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We took a mini-RoadTrip last week while our college student sons were on Spring Break. We went to the Grand Canyon, but we also took a day and went to the Grand Canyon Caverns, near Seligman. The Caverns are located on Route 66. We took I40 West from Williams to Seligman, and then Rt 66 to the Caverns.
A lot of people in Arizona have never heard of the Grand Canyon Caverns.
Now, the Calsbad Caverns they are NOT. The GCCaverns are what they call a "dry" cave. So they don't have the huge, impressive stalagtites and stalagmites. But they ARE interesting. An elevator takes you 200+ feet down, and a walking trail through the caverns (small group guided walks) is an interesting way to spend awhile. Highlights (besides the rocks) include a mummified bobcat, and a huge replica of a ground sloth whose bones they found in the cave. Tourists can have their photo taken against a green screen in the caverns headquarters, and then printed with the sloth replica towering up behind them.
Our Tour Guide did a good job of explaining the history of the Caverns- how they were discovered and developed, and why they are named the Grand Canyon Caverns when they are quite a ways fron the Canyon.
Yes, It's all very "touristy". But it's fun.
When I was a little girl my family took an annual summer trip to Arkansas, where my Mom and Dad grew up. Along the way we stopped at all the "tourist traps"- See the thing! (I never did figure out what it was), Stop at the giant arrow, see the mountain lion! (poor thing in a cage) See the rattlesnakes!
The Caverns have that same, unabashed, tourist feel. There are lots of souvenirs to buy, exhibits to look at, it's just a lot of fun.
Take a vacation if you can, even for a day. It makes life seem so much better.
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