jewel cave lantern tour

Another hit on our Passport was a venture to Jewel Cave.  Ty doesn't mind being constricted or confined or crawling in small areas...I on the other hand am a bit claustrophobic.  Luckily our tour led us thru open areas.  Tyler voted for us to do the tour were you have to crawl through small spaces.  Most of the tour voted against that path, I included.  It could be kind of cool though to have to crawl.  There is some kind of tour where you wear helmets with lights on them so you can see as you army crawl through.  No, but thanks anyway.

Tour guide.  Adorable outfits.

Walking to the cave.  So beautiful.

I'm a little nervous (and so dramatic).  Our guide asked several times if anyone was claustrophobic.  Tyler told me to keep my hand down.

Funny how Tyler doesn't like heights and I don't like confined space and yet we both enjoyed Jewel Cave.  The passes for the lantern tour were around $20 for a pair of tickets.  The cave was cool and by "cool" I mean cold.  Bring a sweater or cardigan or blanket.  

Not cool.

We had to walk down really steep and high steps.  I loved it but Tyler was moving pretty slow down the "stadders"...I think that's what it was called...a mix between stairs and ladders.

We only wished we could venture deeper into the cave but instead we had to follow the tour.  Apparently, if an earthquake arises we would be safer in the cave than on the Earth's surface.  Something about the waves of an earthquake have room to move in a cave and then erupting on the surface.  Being that I'm no science teacher, I am sure I messed up that explanation but either way it did seem a bit unbelievable to be safer 1,000 feet below surface.  

Heaven's Room, or named something similar, was peaceful, spacious, and amazing.  Amazing with the way we had to walk through such tight spaces and then end up in a room so large and open.