Category: Central States

Dad grew up with an American Flyer train set.  As a kid, Joe played with Dad’s train set.  Here it looks like Joe is playing with a model train set outside our hotel.

This cave really is mammoth.  It has over 400 miles of explored and mapped passages in a 7 mile distance above ground, the most in the world.  They discover about 3-4 more miles each year.

Natural entrance.  There technically are 27 entrance and only a third of them are natural.

During the 1800’s tour guides would allow people to use smoke to write their name on the ceiling of the cave.  You can see some more recent white scratched names.  We saw a “Joe” and had to give Mr. Junior Ranger Joe a hard time!  haha!

On our 4 hour tour today, the ranger pointed out a union solder, Wad Wallace, who in 1863 wrote his name on the wall.  He would later become a pharmacist.

Gypsum flowers on the ceiling.  Gypusm is a widely distributed mineral consisting of hydrous calcium sulfate that is used especially as a soil amendment as well as plaster of paris and as building materials in plaster, board products, and tiles and blocks.  It grows at a rate of about a fingernail width each year!

At a rest stop along our tour.  You can see more names on the cave wall.

Joe is tricking Mom that he has reception on his phone 300 plus feet underground!  She believed him!  haha!!  No wonder he and Erik couldn’t seem to keep a straight face!

Mammoth cave, because of the sandstone “cap” that is on top of the limestone, is a relatively dry cave and therefore does not have many cave formations in it.  A small area of the cave that is lacking the sandstone cap above the limestone does have water seep in and in this room, called the drapery room, you see beautiful flow stone.  

Cave crickets!  

Last Junior Ranger stop for Joe!  He acquired 6 Junior Ranger badges this trip.  Only about 300+ more to go to catch them all!

Inside this building is a replica of Lincoln’s log cabin birth home.  There were 56 steps leading up to the memorial for the 56 years he lived.

Wonderful vacation!  I asked Erik what he liked best on this trip and he said exploring and climbing at Pedestal Rock.  Joe said his favorite was Blue Spring where he lost the polarizing filter off the camera and ultimately dove down to retrieve it.  Mom liked the Lincoln Museum which was by far the best interactive and informative museum she’s ever visited.  Dad copied Mom and agreed that the Lincoln museum was great.  Overall though, the best part was spending time with family!  Wish David could have joined us, but maybe next time.

 Graceland wasn’t exactly on the bucket list of things to see, but it was interesting.

In front of Elvis’ home, which wasn’t as enormous as envisioned.

 Beautiful pieces of stain glass in the foyer and living room.

The kitchen was certainly a 70’s kitchen with the classic avocado sink and coffee pot!

Elvis had the same counter-top material as we have on our kitchen table TODAY!!!  Paul’s parents had good tastes:)

The staircase to the basement was covered with mirrors on 3 sides… trippy!

The ceiling and walls in Elvis’ pool room were completely covered with over 350 yards of fabric that took workers 9 days to install.

The “jungle room” inspired by his love for Hawaii.  The stone work is similar to our stonework in our home!  He copied us!!! haha!

The “jungle room” with the green carpeting on the ceiling as well as floor.  This room just screams ’70’s!!!

Standing in what used to be his racquetball court, this now houses many of his gold, platinum, and diamond records.  The ipads we have around our neck were just introduced this past week during Elvis Week.  We found them pretty slick.  You could click on extra icons on the screen to hear sound bites, see photos and scan the room. Each room/area had a page on the ipad.  Very cool.

We came during the annual Elvis Week.  There were many memorials from fans, even the Norwegians!!  haha!!!

Inside his plane, the Lisa Marie, his sink, faucet and belt buckles were gold plated!

While still in Memphis we visited The River Walk at Mud Island which features a scale replica of the lower half of the Mississippi River (starting at St. Louis).

They skipped the upper Mississippi and all we got was this lousy waterfall wall.

Strolling down the Mississippi River.

Standing in the Mississippi River, where we are in real life – Memphis.

With the Gulf of Mexico in the background, Erik is doing some acrobatics.

Shot with rapid fire mode on the camera.

Jumping over Joe!

Joe found a JOBOX!

Mom and dad in front of the “pipe organ” at Mystic Cave in Arkansas.  This cave was different than our last cave in that it was more of a “used” cave.  There was black smoke on the formations from when a distillery  was hidden in the cave to make moonshine.  There also used to be a dance floor between formations and they still have Christmas Eve services in the cave with candlelight.
This formation was called the crystal bell. White crystals glisten from it, thus the name.

This formation is called the dragon.  The head is in the upper left with the spine and tail trailing down towards the lower right.

Done with the cave, we’re off to have lunch.  A shiny rainbow colored lizard on a tree greeted us at our next stop, Pedestal Rock.

Note what’s for lunch for Dad and Joe!  Twizzlers, cookies and apple danish!

Dad scaring mom! and it worked!!! as it always does!! repeatedly!!!

Erik is climbing this tree to reach the top of the ledge.  You’d think Mom would be saying don’t do it, it’s dangerous, but no, she’s taking photos!!  In case he falls, it’s documented!

Erik making his way into an unknown cave!  We just watch.

Spiders in the caves – Erik’s worst nightmare!  He quickly leaves!!!  haha!

Mom commented that this sign must mean “watch your children do cool things on the high cliffs”!

Next stop.. Hot Springs National Park which is all located in the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

The 47 springs are covered to protect water quality.  These provide water for the town, freely available to the public at several water stations.  Many locals visit these stations to fill up jugs for home use.

143 degree water emerges from the spring.  This is a bit cooler after having been piped over their fountains, but still very hot!

Mom enjoying a relaxing bath.

At the Fordyce bathhouse… Hello Joe!

Comfy?  Erik relaxing in stall ‘E’.

Cleaning up after a hard day’s work.

The fountain in the men’s section of the bathhouse.

The stained glass above the fountain previously pictured.  The women got no such statue, fountain, or stained glass and had many fewer tubs.

The Fordyce bathhouse even had a nice size gymnasium.

The 3rd floor Assembly Room had a piano, pool table, and lots of stained glass.

Sitting in the lobby of the Fordyce bathhouse.

Enjoyed gelato at the Superior Baths.

A now and then shot next to the hot spring behind the Fordyce bathhouse.  The photo on the right was taken in July 1997 when we were down in Arkansas for Paul’s Central States ham radio conference.  We were missing David to get the full replica shot!

We brought our Little Caesar’s pizza to Sonic for half price shakes.

Driving into St. Louis the arch is indeed a focal point of their skyline.

On our way to the arch.

We made it to the arch, but unfortunately we were about 30 mins too late to go up the arch.  We will have to come back. 

Joe in his Jolly Green Giant pose.Erik said the arch is now the 2nd coolest structure he’s ever seen. Devil’s Tower is his top favorite.

At the hotel, the artwork above Erik’s bed was perfect for him.

We will be experiencing a few caves on this vacation. This was cave number one.

This cave continues to be actively growing.  These are the “twins.”

Many interesting formations in this cave.  

This cave has quite a bit of natural water that seeps into it.  Before it was owned by the state, the owner formed up concrete walls to make the pools.  It is a good idea it was willed to the state finally, although the cave needs GE to come in and donate some LED lights.  You can find algae growing on the rocks by the light sources.  LED lights reportedly would minimize the algae growth.

An usual formation.  The ground shifted a few times as this formation grew, thus the curved shape.

Watch were you’re walking!

This was by far the most beautiful room, the lily pad room, with it’s pristine water, and lily pad formations.

More evidence of cave ins and ground shifting, but the formations have remained intact.

Now we’re off to the Ozarks through Missouri and Arkansas.

This spring was incredible!  Well worth visiting, but I don’t think visited too much.

The color was jaw dropping gorgeous!  The color was not photo enhanced.  It really was this blue.

You’d think it was colored water.

Nice place to relax and take pictures.  Joe is in the distance to Erik’s left taking pictures, and Dad is relaxing in the distance on Erik’s right.

Soon after this photo, Joe, Mr. Butterfingers, spins the polarizing filter off the camera into the water!  We can see it sitting on a ledge down in the water.

Erik heads into the water to retrieve it, or so he thinks.

He gave it a college try, but no luck.

Joe heads in.  He is sure he can do it.

Success!!!

Next we head off to Big Springs.  The water is very swift.

Not too many flowers in bloom right now, but found this pretty cone flower.

Photo by Big Springs, which really is the outpouring of water from a stream that disappears into a cave somewhere and then magically springs out holes in the rock, hence the name “spring.”

The water was nice and blue, but Blue Springs had it beat in color intensity.

We really haven’t seen much wild life on this trip.  There was a sign entering this park that said it was a sanctuary for animals, and indeed this is where all the deer in this area hang out!

Passed this lone tree along the way, and though it was very beautiful. It reminded us of this lone tree we once saw in Hawaii.Just a little rain on our way to the hotel, but overall the weather has been great. Hot, and humid, but this is the south in August!