Tuesday morning we rose early and checked out of our hotel. Aurora was shedding less, but there was still a cloud of dog hair where she had been sleeping. We had a couple hour drive to Carlsbad ahead of us – assuming we didn’t get lost again and prolong the trip – and then the dogs would be checked in to the kennel service at Carlsbad. So before heading south, we made one last trip to White Sands.
The dogs were excited as they jumped out of the car, and we took off together up the nearest dune. They raced along, bounding with ease, while I sunk into the sand at each step. I’m not exactly sure what the rules are at White Sands, but it was early and there were no other people around, so I dropped the leashes and let my dogs run. We went up one dune, over and down, then raced up the next. By then my father had also climbed to the top of the dune, so we took turns calling the dogs from one dune to the other, running with them a short ways, then sending them back to the other dune.
Finally, exhausted, we all collapsed onto the dune to catch our breath. It was a great decision for morning exercise though – the dogs settled quietly into the back of the car to nap, and we headed down to Carlsbad.
Load Up!
We didn’t get lost this time, but with a late start (due to White Sands) and a lunch break, we just missed the last afternoon tour at Carlsbad Caverns. Not that it would have mattered – the tours were all full. We checked the dogs into the kennel – $5/ dog for a day, but since it was already so close to closing time, the gentleman who checked us in waived the fee. He also, very kindly, gave us an extension as the kennel usually closes at 4pm and it was already 3:45.
The kennels were clean, cool, and quiet. Zahara was terrified, pulling hard to get out, but once introduced to her kennel she retreated gladly into the safety of the “cave” and hunkered down in the far corner. Aurora, on the other hand, was eagerly sniffing around and was loathe to go into the kennel at all. Once in, they both settled down, and we headed off to buy tickets and spend an our walking through the caves on the self-guided tour.
We returned to get the dogs, both eager to see us and ready to go, but no worse for the wear. Nothing like having to spend a few hours at the vet’s kennels with dogs barking non-stop. There were several trails around the caverns, and in order to give the dogs a chance to stretch, we took one to the top of Walnut Canyon lookout, then walked along the top for a bit.
We returned to Carlsbad for the night, to Motel 6 where we had planned to stay. Two dogs were welcome there and the fee was minimal, but my mother found the room, while very clean, too small. So we checked out the two neighboring hotels, both of which we discovered allowed pets, and then settled in at Continental Inn. Needless to say, if you ever decide to take your dogs to Carlsbad, you shouldn’t have much trouble finding a hotel that allows dogs – and all at prices around $55/night.
We fed the dogs and waited for nightfall to eat our own dinner so the dogs could stay cool in the car. As with the other hotel rooms, Zahara was uncomfortable. She had already skipped a couple meals the last few days, despite all the extra exercise, and she seemed intent on not eating again tonight. I was finally able to get her situated under the table (caves equal comfort for her), and she managed to pick through her dinner.
