A Time Machine made out of Fire & Ice

Writing here at the Hub Pages has both changed and become quite competitive during these lean times. So to keep the attention of our wonderful readers and followers, one has to be rather creative in these, to say the least, interesting times. While driving down Interstate 40 in New Mexico, I accidentally bumped into an old tourist attraction from the by gone days of yesterday. So I took the short detour to what turned out to be a cool time machine of sorts from the past that was made out of both fire and ice. That's right fire and ice all in one place!

This amazing time capsule of amazing fire and ice is only located in one single place in this world. It's situated right on the Continental Divide, and has become known as the land of fire and Ice. It was a real experience to visit the Ice Cave and Bandera Volcano. The Ice Cave, and the volcanic Bandera crater are spectacular sights indeed. The trail to these two totally different sites all starts out at the old time trading post and takes you down ancient lava trails through a quiet nature's woods of Ponderosa Pine, Fir, and Juniper trees. It was recommended at the start of the hike to first go on up to see the volcano, and then proceed down to see the ice cave where you can cool off from your long journey.

You will be able to buy different types of pottery, rugs, jewelry, and other artwork from different local Indian tribes at the old time trading post. You will find both Indian arts, and many different ancient artifacts on display at this one of a kind historic trading post. A lot of these ancient artifacts which date back to around 1200 years ago were discovered in the volcanic lava at this site. At the old time trading post you will be given a map to accompany you on your hike, and a little furry tour guide walked along with us as well.

The ice cave is located in an old collapsed lava tube, and the temperature never rises above 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Here you will see the beautiful natural layers of perpetual ice glisten the colors of blue and green in the reflected rays of sunlight. Over the years the ice cave was use by locals as a refrigerator to keep food fresh. I guess you could say that this ice cave was one of the world's first refrigerators.

The hiking trail that's made out of ancient lava will take you around the side of the Bandera Volcano, so that you can see some of the best examples of a volcanic eruption in all of the United States. The volcano which erupted around 10,000 years ago goes down about 800 feet in depth, and is one of the most accessible, and the best view of an erupted volcano in all of the United States. I did the best that I could when it came to taking these photographs of the ice cave, and the volcano, but it's really hard to capture all of the glory of something this big in nature. I hope you can get some idea of what the ice cave and volcano look like, and that you enjoy this hub.