Sunday, October 25, 2009

Diamond Caverns, Park City, KY

LATE BREAKING NEWS, WE ARE LEAVING KENTUCKY FOR NC VIA I-40 FROM KNOXVILLE TO ASHVILLE. THE ROAD BELOW.....

IT NOW LOOKS LIKE THIS, The news says it will be blocked for months....... I would have hated to BE in that spot when the rocks started!!!!!
NOW BACK TO TODAY'S EXCITING ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!

This guy was on the side of the road; Sherry would not let me let him ride on top
Of the Motor home.


YOu cannot help but take a picture of a beautiful tree this time of the year.



This is Kentucky after all, so we must have horses. This is the home and burial
Place of my (and millions of others) favorite horse, ‘Man o War’. He is buried in
Lexington, KY.





This is our second trip to Diamond Caverns. This stop we
decided to tour the actual Caverns. This one is a little
different, you take about fifty stair steps down the vertical
cavern until you reach the cave that is parallel with the
ground above, relatively level. The cost is $16 per adult.
We joined about ten others on the tour.
I love cave formations, I am always amazed.





Immediately upon reaching the lower level we were met by
Our guide who again went over the rules, ‘No Touchee’.








Below is where a stalagmite has been cut with a saw. It exposes the rings
of growth. The cuttings were to be table tops.











A narrow passage with a lot of 'bacon' formations from the roof.


You see above the ‘bacon’ formations hanging from the ceilings.





Since this is a private Cavern, this Podium was installed for one owner to perform Marriages. I think it did not pay off. The room was large, but not large enough for A crowd.






Beautiful formations on the ceiling. The cavern goes down 80 feet and crosses under highway # 255 and under the RV park where our RV is. The tour is one half mile with 300 stair steps all totaled.




Above was a smaller opening to a larger cave that is not on the tour.








A beautiful pool of mineral water.





It seems that no matter how many caverns you go in, you have the same beautiful formations.




This was a tight squeeze even for little Sherry! This large stalagmite is mighty close. Most of the path was wide, some places ten people could stand side by side, but this there is room for one to squeeze through.




I just love these sliced Geodes. You would think that the diamonds on the inside would Be valuable, but they are just a form of glass. They are still beautiful. I bought one once In New Mexico, brought it home and lost it. It may be in the storage trailer on Mark’s Property, it was only about six inches through, but it was not sawed yet.


Nite Shipslog
PS:

Observations on Growing Older --- ORA

~You realize you're never going to be really good at anything ...especially golf.

~Your husband sleeps better on a lounge chair with the TV blaring then he does in bed. It's called his "pre-sleep".

~Remember when your mother said "Wear clean underwear in case you GET in an accident"? Now you bring clean underwear in case you HAVE an accident!

















8 comments:

shirl72 said...

Well you are braver than me I could not go
through the caverns although they are beautiful.
I be scared. Makes me feel closed in need somewhere I can't get out quick. Think the fellow on the side of the road would look nice riding on top of the Motor Home. Looks like he needed a ride to somewhere.

Shirl

Helen said...

I have never been in that one but have been in a couple of caves, one here in AL. The Desoto Caverns. I think they are all beautiful. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Helen

Anonymous said...

Either deep within a forest or deep down below, your adventures upon and across this earth are surely a delight to see.
Thank you for sharing !

A wonderful timeless new week for you all !

Paula said...

Caverns are always beautiful. I've been through a few and I have a love/hate relationship with them. I think they are pretty and like to see them but I am kinda scared too.

betty said...

those caverns are awesome! looks like you and Sherry had a great time exploring them with your tour guide and fellow explorers!

(I changed my picture/signature for comments; didn't want you to be confused with who was commenting on your blog)

take care both of you!

betty

Lucy said...

You know when you see caverns like that and hear about earthquake in the oceans and ground it makes you wonder just how violent, and why the forces are that cause that. Jack please find out before I die what the reasons are. Don't forget I will be 80 in a couple of weeks, so may need to hurry on that. Love the pictures. Saw the rock slide on TV.

Debbie said...

I hope no one was injured in that rock slide and I'm sure glad you & Sherry weren't traveling in that area when it happened.

Ya see all kinds of huge creatures in that area don't ya? Yogi bear, HUGE chickens, and there was another that we saw and I can't remember what it was.

The only time I was in the caves was on our 8th grade class trip the best I remember (cause that's been ages ago)the temp. was always 55 in the caves year round.

I hope you guys have had safe travels today. Looks like you're leaving KY just in time we have rain moving back in tomorrow & tomorrow night but it sure has been beautiful the last couple days.

Love & Hugs
Debbie

Terri said...

Love the pics...my tush couldn't squeeze through the narrow part of the tour...LOL I'm kinda leary/scared of caves anymore too...I went through Mammoth Cave years and years ago.

Have a safe trip back home!

Love ya'll
Hugs Terri