Caves Should Be Rated R

After the hike down into Carlsbad Caverns, we finally reached the main portion of the cave that is open for visitors.  And we were in another world.

The Big Room is the most visited portion of the cave.  The park service has installed a paved walkway, that is approximately 1 mile in length and goes around its perimeter.

Why does the Big Room go by that name?  It's floor space is over 350,000 square feet!!  One area is called the Hall of the Giants.  Another imaginative name.  The stalagmites pictured above rise over 60 feet from the level of the trail. So trust me - the things in these photos are MUCH larger than they appear!

These formations are called soda straws.  They form so that the inside is hollow.  Eventually the end will fill and they will become a stalactite.

This one is called the Lion's Tail.  It is a stalactite with a formation called popcorn on its tip.

We called this the Wall of Jellyfish.  It was made up of my favorite type of formation - draperies.  Loved how delicate this type looked.

If you are under 18 or are offended by nudity, please turn away now.  

In this next section of cave, Vol Fan and I learned that all caves should be rated R.  As stalagmites begin to form, they start as what we called 'Cave Boobs'.

And yes, we thought that was hilarious!!  It doesn't take much to amuse us.  :)