Spelunking

Technically, we didn't spelunk. Our path was clearly laid out and lit, but we certainly felt like explorers when we went to visit Carlsbad Caverns last week.

We came prepared with good walking shoes and light jackets for the steep, wet trek into the caverns. I read this sign and giggled, saying to my mom "that's hilarious." The very earnest park ranger told me that the sign wasn't meant to be funny, it was meant to make you aware of the rigors associated with the walk. I was thoroughly chastened. Of course, every time I saw one of the rangers in the cavern I thought "We here at the Park Service have no sense of humor that we are aware of."

Even after the stern talk from the Park Ranger, we were excited to go.

This is the natural entrance to the caverns. It's crazy steep.

And this is the last glimpse of daylight from the cavern. They call it the Twlight Zone because a lot of animals get lured into the caverns only to fall to their deaths. It's a fairly full fossil record down there.

There were lots of interesting formations that would have looked more at home underwater than underground.

F was less than intrigued.

They also made really good use of lighting. This particular formation is call the Whale's Head because, well, because it looks like a whale's head.

My Uncle J was excellent with T. He let him look into all the nooks and crannies and helped him peek over the walls. T, for his part, is an outstanding spelunker. He whispered and walked slowly so he "didn't wake up the bats." He even had to remind us loud adults a few times.

F was sleeping or crying. But I guess you can't expect a 9 month old to get too excited about a big cave.

I highly recommend the Caverns. It's an otherworldly experience and one you're likely to remember for a long time.