all a chance to stretch our legs and enjoy the unique scenery.
Lava Fields
Ice Cave
Funhogs on Ice
Once we got to the cave there was a series of stair cases to descend. Elijah, our 2yr old, was so proud of himself for being able to master them as he kept saying, “me do stairs!!!” In the cave entrance the air temperature was 31 degrees. There was a layer of ice on the floor that we were told is 20 feet thick, and there was an ice formation that went from the ceiling to the floor. The kids all loved the cool air and frozen landscape. The early settlers used this spot as their personal refrigerator. A couple hours later, we were caught in a heavy rain storm outside of Santa Fe. We decided to keep driving until the rain let up and find a campground further down the road than we had planned. We ended up at the KOA in Las Vegas, NM, and we met a new family there. Shawn and Shanna are in the Air Force and have recently been stationed in Albuquerque. They were out enjoying the holiday weekend with their kids. It was wonderful to meet them and thank them for serving our country, especially since it was 4th of July weekend!
Shawn & Shanne with kids
Tirzah Driving
