So I continued on my way to Guadalupe Mountains National Park where I had planned to spend the night. I drove through some beautiful country on the way, and arrived at dusk, but unfortunately just after they closed the gate. (Note to self: I need to remember that National Parks close and lock the gates around 5 or 6 pm.) I was starting to see a pattern to my travel. I did some sightseeing in the morning, then left for my next destination in time to arrive in the dark, after they were closed.
Not a problem. Half the fun is not knowing exactly where you're going to sleep, and knowing that there are Wal-Mart parking lots all along the way just in case. I kept driving since my next stop was going to be Carlsbad Caverns sometime the next morning, and it was only another hour to get there.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
It was really dark now, and I discovered that my headlights could have been a little brighter. At some point I also noticed that my turn signals had stopped working. Wonderful. I hoped I didn't get into a lot of traffic until I could figure out what was wrong.
I passed Carlsbad Caverns, and continued on into Carlsbad, NM, where I found an RV park at the other side of the town. I checked in there for the night.