Friday, October 29, 2021

Oct 29 -- Appalachian Caverns in Blountville, TN

   Rain all morning.  So, hanging out inside.  Peter has a lot of computer work, and I caught up on the blog.  After lunch we drove over to the nearby Appalachian Caverns.  This is another instance of finding interesting things and places to see wherever we are.  

  The caverns are very extensive, going down underground for 200 feet.  They have been used by various groups for different purposes over the centuries.  They have been privately owned and commercialized for tourism since the 90's.  The native Americans used the caverns for winter homes, the civil war soldiers used it for a hospital, the bats love it.  Now the guides give not only the walking tour, on a paved walkway, with many bridges, but also do "wild" and "explorative" tours.  They take people through very narrow tunnels, through the water ways (there are two streams flowing through the caverns), up or down steep  rock slopes, into rooms not easily accessed, and doing things I wouldn't dream of on a public tour.  Not all of the caverns have been explored.  The formations are not as exciting as many others we have seen, but the whole feel of these caverns was really interesting.  We enjoyed our tour.  

Appalachian Caverns photos:








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