Hal & Jenny had taken Chris & Craig to Oregon when they were kids. This trip we hit even more of the landmarks and locations that they had stopped on their trip those many years ago. One of those stops was at the Oregon caves.
Prior to entering the caves the kids completed some workbook pages about the caves so they could become Junior Rangers.
Now if you know me at all you know that I don't like bridges, tunnels or confined spaces. I pretty much don't like anything that I can fall off of, or be crushed by. So when the idea of venturing into the caves came up I wasn't jumping to be the first in line. Let me just say, if you are like me, the Oregon caves aren't too bad. I didn't feel claustrophobic once. I personally think that some of that had to do with the fact that it is only 44 degrees inside the caves. Had the cave been stuffy and hot I think it would have been a completely different story.
The park services has put lights along the route inside the cave. At one point the guide turned out all the lights so you really got a feel for how truly deep you were in the ground. We experienced pure blackness like we had never seen before.
The caves themselves are full of so many interesting things. We heard about how the marble has changed over the years and how it has been affected by floods, earthquakes and animals. Apparently, this region is considered one of the most geologically unique in the United States. These straw-like tubes in the rock are created by acidic water dripping through them.
I think these were some of my favorites...
We survived!
Love seeing things from different perspectives...
Jenny requested a picture of Chris kissing me on the cheek. Believe me, there were A LOT of outtakes before we finally got this shot.
That's okay, he can kiss my cheek as many times as he wants.
Lunch at the soda shoppe/diner where we enjoyed milkshakes, burgers, and fries...
Certified (and sworn in) Junior Rangers.
Great day! And I only thought about being crushed by or trapped inside the cave a couple of times. Hey- when the guide tells you that those gigantic cracks in the ceiling are from a massive earthquake which caused huge boulders to crash down inside the cave and then tells you not to worry because they haven't had an earthquake in hundreds of years…yeah that's a sure bet that I'm going to do the opposite. If there hasn't been an earthquake in hundreds of years, as far as I'm concerned, that just means that they are due for a big one which means…get me OUT of here.
As I was saying…Great Day!
Still more to come...
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