california caverns
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california caverns印象
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This review will focus primarily on the "Middle Earth Expedition." (The Caverns also offer a much shorter walking tour.) First of all, the company does a good job of describing this outing on their website. They provide all the information that you will need to make a decision about whether this is for you or not, what you should bring with you, and what to expect. If you've done a bit of research, there shouldn't be any surprises.That said, it is always so much more impressive in person than in pictures. This option not only includes the 20% of the cavern covered in the walking tour, but opens up a total of 80% of the caverns to your visit. It is not hard to see why so few people choose this option. It is messy, can be a bit challenging physically, and takes much longer. However, when I inquired, our guide said that his most unlikely guest was a German woman in her 70s, so it can be done if one is up for the adventure.I imagine this is probably as close to actual spelunking as I will ever come not being even an amateur cave explorer. After donning our cover-alls and hard hat, we made the short walk to the cave entrance. Ben, our very amiable guide, carefully explained the precautions necessary to maintain safety and protect the natural wonders of our attraction. Then it was into the earth we went.It was in the low 90s on this particular day, and the rush of cool air (approximately 55-degrees) felt especially cool and refreshing. I had debated whether or not to wear thermals underneath and was concerned that I should have done so, but after 20 minutes or so, I acclimated and found the remainder of the expedition plenty comfortable temperature wise.The adventure began immediately with a visit to the "Womb room." This is a small, round opening in the surface of the floor, maybe 14 inches in diameter, that leads to a small-ish chamber below. Our job was to traverse the opening. The purpose of this visit is to both introduce us to the challenges ahead and to reassure us that it is indeed very possible to do. It also serves as a good indicator of whether or not we will be overly stressed by the close quarters to come. To be honest, I was somewhat in doubt as to the ability of a full size human being to get through the tiny opening. Although I had read about the site previous to our visit, it looked a whole lot smaller in real life. But the extremely smooth finish of the opening attested to the regular usage, and with the assurances of our guide, I made the plunge. It was surprisingly simple after all.My son and I were the only guests on this particular outing, so Ben was very attentive and offered us numerous options- basically, to experience as much or as little as we wanted of the numerous passages and chambers, and to spend as much or as little time as we wanted in each place. If was wonderful not feeling rushed. The "Trail by braille" segment was definitely noteworthy. This consisted of turning off our headlamps and moving along about a 15-foot (It felt like 50) section of the passage. The mind starts doing strange things when you are so accustomed to being guided visually. We explored to our hearts content. We were not disappointed. The scope and the variety of the caverns included passages, rock formations, history/geology lessons, and an amazing underground lake.The trip concludes with a climb up an 85-foot ladder to daylight, and a short downhill walk back to the staging area to change clothes and clean up. The entire adventure was about 4 1/2 hours.Pros- Fascinating experience, personalized service, LOTS MORE to see, and challenging enough to provide a sense of accomplishment in the end. Definitely worth doing.Cons- The facilities are pretty rustic. It took a moment to find a pair of overalls that didn't have huge tears in them. The outdoor showers for cleaning up afterwards may be too exposed for some people's sensibilities. The messiness of the outing (see below) makes keeping a photographic record extremely difficult. Mud-covered gloves do not come off easily for photo opportunities. Pro/Con (depending on your point of view)- This is a messy trip. It involves crawling, plodding through very sticky mud, and a high likelihood of getting wet (shins, hips or higher).
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We learned so much from our guide Benjamin on a late Friday afternoon tour. He wad so knowledgeable and friendly and really went the extra mile to point out all the amazing things to see underground. Not sure who had a better time, the kids or the parents! We are already talking about going back to do the longer adventure tour. Thanks for sharing your treasure with us! We will be back soon!
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I thought the tour guide Christine was awesome..She offered to take pics for me and volunteered herself many times and told me where to stand..She was cheerful all the way and was very friendly..
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If you've never been down in a cavern, this is a wonderful place for a first time experience.
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Cave is fairly level, not many stairs. some tight spots but I was able to maneuver and I am a big guy. Recommended
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Caverns are beautiful w/ stalagmites etc. Be prepared to wear a helmet and go w/ good tread shoes. We had a great guide telling us stories about the history. It's a little tricky in a few places where the walk gets wet or very narrow...you have tobend down and twist to get around. Well worth it.
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I can't believe we hadn't visited the cavern yet, it's so close! We took the short tour, which is 45 minutes to an hour long depending on the season. I would try to go during the dry season, as the caverns are blocked in several places by "lakes" in the wet season. It was interesting, and they have good lighting in there so you can see where you're going even without a flashlight. I also appreciated that they let you take as many pictures as you want. You are not allowed to bring in purses or bags, so beware that you need to keep those things in the car. Also, they offer hard hats, and I would highly recommend wearing one. Spaces are tight, and I hit my head several times, but the hat fully protected me. Really a fun place!
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Our group of 6 boys and 2 adults signed up for the Mammoth Cave Expedition. I wimped out and took the regular tour. The boys spent about 45 minutes getting changed into their coveralls and knee pads and getting briefed on what to expect. The boys were 11 and 12 years old. They LOVED their tour and had no problems with any of the crawling and squirming through openings. They didn't get really dirty and wet until the very end of the tour when it was time to come get changed anyway.A great thing about the Mammoth Cave Expedition is that there is always another easier way into each room if you start to get claustrophobic or look at an opening and your mind just says, "no way." The Cavern is large with lots of different rooms and my tour guide did a great job of pointing out the interesting features in each room and telling the history behind the cavern. There's even a room with a feature called the bridalveil where they hold weddings once in a while.I've been to Mammoth Cave in Kentucky and Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Nothing compares to Carlsbad Caverns and this cave isn't as enormous as Mammoth but it's very interesting in it's own way and I would recommend it for a visit if you like caves.The store is worth a visit too. I was very impressed with its selection of books on the outdoors. They offer gold panning in the summer and geodes you can crack yourself.If you're with a group, California Cavern offers a nice campsite on a grassy field near a seasonal stream with picnic benches and BBQs.
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I have been to all the caves and this one take the prize! Has quite a few chambers, the most in the entire county and very informative and funny staff. You will get history AND comedy involved in this tour. This is must for anyone interested in caving. They also have some fun looking excursions that I would like to try. One in particular is where you put on a jumpsuit and go missing around in the different holes and areas of the caves.
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Very interesting caverns and off the beaten track. The pleasant, scenic drive to get there is half the fun. Well run tours that are very informative, entertaining and educational. Nice grounds too for relaxing.