I searched in a general couple hour drive radius, checking out a few places, and this place - Desoto Caverns in Childersburg, Alabama - looked the most interesting at the moment.
I packed a picnic lunch and we left out after John got in and got a shower. Later than I had wanted to leave, but we got lucky...I had forgotten the time zones, so we gained an hour when we crossed into Alabama.
It's still the off-season, so the place wasn't busy at all. But it's just Spring-y enough that the Jonquils were out and everything doesn't look so grey and dead.
The grounds were pretty, clean. The day was clear, sunny, up around 70*, not humid. Beautiful day.
We paid our admission and walked around a bit checking things out until time for our cave tour.
We walked down a tunnel to get to the cave, and then walked in to where the big main part opens up, and it was just an awesome sight to see. I took pictures, but they are discolored and grainy and don't do the real sight down there justice.
We toured around and saw some different things and got our picture taken. The cave had taken alot of abuse from over the years, with alot of broken stags, but still very neat, I thought.
After our cave tour we went to the big pavillion by the campground and ate our picnic lunch. Amazing how much better sandwiches taste away from home. Kind of like hotdogs at a ballgame.
After lunch we went to do some of the activities offered at the park; pedal car racing, bath tub racing, shooting bows & arrows, going in the big, wood wall maze, rock wall climbing, mini golf, panning for jewels, riding on some spin-around-until-you-puke things.
We all had a good time and enjoyed ourselves.
Would I recommend making a special trip any amount of distance to visit the place? No. But if you're in the general area, with not much else to do, then it's a nice place to pass a nice Spring day.
