A hundred and fifty miles west of Hartford CT lay Howe Caverns, a local attraction since the 1840’s when these limestone formations were discovered. Many of us remember this as something we visited as children, although it was the first time for Gloria and I.
Anne and Buffalo Bob accompanied us on this longer, but workable day trip. Bob provided a little payback for the stuffed buffalo by presenting us with this cuddly stuffed bear. It might be a useful aid in working on Gloria’s phobia with regards to black bears.
Our trip to Howe Caverns was a good one. We used the interstate highway system to get there, rather than the wonderful secondary roads through western Massachusetts and central New York State, but the trip was still pleasant. Our route passed close to Cooperstown and the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Soccer Hall of Fame, some destinations we are saving for other trips.
Howe Caverns are well managed. The visitor center was comfortable and clean. The snack bar provided good, modestly priced fare. The gift shop was varied and likewise inexpensive. In addition to the caves the site has motel accommodations, and some new outdoor attractions, zip lines and rope courses which we all elected to pass by.
The cave experience compared favorably to other caves we have visited. Howe Caverns lacks the huge chambers of Luray Caverns (101 Cave Hill Road Luray, VA) and the complex formations of Chrystal Cave in Kutztown Pennsylvania, or the floating walkways of Chrystal Caves in Hamilton Parish, Bermuda. However, the long winding trail along the River Styx that flows at the base of Howe Caverns provides a unique an interesting experience. We especially liked two features, a boat ride along a subterranean lake, and a completely creepy walk through a narrow, serpentine corridor. This long winding path had many twists and sharp turns giving the impression that at any moment we would run out of tunnel. The lofty ceilings and smooth, tight, passages were enough to produce a little claustrophobia in Buffalo Bob and me.
The only question our able guide, Abigail, was unable to answer was why the caves were built so far from I-88! (The things tourists ask!)
If you like caves, or just want to get out of the heat for the day, this attraction is worth the trip.
1 comment:
Brought back memories.
I've been to the Baseball Hall of Fame many times and always enjoy it. There's also a farmers museum there that we used to visit when I was a kid and there's the Cooper House - not to mention the opera. It's a neat little town.
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