With the beginning of the year, I find myself going through my wish-list items, taking inventory of which of those I reached in 2026, and one of the most enriching ones was a summer vacation in the American southwest. In August, 2025, a friend and I set out on a road trip to visit Carlsbad Caverns National Park and Guadalupe Mountains National Park, where I attained two of my national park wish list items and took in so many beautiful views. Carlsbad Cavern, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is located about 18 miles southwest of the city of Carlsbad in the Guadalupe Mountains and Chihuahuan Desert of southern New Mexico. Visitors…