With my husband and 5-year-old daughter in tow we left Phoenix at 7 a.m. driving down I-10 towards Benson, Arizona on a cold and cloudy morning. After a 2.5 hour drive and one turn south off I-10 near Benson, Arizona we arrived at Kartchner Caverns State Park.
Since I'd never heard of Kartchner Caverns before this assignment I was fully expecting to be one of only a people visiting the Caverns on this cold early morning. I was pleasantly surprised to pull into a fairly packed parking lot at Kartchner Caverns.
We were greeted by a very friendly staff at the Discovery Center, a 23-thousand-square-foot center which houses exhibits that explain how the Caverns were discovered and the geology behind them. My daughter Nevaeh had a blast crawling through a replica of the tiny crevice the discovers had to crawl through in 1974 when the cave was first discovered. I'm not claustrophobic but it made my heart race just imagining a full size grown man squeezing his body through such a small hole in the dark and wet cave below the earth's surface. I'm glad they did though.
It was now time to take the short tram ride to the cave. After going through a series of locked doors we finally entered the cave. The first thing to hit my senses was the tremendous amount of humidity. My hair immediately started to curl and my camera guy had to stop to wipe the condensation off of his camera lens.
The pitch black and vastness of the cave was quite eerie. As you move deeper into the cave lights illuminate the limestone formations known as stalactites and stalagmites. The straw-like formations are tempting to touch but visitors are warned against touching the formations due to the risk of contaminating the living formation with the oils and bacteria on human skin. The promise to protect and preserve the caverns is a profound sense of culture that you find in every staff member that you speak to.
I had been told that the cave is a nursery to over 1,000 bats which to my relief I was told were not in mating season. As we wound our way through the Caverns at every turn we encountered distinct formations of all sizes, shapes, and colors. The highlight for me was the Kubla Khan, a 6 story high stalactite column. The feature is set of music and synchronized lights and has a viewing area. The best way to describe the experience it is sort of like a spiritual or zen like experience.
Kartchner Caverns may not be as well known as the Grand Canyon but it is truly one of mother natures' wonders. From the miraculous discovery of the caves, to the mission to protect and preserve them, to their miraculous beauty Kartchner Caverns is a precious gem Arizona gem that everyone should know about.
Watch Destination: AZ on Friday at 7 p.m.
