The Cave

We arrived at the cave after driving past the place that sold unique chainsaw carvings. The park it was in was very pretty, though the river was a little muckier than I had remembered. Before we went inside the building we took the boys to the potty, and we discovered that the chocolate chips (potty rewards) were melted.

Then we went inside. There was a large building constructed over the entrance of the cave (technically I think it was a cavern, I'm not sure). Inside the building was an ice cream shop and a gift shop where they sold all kinds of interesting things including hats shaped like various animals and a large variety of toy guns. Sammy (age 4) and I had a lot of fun with the magnetic rocks.

Then there was the information desk and the ticket sales desk. The tickets were $18 per adult, but the children were free. It seemed pretty pricey, but oh well.

Sammy was pretty scared to go into the cave. He kept saying "But mommy, it's too old!" But I coaxed him in, and promised to hold his hand the entire time. He made sure that I kept the promise.

Our tour guide was a young man probably late teens or early twenties. He wasn't very professional, and he seemed mostly interested in finishing the tour so he could get off work. Including us, there were six people on the tour. He said that earlier in the day there had been a tour group of about 80, so that could explain his mannerisms a little.

The first room of the cave was humongous, it was the "ball room". It had a disco ball hung from the ceiling and a bar in. I assume people sometimes plan events like wedding receptions there. I cannot imagine having a reception in a cave, but okay.

The first several rooms did not have any formations really.

One area had a replica of Frank and Jesse James because they had hid-out in that cave. They had with the statues some of the actual tools they had left behind.

Further on was a Hollywood area where various films had been shot. They even had a picture of Lassie.

After that is got more interesting as we began to see "soda straws" hollow tubes hanging from the ceiling. Then we began to see stalactites and stalagmites. The tour guide didn't explain the difference, so I told the boys what I had learned several years ago "stalactites hang tightly to ceiling and stalagmites might reach the ceiling some day" Later in the tour Sammy pointed to a stalagmite and said "Mommy, I think it might reach the ceiling someday."

The neatest parts of the cave were the wine room and the theater room. It is really hard to describe them. The wine room had clusters that looked like grapes and a formation that looked like a table. The theater room had formations that looked like stage curtains and like a balcony.

At the end of the tour as we were exiting the boys asked "Can we go in again?" and then "Well then can we stop here again on the way back?" So the tour was obviously a success.

But to me the best part was when the other couple on the tour approached me to compliment me on my children's behavior.

I have to remember that now as two and half hours past bedtime I am still struggling to keep Isaac in bed.

Tune in next time to hear about our next adventure.