A very small and inviting Red Barn RV Park is on the eastern edge of Roswell. The bathrooms are great, the ice-cream treats are delicious and I found some good authors in the book exchange. Our hostess, Lee, is very helpful and welcoming. This is a great spot for our two-night stay.

Bitter Lake National Wildlife Refuge is just a few miles away, so we went to check out this wetland which is a large playa lake, a term we learned about in White Sands. Early explorers gave it its name because of the salty appearance of the ground. This is gypsum karst topography where sink holes and bubbling springs create an oasis for wildlife and migratory birds along the Pecos River flood plane. We did see several blue herons, egrets, two avocets, ducks and some other really fast birds. The sand hill cranes come in the fall by the tens of thousands, but they have headed north already. We have seen this impressive migration in Nebraska during spring break time in March on our way to and from Ft. Collins, CO.