River's Course Since…read more1991, Christmas on the Pecos has been a Carlsbad tradition where visitors get to enjoy a forty-minute holiday light filled ride up-and-back the Pecos River. This event has been named one of the "Top-100 must-see events in North America" by the American Bus Association every year since 1996. The Good: *Good wholesome family fun *Prices for tickets were pretty reasonable ($22/adults $18/kids), and it goes to support the event and the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. *The boat ride itself was really enjoyable and seemed a bit longer than the forty minutes advertised, which was fine by me. *Once they started to load the boats, the staff was very organized. PRO TIP: Be the last one on the boat so you'll get a front-row, unobstructed view seats. The Meh: *They could use some better signage on what to do once you show up. Everyone is just kind of standing around unsure of what to do. *There's supposedly crafts, drinks, and food at the Pecos Christmas Village, but we didn't see anything beyond some souvenirs at the check-in ticket booth. However, we did do the ride a few days after Xmas, so it's possible it was done for the season? The Ugly: *Parents that can't control their kids really know how to spread the cheer. -_- TLDR: Great place for wholesome family fun for kids and adults of all ages. If you're in the vicinity of Carlsbad during Christmas time, then I highly recommend you try and do this.

We traveled to Carlsbad, New Mexico for the Christmas on the Pecos event after purchasing our…read moretickets about a month in advance and making all necessary hotel reservations. Several family members also traveled with us and secured their own lodging to attend. In total, we drove approximately 4 1/2 hours to be there. Unfortunately, just three hours before our scheduled boat tour, we received a cancellation notice due to weather impact. I understand that weather issues and safety should always take priority however the problem with this is that the weather was actually perfect. The photo below was taken one hour prior to our scheduled tour and as you can see the river is like glass (absolutely beautiful). Wind speeds were 8mph. When we spoke with the few vendors that were still present they were surprised with the cancelation as well. When we arrived at the location of the boat ride to seek clarification, we were unable to locate staff from the chamber of commerce or staff members affiliated with the tour. We also attempted to call the provided phone number, only to learn that the office is open Monday through Thursday, leaving us without any direct assistance or explanation. The Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce has only refunded the ticket cost, but we incurred significant additional expenses--including multiple hotel rooms, travel costs, and lost time--for an event we were unable to experience through no fault of our own. It is disappointing that the Carlsbad Chamber has not offered any support beyond the ticket refund, considering the inconvenience and financial impact this caused and let's not forget the very short notice. I would give the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce less than one star if it were possible. The chamber should have taken responsibility for the situation by refunding our tickets and offering complimentary admission to a future event. We experienced both financial loss and significant disappointment, and the lack of support from the chamber was extremely frustrating.

Very quiet area with a nice lake, big trees, a small playground, pavilions and picnic tables. When…read morewe arrived, the wind was INSANE and we were attacked by tumbleweeds. By late afternoon the wind died down and we walked around the park. The camping area is a gravel lot with the electric hook ups and sewer connections under the edge of the trees against a rail fence. We never located any water faucets, but for $30 a night, we can live on what we carry.

One of the best recreational parks in Chaves County. They offer fishing and boating activities…read morearound the clock. They also have tables and shelters to rent. We came here to fish and caught our limit because it is periodically stocked with trout. This really is an oasis in the NM desert.

Dan is not an honest man. We were booked for the Mazatlan eclipse trip and had to cancel due to…read moreflight limitations. We only received 50% of our deposit back even though there is no clear refund policy other than no deposits returned after February 2024, per the website. I called him to find out why we didn't receive our full deposit back and he said that it was policy per the website. I asked him to send me a screen shot of said policy and he refused. There is no such policy and he is just choosing what he wants to refund. This is not ok. I would not trust him with my business.

My experience with Tropical Sails Corp is 100% great!…read more Our friends MaryAnn & Larry recommend we all go on the 1999 Solar Eclipse Gulet Sail trip (mostly motored, as the winds were not in the required direction at that time of year) from Tropical Sails. We did, and we all had the best time! Turkey was an eye-opening, positive experience. We were on the Sultan, which was (is?) a wonderful gulet (yacht) with an expert crew (the cook was fantastic!). The location on azure seas, great food & drink, fun and enlightening shore excursions, and Dan (Tropical Sails) ensured we all enjoyed our entire trip. The itinerary was well thought out, and somewhat flexible... We didn't go on one shore excursion but stayed on the yacht and swam in the indescribably turquoise blue Mediterranean... During the walking tour of Ephesus I walked off to explore several alleyways on my own... Fantastic! For the eclipse we sailed to the center line and had perfectly clear view! One of the highlights of the trip was on the return to Istanbul on a stormy night (a-rockin' & a-rollin') when the Sultan slowed down and stopped (we're all wondering wtf) when a couple guys in a swan-shaped paddle boat heave alongside to toss several bags of bread on board... fresh bread is mandatory for dinner ;) That was a particularly fine dining experience! I fully credit Dan (Tropical Sails Corp) for setting up the cruise and trip, and making it one of the most unforgettably wonderful experiences of my life. p.s., We stayed in Istanbul a few days after the cruise and experienced the great (!) 1999 earthquake in our ~1000- year old hotel... p.p.s., check out these websites for detailed itinerary of the entire trip: http://tropicalsails.com/turkey-gulet-sailing-solar-eclipse-trip-1999/ http://www.photoheck.com/Turkeytour99.html