Road Trip, vol. 5

January 13, 1933 The next morning we started about 9:45, and drove to the Carlsbad Cavern where we bought our tickets for a tour of the cave. The tickets were $1.65 apiece which seemed rather high, but when we came out we knew that it was about the most worthwhile way we had ever spent our money. The tour started at 10:30 and lasted til 3:30 which was when we got out of the cavern.

We started down into the cavern over a series of switchback trails until we came to a large room a few hundred feet below the surface, where we rested while one of the rangers in charge gave a short lecture on the formation of the caverns. We then went on through a large chamber for perhaps a quarter of an hour when the ranger said we were only coming to the cavern proper. During this time, the formations in the cave were few and not very interesting. We then continued onward and down until we reached larger passages about 400 feet below the level of the entrance. Here we entered a portion of the cavern with some very interesting ornaments. When the lights were placed, various shadows were cast on the walls and the ceiling, some of which resembled human faces, cats, witches, an Indian’s head, etc. One stalagmite resembled an elephant’s ear. A light had been placed back of it, and shown through it. In on place on a wall, a formation had grown that resembled exactly a man’s face while reclining. We then went still lower over stairways and trails and through narrow passages until we reached the main floor at the 750 foot level. On the way, we passed by a loose boulder, supposedly the largest in any cave, weighing probably some 22,000 tons. We then passed through three rooms: the King’s Palace, the Queen’s Bedroom, and the Papoose’s room. In the King’s room, we saw a stalactite called The King’s Bell Cord, which was eight feet long, and one-quarter of an inch in diameter, also being hollow in the center throughout. There were many stalactites and stalagmites in all the chambers and many unusual formations. In one place the formations were growing in any direction. (to be continued...)