Sunday, August 8, 2010

Day-Trippin'

Last week, I went on a little day trip with my grandparents and two of my cousins. The main attraction was a place called Mystic Caverns in Harrison, Arkansas (about a 3 hour drive from Tulsa). I was so excited about this trip for multiple reasons. For starters, I couldn't wait to spend the whole day with my wonderful family! But I am also very interested in caves, as you may have discovered when I showed pictures from my wedding trip. This place did not disappoint!

As you can tell by the raindrops in this photo, it was a cool, drizzly day, which was a welcomed change after the ridiculously hot weather I've been living through lately.



The caves were BEAUTIFUL!







This formation is called a wedding cake. I thought the name was fitting as I was looking at this huge, layered heap of glittering rock. Can you see the sparkles?



And while we're on the topic of food, check out the cave bacon!



At the very end of the tour, the guide showed us how the caves used to be displayed before a reporter insinuated it was tacky. They previously used colored lights, but the cave is no longer shown that way except for a brief glance because the owners wanted a more natural look. I must be tacky, because I love the colors!



Once we emerged from the caverns, I noticed how lovely the grounds were. The entire area was beautifully landscaped.







My grandma and I took a moment to pose for a photo together in front of the flowers. Isn't she adorable? She reads my blog too, by the way. Hi, Grandma!!



Before we left the area, we decided to stop at a nearby fish hatchery. I wasn't quite sure what the attraction of such a place would be until we pulled up to the gates and I saw the gorgeous scenery.





There were two winding creeks with crystal-clear water. The rainbow trout inhabiting these waters were clearly visible.



Since there was an abundance of trout (hundreds of them!), a hawk decided to help himself to some lunch. He was perched on a wall, guarding the remains of a fish he had caught.



It was so nice to spend time out in nature, since it's been too hot to really enjoy the outdoors for the past few weeks.





The ride home was pleasant. We stopped at a farm stand where I bought some homemade pickles, and I sat in the back seat taking pictures of the sky.





Have you gone on any fun outings with your family this summer?

28 comments:

Unknown said...

That cave looks magical. I went to some caves like that when I was younger, I think in Tennessee. They are pretty amazing.

Briana Shepley said...

Te-he, bacon cave :)

Audrey said...

Beautiful photo's!! We went to Carlsbad Caverns when I was young. It's amazing how everything is formed.

genial said...

Many people will just do the main Mystic Caverns but you also go through there which features glow worms, a river and beautiful formations. It does have a beautiful collection of stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and decorative formations, making it well worth visiting. Amazing :)

Margie said...

Beautiful Pictures! Our little family went to Fantastic Caverns in '08 and we all fell in love! Can you imagine discovering a cave back in the day when all you had was a candle to light your way through it, now that's cool!

Caitlin said...

Oh my gosh what a pretty place!! The caves and the hatchery! Trout are pretty fish. ^.^

Thanks for the recent comments! My birthday was fantastic. ^.^ And I know Janson appreciates you watching his video. I feel annoying posting links about it everywhere, but he's my buddy and I want him to win. lol I'm glad you enjoyed it! I didn't think anyone would watch it. :D

Mitch Embry said...

I wish I could have gone with you guys, it looks like fun.

Heather said...

oooh...all these foodie caves make me hungry ;) I can just imagine how cool (in more ways than one) those caves were! And its been a while since I've seen so much green ;)

Oh! Also wanted to let you know that I fully plan on having my necklaces and more at Indie! I cant wait! I'll be seeing you there! :D

Pili said...

Wow, what great photos!
I'm super glad to hear you had a wonderful day trip with the family!
And those caverns are awesome indeed!!

Btw, the cave bacon was hilarious!

Jenn Milt Art said...

wow, those caves are absolutely beautiful! I'm sure it was great being with loved ones there as well ;)

Christie Cottage said...

Beautiful photographs!!!

Were those bread and butter pickles??? Now I want some!

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Unknown said...

Great photos; you're a much braver person than I am...I think I'd freak in caverns.

apparentlyjessy said...

I bet it was really nice to walk into those cool still caves on such a hot summers day! I also like the coloured lights more, makes it more magical and enchanting!
I miss family outings, haven't been on a proper one in ages, now on the to do list for summer!

Rose said...

The caves look lovely, in one way I like the natural look more, but I also think the coloured lights look awesome. It would be great if they could do half the cave natural, half coloured then everyone would be happy ;) and yes I can see the sparkles on the 'wedding cake'. The grounds look real pretty, and your granny looks like a sweetie, i can see a little similarity there too.
Thanks for sharing your day with us Holly :)

Rose

Amy Perrotti said...

Sounds like a great trip with your family! I've never visited caves. I need to take my little girl.

I lived on Fish Hatchery Road when I was little. We loved visiting, hiking. I especially enjoyed certain times of the year when we would take our little red wagon and there would be baby frogs or toads everywhere. We would pick them up by the handfuls and put them in the wagon and watch them go leaping out. :)

cabin + cub said...

Wow.. that cave looks amazing. I would have loved to see that in person. So cool to see all the formation that nature creates! ;)

Robin Thomas said...

I should take my daughter there next week. I am kinda serious. So great. You are such a doll.

alexkeller said...

so incredible! there are caverns not too far from here, and we want to take our son - but maybe when he's just a little older

Jamie-Lee Burns said...

oh wow, those caves look incredible! x

http://pagesixxx.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I always love visiting your blog Holly! You always have pictures of your little life journeys and it inspires me to carry my camera around more often. I use it most as a tool for my shop, but I forgot how fun it is to capture life through a view finder, thank you! ♥

p.s. I liked the lights in the cave. especially since you could still see all the natural areas too... so you got a little bit of both. ;)

dblchin (double chin) said...

Oooo... those cave looks exciting!

Renee said...

How exciting! Love this post and all the nature pictures. Have you been to Red Bud Valley? I think that's what it's called. My grandmother used to take me there when I was younger. LOVE IT!

You and your grandma are soooo cute! I bet they had tons of fun hanging with you :)

Oh and you'll totally have to promote your Etsy Class on FB and stuff so I can share it too!! (that is if they're still enrolling) Yay!

Renee said...

Oh and I caverns are so freaking cool! I love to think about how much time it takes to make those crazy formations.. Wedding Cake and Bacon are totally fitting names!

BonBon Rose Girls Kristin said...

How cool! I need to take the dude on my outdoor adventures!

Tasha said...

Mmm, cave bacon! And who knew a fish hatchery could be so lovely?

Kirsten said...

Holly, What beautiful pictures! i'm so glad that you had fun with your family. I especially love the picture of you and your Gram! I used to tour caves and caverns years ago and I always loved it! Have a great weekend! Kirsten

JUST ME said...

Those cave pictures look like something Steven Spielberg dreamed up to scare the beejesus out of me in the 80's.

devonrose said...

Aww! That sounds perfectly lovely! I love the cobblestone road and the pic of the river:) Beautiful!
xoxo