June 18, 2011

A Trip Down Under

In simple layman's terms, the Natural Bridge Cavern was created by an underground river moving slowly throughout the cracks and pores eroding away the limestone. Rainwater seeping through the limestone dissolved the limestone over time creating passages and rooms.

The Discovery Tour that we took takes you 18 stories down inside the earth where the temperature is a constant 70 degrees with humidity of 99%.Ugh! Believe me when I tell you-it is not the 18 stories down into the caverns that is the problem ,but the 18 stories back up and out. Whew! This ol' gal is out of shape.

Natural Bridge Caverns is an awe inspiring natural geological formation and something I will always remember.

Natural Bridge - the span was left suspended when a sink hole collapsed below it.

Entrance to Natural Bridge Caverns

Broomstick stalagmites are tall and spindly

Beautiful stalagmites

A large column;columns are formed when a stalactite and a stalagmite meet.


The Living Fern- the only living plant in the cave. The spores were believed to have been brought in on an explorers clothing where they were deposited then germinated next to a light.

Do you see the old man?

My daughter thought this formation looked like a brain.

King's Throne

Look carefully and you can see a fried egg in the formations in this room.


2 comments:

Tara said...

Definitely a trip down under. It's amazing, Michele. Great photos too.

Tierra Verde Handmade Soap said...

Hi Tara,it is an amazing tour. It's hard to believe water is responsible for carving all that limestone. Incredible!