The Living Desert State Park, Carlsbad, New Mexico

So J and I have become quite the traveling couple.  We've only been dating 3 months and already we are like the coolest couple ever (sorry everyone!)  Right when we first started dating...I'd say first month-ish...he was like "Hey, want to go to New Mexico in October?" I said...well what did you think I said "No?"... my next words were "When do we leave?"  I had never been there and I have developed a serious case of the "travels" in the last couple of years, so why not?

One of my favorite place that we stopped was The Living Desert State Park in Carlsbad, New Mexico.  People, this place was amazing (the no humidity did not hurt a thing one bit).

The whole parking lot was almost a tourist stop in itself.  I sure hope the landscaper gave himself a big ol' pat on the back because that was one BIG job.  It was like being 5 at Christmas time and chomping at the bit to get into those presents.

The whole 2-ish mile walk was easy and the weather was fantastic.  So we spent the next couple of hours walking around the park looking at all the plants, trees and the occasional animal.

Their displays were on point also.  You couldn't help but to stop and smell the roses...er..I mean stop and read the boards.  Oh and a good tip is if you have a sneezing fit, don't move! There is a change you sneeze the wrong way and get a painful introduction to the many cactus plants throughout the walk.

There are several different areas with changes in vegetation, all marked with signs about the environment you are viewing.  This one was my favorite.

So not like I was carrying a pen and paper while I was exploring, I was on vacation people! But this was one of my favorite plants in the whole park.  There is a beauty here, but it is not like the Redwoods in California or any other place one thinks of when someone talks about the land.  It was unique.

The walks included several stops because I cannot help myself when coming across a gorgeous part of a sidewalk.  Now you have to remember that you are over 3,000 ft above sea level here, so when you get on a high-point, you can see forever...so cool.

This place will definitely go on the list of awesome and amazing adventures.

New Mexico really is the Land of Enchantment.