Today we took the 11:30 AM "New Entrance" tour of Mammoth Cave. The tour descended through a rock chimney on a stainless steel stairway that wound down for 200 feet into the cave; actually 280 steps! I took a Vicodin at 10AM, hoping I would be able to make it without the pain I had on the Corvette tour. It really worked! The tour was fascinating. It's all limestone so the colors were not outstanding, but it is an impressive under-ground structure with may shapes and sizes of stalactites There are 357 miles of mapped underground caves and tunnels. We only did 3/4 of mile in an hour plus.
A picture saying more than 1000 words, I include several. To enlarge photo, just click on it.
New entrance domes
The Great Wall of China: Pools of water leave
deposits forming rim stone crusts or natural
dams. This one is only a few inches high and
about 3 feet in diameter.
Theater curtain. This travertine flow stone drapery
was formed by slow-dripping water. Many examples
of this can be seen in the Drapery room (an extra
40 steps down) of the Frozen Niagara section.
Ceiling of the Drapery room
Onyx Owl--another travertine form
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