Lewis & Clark Caverns

Our family, along with the two other families, went camping and exploring at the Lewis & Clark Caverns for a weekend. I have very fond memories as a kid when we went to the Carlsbad Caverns--I just knew the girls would love exploring the underground world. The campground we stayed at was really nice--it had a playground and bathroom facilities. The only problem was, down the road a couple of miles, a huge outdoor concert was being held the same weekend. Some of the shady characters that were camping at the concert site would come to the campground we were staying at to take advantage of the pay showers--very interesting people.

We took the morning to go down fishing by the river. The girls had more fun looking for frogs and other creepy crawlers than fishing.

Later in the afternoon, we headed up to the caverns. It was about an hour wait before we could go on the tour. The tour itself took about an hour. We had to hike up to the entrance which was about a mile--the girls did great. At the entrance, we got to see some bats. They made the girls a little nervous. Once inside the girls were amazed at the sites. We got to see all sorts of formations and learned many interesting facts. If you let your mind get the best of you and start thinking that you are underground--if the lights fail--oh, my! At one point, they do turn the lights off for a brief moment--I have to say, it is a little unsettling. The girls had a fabulous time--didn't complain once about all the walking we had to do. For me, it brought back memories from my childhood. It is a day they will remember and talk about for a while.

Here are the girls learning about a frog from a specialist.

Ready to head up to the caverns--I hope Daddy doesn't have to carry them like this the whole way!

Inside the caverns--Kailen looks a little apprehensive.

Really cool formations.

Rylee going down the "Beaver slide". The roof was low and you had to sit down and go through a tunnel. The surface was smooth and damp and had a ridge in the middle from all the butt cracks that have gone down. This was definitely one of the highlights.

Kailen going down the beaver slide.

Sisters!

Inside the hole is a crystal clear pool. The guide told everyone to make a wish. The girls still talk about the wish they made.

Kailen wanted to take a picture of us--not too bad.

Here are the girls and I 1 mile above sea level.

On Sunday, we had a bible study with the other families around a campfire. It was really neat. This was one of the best things we did this summer. I love camping and making memories with my family. I am sure it is something we will do again. Montana has so many cool things to do and we are having fun finding them all.