Montezuma Castle
We did some good hikes in the Guadalupe Mountains NP. The
Butterfield Express ran though this area. It was the first successful attempt to
link the East with the West with a reliable transportation and communication
system. In NM we attended a parade of horse riders from Mexico and New Mexico
commemorating Pancho Villa’s raid into Columbus, NM on March 9, 1916. This was
the last time foreign troops attacked the continental United States. At Kartchner
Caverns SP in AZ, we toured the cave and found out that it was outstanding for
two reasons: 1) it was never vandalized, as most caves are before they are
protected and 2) it is a living cave, i.e., the formations are still forming.
The state went to considerable expense to prevent the cave from drying out, by
isolating the moist inside environment from the very dry air outside. Nearby we
visited the Titan Missile Museum. A deactivated missile stands in the silo. We
went down into the silo to the launch room. The history of the Titan II Missile
Program from 1963-1982 and the Cold War was explained. Some of you may remember
those bombing drills in school, where you hid under your desk. Who knew those
desks were bomb proof!
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