After our mining 101 course in Bisbee we decided to stop at Kartchner Caverns State Park on the way home. The drive from Bisbee to Kartchner Caverns was beautiful! You are in a flat wide open plain with the mountains surrounding you on all sides. The sky was bright blue and you get that vast expansive feel that the West is known for.
On our way to Kartchner Caverns, the wide open road with the mountains hugging us
We made a quick drive by of Fort Huachuca on the way to Kartchner Caverns. The outpost was significant back in the Old West days because it was the headquarters in the US battle against Geronimo and the Apache. It was also key in securing the border with Mexico. Not that this issue has been resolved, as is evidenced by all the boarder patrol and checkpoints that are a part of daily life here in southern AZ!
Boarder patrol, they’re watching you
But more importantly (at least to me) Fort Huachuca is where Laura was born and spent the first 6 months of her life. So I insisted on a drive by. We literally stopped, got out of the car, snapped a few pictures, and then got back on the road.
Anyways I digress, back to Kartchner Caverns.
As suggested by the park name, the park is known for their caves. The caves were discovered in the mid-1970′s, but the discoverers did not reveal their location for 10 years while they worked to ensure their safety and preservation.
Kartchner is a living limestone cave where the formations continue to grow as the environment hasn’t been ruined due to the conservation rules in place. I’ve been in my fare share of caves and have never seen such measures. We walked through 4 bank vault-like doors that are used to maintain the proper moisture level in the cave. We were misted down with water to prevent lint and skin from being left behind in the cave. And of course we weren’t permitted to touch anything in the cave because our body leaves behind damaging oils.
We toured the Rotunda/Throne part of the cave (we couldn’t tour the Big Room because it’s currently the nursery for 700+ bats). It was amazing! The formations are otherworldly. The soda straw stalactites have drops of water on the end of their formations that hang in the dark and glow like little beacons of light. There were also “cave bacon” formations that look just like wavy fatty marbled bacon. And the highlight is the enormous 58 foot column, Kubla Khan, that is creamy butterscotch in color and looks like a candle with melting wax dripping down its’ sides.
Unfortunately I don’t have any pictures of the caves as cameras aren’t allowed on the tour. But I did snag one off the web, thanks to Arizona State Parks, because I know my words can’t do the beauty justice.
Kubla Khan, Kartchner Caverns, image courtesy of Arizona State Parks
After Bisbee, the beautiful drive through the valley and the cave with it’s rigorous preservation measures helped reassure us that there are people in this world who value the planet and its’ health. So if you’re in the area, Kartchner Caverns State Park is another must do (especially if you’ve never been inside a cave).
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