Spelunking in Marvel Cave

April 10, 2015- Spelunking is the recreational exploration of caves...unless you're in the UK, in which case it's called potholing.  The Brits and their weird terms for things...although "spelunking" is a bit odd already.

Anyway, pardon my linguistic digression...

The bat guano (look that term up for yourself) of Marvel Cave was the first reason why people settled in what is now known as Silver Dollar City.  Later, there were recreational tours given and it became the first attraction for what is now the Silvery Dollar City theme park. 

My family and I used to tour the cave all of the time when we were younger, so I was very excited to tour it again after an absence of more than 8 years.

Oh, and this is also the second in a "series" of 3 posts of our trip down to Branson in April of 2015:

Branson

[Marvel Cave]

Silver Dollar City

Before we went down to the cave we were given a plethora of negative possibilities that could occur on this tour, which was very reminiscent of a drug commercial you'd see on TV.

Well, it scared off some, but it steeled the nerves of the determined few who continued to venture into the very bowels of the earth.  Time for a "Journey into the Center of the Earth!"

The Haguewoods are cautiously using the hand rails 

- while the lady in front of them is recklessly taking a selfie?

Our tour guide, Tim.  or was it Rick?  Charlie?  I really don't remember.

Maybe it was Chip?  Nah...that'd be way too obvious for a cave guide.

We'll just call him Steve.  Steve is a nice name.

I'm going to completely obliterate any remaining semblance of respectability this blog may have if I keep posting internet gifs like this...

View from above and below

This room/cavern is absolutely enormous.

One time they simultaneously had 5 hot air balloons floating in this cave.

That pillar to the right is called "The Sentinel"

We ooohhh-ed and ahhhh-ed over "the sentinel" at the tour guide's behest.

Okay, random thought - but can you imagine holding a church service down amongst the catacombs like the early Christians in Rome did?

At one point, the electric lights were completely shut off and we got to see what it must've been like to explore the cave by candlelight.  

We travel down a few hundred steps to the floor of the cave

This photo is terribly -disconcerting- if you see it unexpectedly.

We continue walking traversing through a maze of staircases through the cave.

This "shelf" or rock was lit up with colored lights, which looked incredible.

The final room before we head up and out of the cave

..and to give her due credit, Kate came down into the cave with us and took this photo.

The ONE bat that we spotted on the tour

Just try and wrap your head around this picture!

Enormous calcite formations

#SoGratefulForRailings

To get out of the cave, we are pulled up in a shuttle

Silver Dollar City

April 9-10, 2015- On the last two days of our trip down to Branson, we visited Silver Dollar City!

It'd been something like 3-5 years since I'd visited the park, and it'd also been awhile since most of the Haguewoods had been, so it was fun to rediscover it together.

On the shuttle from parking lot

We weren't in the park for long, before these troublemaking, malcontent, lollygaggers were put in stocks by the Silver Dollar City sheriff.

We still had a great day without them.

Time for a ride on the Flooded Mine

I'm not going to say who got the most points by shooting the targets...

...because that would be bragging.

Taking a turn on the Electro-Spin in the Grand Exposition

I was just waiting for that mug of water to slip off the ship and into my face.

I almost said "Thank goodness for centrifugal force," but to be accurate,  I really should be thanking inertia.

I actually got sick on this ride - even though I sat in the middle!

It must be my age...

Well, a little time on stable terra firma and a bite to eat soon set me right.

Time for Gideon to ride his first roller coaster...

...and look at his reaction!  He wanted to do it again!

Time for some of the bigger roller coasters and the...

....Giant Barn Swing.  This thing is terrifying.

Outlaw Run is the newest roller coaster at Silver Dollar City 

 It goes 68 miles per hour which makes it the second-fastest wooden roller coaster in the world. 

It also features the second steepest drop of a wooden roller coaster at 81° beyond horizontal.

It's also the only wooden roller coaster in the world with multiple inversions.

"Two"

Wildfire's beautiful view of Table Rock Lake and the Ozarks

I asked Ben to get in the seat and to look scared.

Well done!

These guys wanted to ride it a second time!

Though it look like Jay is having second thoughts!

A picture of abject terror.  

Whether from aquaphobia or acrophobia, I'm not sure. 

Well, since we were already wet, it was time to hit the water cannons on the River Blast:

The faces of concentration are so hilarious:

Well, and since we were really wet after that ride, it was time to hit the Lost River:

Can I just say that I am so glad that I had the forethought to take carefully stow away my socks before we rode this?

This was my final wave before I got absolutely soaked!

Ready for some major cuteness? 

That hat.

Backwards.

Edible.

Inside of this store, we watched a potter make a flower pot before our eyes.

It turned into a bit of a theological discussion when Kate asked the potter, "Why he was making it into this?"  The full purport of the question was totally lost on the potter, but I loved his Ephesians 2 retort:

"Well, first, clay doesn't talk.

Secondly, the clay wouldn't want to be anything other than clay."

Ca-ching!

Enjoying the mind-bending physics of "Grandfather's Mansion"

And I'll end this post by giving a farewell hug!