Benson, Arizona - Kartchner Caverns Arizona State Park

Feb. 4, 2009 (Wednesday)
On our way to Kartchner Caverns! One of my favorite places that we happened upon 2 years ago on our SW Tour. Got there about 4:30, office was closed so drove on over to the campground. Found an empty site, #37, the last pull-through! Park is pretty full. Self-pay is cash only so we told the camp host that we’d go to office and pay tomorrow.

Feb. 5, 2009 (Thursday)
Bought 10:45am The Big Room tour ($46 for 2) for the caverns. It is wonderful the amount of time and trouble that the state took to keep any human interaction with the caverns to a minimal, if any, damage to the cavern living eco. The Big Room was a wonderful tour but we both liked the Rotunda/Throne Rooms tour better. The finale of it was a beautiful lights and music program where the Big Room was “we hope you enjoyed the tour”.
Lunch then off to see Tombstone again. Our last trip there I had a migraine so was not able to really enjoy it. We roamed through a few gift shops (there are plenty there!) and we were both hungry for pizza so went back to Big Nose Kate’s for dinner. Drove up to Benson to restock our food supply at Wal-mart and refuel the truck.
Shame on us! We didn't take any pictures this leg of the trip!

Another great day at Kartchner Caverns!

Bruce on our walk around the foothills of Kartchner Caverns

We’d decided to stay another day since it’s so nice here, the weather has been great, 75 today and we have no idea of what’s ahead. Weather is supposed to get a little cooler with a chance of rain tomorrow so we’ll move on tomorrow. Got up this morning and took a 3 mile walk through the hills. What a great work out and beautiful scenery! Grilled some burgers then into Hauchaca City to do laundry and the truck. Lady running the Laundry Mat was from OKC and her ex is the Sam’s Club manager in Lawton. Small world!

Kartchner Caverns Arizona State Park

Getting the heck outta Lifestyle RV Park in Willcox, AZ! There is a train track nearby that runs every 15 minutes and has to blow their horn all the way through the city. As you can imagine, very little sleep! By 6 AM decided that we just as well get up and get things packed down for hitting the road. Found an ACE store around the corner that had the screws we needed to get the skirt back in place, went to McD for breakfast and head toward the Kartchner State Park.
WOW, do we love this park! The view is unbelievable, the Camphost, Mary, came up immediately upon us picking our spot to greet us and give us any brochures we may not have got at Registration. She said that she had been told that traffic was pretty brisk so may want to get Cavern tour tickets ASAP so headed over the Dicovery to see what was what. The Big Room tour was already booked for the rest of the day so we bought tickets for the Routunda/Throne Rooms tour at 3:00. Went back to the 5er to have lunch then back for the tour and what a tour!! Our tour guide was an older gentleman, thinking probably a volunteer that trades RV site for work. Very nice and enjoyable guide. Very impressive the amount of time and expense that the State took to make sure that the Caverns were protected as much as possible and what the 2 guys that had discovered it when through to protect it. The 2 guys had found it in 1973 and kept it a secret of 14 years before deciding that there was enough concern that someone else could stumble across it and vandalize it. They thought that they were on government land but after investigating, found that it was private property owned by a teacher/rancher named Kartchner. They approached them with the find and the concern for secrecy. The family decided that they could not afford what would be required so then the decision was made to approach the State. This was also done in secrecy, it was quite fascinating the way they managed to keep this all under wraps until the time was right to protect the caverns. The caverns were something that left everyone speechless by the end of the tour. Want to go back some day to go through the Big Room, which is used during summer by the bats as a nursery.  Bruce called his Mom to see about everyone and found out that his Dad had to be admitted to the hospital due to his cat biting his hand and it was now severely infected. Hard to be away from "home" when family is sick!