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Day 26: University of Kentucky and Mammoth Cave National Park’s Mammoth Passages Tour

All over the world children watch their Disney movies and visions of theme parks dance in their heads. Bicyclers dream of the Tour de France, gamblers dream of Las Vegas, and mountain climbers dream of Mount Everest. Mammoth Cave of Kentucky is a lot like the Disney World of the caver. The longest cave in the world, and numerous books and stories of the exploration of the never-ending Mammoth Caverns has kept many cavers dreaming of the underworld.
Today I awoke in Lexington, Kentucky to tour the University of Kentucky, my 3rd stop in my list of potential graduate schools to visit. The University is conveniently located in the midst of Kentucky karst, the library (which holds the record for the largest book endowment of all public universities in the nation) even sits atop two sinkholes which required special foundation design so that it could achieve the feat. The U of K seems to be the perfect size: being both large enough to offer ample facilities (and has a growing geology department), yet small enough that the graduate program still affords a family-like atmosphere. Everyone was friendly, and caving is a serious sport in the area.

The University of Kentucky. June 3, 2011

I ate dinner the night before at Thai Orchid Cafe, where I enjoyed some very yummy peanut chicken. I chose the restaurant because of it’s decoration: orchids galore. It made me feel a little homesick for my own orchids that I have left in the care of my loving sister back home in Missouri. I enjoyed lunch today with some of the geology graduate students where I was able to get a true sense of what the campus was like, and tips on what to look for when seeking a graduate school. I love this opportunity because it gives me the chance to find out what graduate students wish they knew before they entered graduate school and gives me a lot to think about. All in all, I loved the University of Kentucky. Even the quirky robots that make deliveries in the medical building, where the cafeteria is located.

The Univerisity of Kentucky delivery robot. June 3, 2011

After my pleasant visit with the University of Kentucky I headed towards my theme park: The Mammoth Cave National Park. It was a palatable drive from Lexington, and has some great camping facilities (even if you do have to use those silly little tokens to take a shower, each token costs about $2.50 and lasts 10 minutes). The camp store is well stocked, both with products and helpful staff, and located a short walk from the camp. Everything is located within a short walk from the campsite. In fact, once I parked my Jeep at the campsite when I arrived, it didn’t move until two days later when I left the area.

The Mammoth Cave National Park camp store's new sign. June 3, 2011

Arriving later in the afternoon, I had time to take a shorter tour and, planning on taking the long tour the next day that encompassed almost every other tour (exempting the Wild cave tour) I was left with the Mammoth Passages tour. The tour enters through a natural entrance (a short walk from the visitor center, which for me included an encounter with a 2′ copperhead that decided to wander into the trail. The guide expertly kept the snake to the side with his hat after I pointed the snake out, and had everyone walk around before allowing the snake to continue across the walking path).

Looking back out the natural entrance of Mammoth Passages tour at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. June 3, 2011

The Mammoth Passages tour shows you what a majority of the longest cave in the world looks like: Huge, oval shaped passages with no speleothem development. The caves were named for this feature, having passages of an abnormally large size. While the cave is lacking in speleothem development, it makes up for in size many times over. It was used, as many caves are, by the natives between 4000 and 2000 years ago, when they left moccasins and other indications of human activity. Later the cave was used as a Salt-Petre mine during the war of 1812, over 400,000 lbs of calcium nitrate being extracted from the cave. After the war it had many uses such as a tuberculosis quarantine area, a church, a mushroom farm, and of course tourism, of which it is still used for today.

Moccasins in the Mammoth Passages tour of Mammoth Cave. Kentucky, June 3, 2011

I found the tour guide, as with most of the National Park run caves, to be very informative and fairly accurate in their description of the geology and the history. The kind of tour I appreciate, not only for my own knowledge, but for the education of the general public who are often mislead by private cave tour guides who are encouraged to elaborate upon their stories. My guide today was wonderful, a man who only works during the summer as he is retired.

The black cherry preserves and biscuits at Mammoth Cave Hotel Restaurant. June 3, 2011

Afterward I enjoyed a fried chicken dinner (it seemed appropriate for Kentucky) at the Mammoth Cave Hotel Restaurant, which included biscuits with black cherry preserves. Everything was wonderful, the biscuits with preserves so exceptionally good that I could have made a meal out of them alone. The prices weren’t bad either, comparable to your local Applebees price point. The campsite was large and amenable, and everyone I met on staff was helpful and friendly.

Shower tokens at Mammoth Cave N.P. June 3, 2011

Tomorrow I will be spending more time in my “Disney Land”. While I do prefer to focus on speleothem development and this cave has very little it is certainly a big playground for the caver side of me. Besides, it is important to understand what features cause a cavern to lack speleothem development to further the understanding of what causes speleothem density in other caverns.
Tomorrow I will be hiking for 4.5 hours, underground, on the Grand Avenue tour that takes me through 4 miles of underground bliss, and shows me the three different “faces” that Mammoth Cave has to offer. I’ll let you know how it went tomorrow.
Until then-
Nicole

Mammoth Passages tour entrance. Mammoth Cave N.P. June 3, 2011
Mammoth Cave has been a tourist destination for over a hundred years, this train used to transport guests. June 3, 2011
Thai Orchid Cafe in Lexington, KY. I ate there June 2, 2011.
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Day 25: Squire Boone Caverns (Mauckport, IN) and Rising Park (Lancaster, OH)

“We’re only human”
Such a funny statement. So many of us struggle to attain near-perfection. We want to be the best at what we do, have the greatest impact, and show that we are above the animal that we once were. Being human means we feel the need to try harder than any other creature. Like we have some sort of hierarchical need to take care of everyone, and everything, around us. We view ourselves as superior, the keepers of the planet. So why is it that when we make mistakes we make that claim: “We’re only human”.
The society we have today, the way we view ourselves as the superior animal, isn’t something that you can define. Our ideals of this being is fluid, and we often make mistakes in the past. It is a lack of knowledge, or sometimes simple ignorance, that causes us to make these mistakes. We can often find mistakes we have made in nature, causing a ripple effect that will take a millenia to still in the waters of our environment. Today I experienced two examples of these, and also a prime of example of what makes us humans so superior. It isn’t because of what we are- it is because we are constantly evolving at a rate much faster than any other member of the animal kingdom.

The view from the sandstone bluffs of Rising Park. June 2, 2011

This morning my friend decided to take me to Rising Park in Lancaster, Ohio before I continued my journey westward. The park was the gift of a self-made successful business man, Philip Rising, and his wife when they donated the land to the city in 1908. It contains the sandstone bluffs, known as Mount Pleasant today, but known as Standing Stone by early natives. The park contains a lake, many picnic shelters, and a nice hiking trail that leads to the top of the sandstone bluff, which affords a great view of the entire city and the lands of Ohio beyond.

A human-numb deer in Rising Park of Lancaster, OH. June 2, 2011

While hiking there a deer walked out in front of us, barely 20 feet away, clearly unafraid of humans. While this land, prior to the park’s development, had probably been a place of wilderness, today people and animals have meshed together a little too closely. It is unfortunate that animals in such situations become so dangerously used to people at the cost of our development. The park is beautiful and was meant to give us a closer view of nature, but you can never experience nature when you pave the walkways and put down solid stone benches. In changing the landscape for the average person to experience the outdoors you create a world that is a sort of hybrid- a place where deer don’t run and sandstone cliffs are marred from railings.

One of the Benches chisled of rock for Rising Park in Lancaster, OH. June 2, 2011

This isn’t to say that the park isn’t beneficial: It offers a great place for people to get outdoors and enjoy some healthy activities. It is just an example of how humans as a population can change the world so easily. We have made ourselves the architects of the earth, and we have remodeled the world to fit our needs.

A picnic shelter in Rising Park in Lancaster, OH. June 2, 2011

One of the prime examples of unintentional human tampering with nature exists in commercial caves. In the early times of cave tourism we did things unthinkable today: We touched, we broke, we threw coins in pools of water. These are the more obvious calamities, something that we quickly realized was detrimental as we watched the cave slowly lose it’s grandeur. Some of the less obvious effect we have on commercial caves: Loss of humidity due to artificial openings, moss and mold growth due to artificial lights, and a raise in the temperature simply by touring the caverns.
Squire Boone Caverns is a prime example of how humanity has evolved, from a time where the cave was slowly being destroyed to a time where the cave is starting to restore itself. We have evolved our role on the earth to a conscious effort to not only halt the impact we have, but reverse it. It is remarkable to see changes take place in an area that takes geologic time to develop.
Located in near Maukport, IN, Squire Boone Caverns is a beautiful cave on land that was once owned by Daniel Boone’s brother, Squire. It was discovered when they were hiding from indians in the late 1700’s, and Squire Boone still rests within the caverns after his death in 1815. The property also contains a grist mill and many shops selling handmade products such as soaps, baked goods and candles.

Squire Boone Caverns. June 2, 2011

Squire Boone caverns is blessed with a caver as a maintenance man, and he has prided himself in the last 8 years with restoring the cave to it’s original glory. He has installed humidity lock doors, has rewired all the lighting so that it is turned off after each tour goes through, and makes a concentrated effort to remove all moss and other bacteria that have been introduced into the cave as a result of careless tourism.

The largest growing rimstone dams, in Squire Boone Cavers, Indiana. June 2, 2011

Although we should, as humans, feel the need to care and restore all natural gems of the underworld, Squire Boone Caverns contains a particularly beautiful cave deposit that is well worth our attention in protecting. It contains the largest, still growing rimstone dam in the country. The speleothem deveopment is fairly advanced, and many of them that show past stress from loss of humidity (and thus loss of deposition) are showing a renewed water flow that should, over hundereds of years, begin the cave’s sculpture building again.
Humanity is an idea that has constantly been evolving. We once viewed ourselves as the owners of the Earth, and it was our job to conquer and dominate everything it had to offer. Luckily, the gift of being human is also to acknowledge mistakes. Many of us are beginning to realize our skills are better used to be caretakers of the Earth, here to reduce the impact that other, less educated members of our society provide.
We have all made mistakes, but the part that makes us who we are is the fact that we can recognize those and correct them in the future. We may have almost destroyed some things, and fully destroyed others, but we can fix that. After all, “We’re only human”.

The lake at Rising Park in Lancaster, OH. June 2, 2011
Squire Boone Caverns June 2, 2011
Squire Boone Caverns in Indiana. June 2, 2011. Some "squiggly" flowstone.
Squire Boone Caverns in Indiana. June 2, 2011
The spiral staircase leading down the artificial hole drilled for tourism in Squire Boone Caverns. Today it is also a humidity lock area. June 2, 2011
Deposits in Squire Boone Caverns, Indiana, June 2, 2011
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Day 24: Columbus, Ohio-The Zoo, Ohio State & The Big Bang Piano Bar

“A Drinking Town With a Sports Problem”
This is the description offered to me by my friend of the hometown of Ohio State University. When many people think of destinations for travel, the midwestern states, including Ohio, just doesn’t top many minds- but the state is full of things to do and places to see. Ohio may not be a vacation spot, but the locals are loyal to their homestate to a fault. You won’t find a more enthusiatic sports fan than that of the Buckeyes.

One of the gorillas at the Columbus Zoo. June 1, 2011

The first stop in Columbus was the Columbus Zoo, a well-acclaimed zoo known across the country for its accomplishments. It is home to Colo, the world’s first gorilla born in captivity. The zoo’s residents are varied and numerous, and I even saw a few animals I had never heard of before, including the Okapi. A relative of the giraffe, the Okapi looks like a zebra mated with a horse that mated with a giraffe that inherited big ears from a rabbit ancester. Seriously weird, but cool, animals. We observed a mob of kangaroos, and decided it was time to get out of there before they pulled their guns on us. Time to head to Ohio State University.

An Okapi at the Columbus Zoo. June 1, 2011

Ohio State university is the school of my friend, and is not an option on my grad school list. It is well worth visiting, though, as the reputation of Buckeye sports penetrates the entire country. Successful in almost every sport, this school bleeds team colors. We were lucky and someone had left the gate to the football stadium open, and we wandered down next to the same path the players use every home game to make their entrance to the field. A visit to mirror lake on campus was a must- a place where the students ritually jump into the water, regardless of the weather, before a game against their rivals for good luck.

Inside Ohio State Stadium. June 1, 2011
Mirror Lake on Ohio State Campus. June 1, 2011

At the end of the night we headed down to the arena district, to enjoy the musical talents of the Big Bang. The artists at the Big Bang are excellent, able to play songs at the request of the audience without music sheets. You can check them out on The Big Bang’s website, and locate a bar near you. They play requests and are the type of starving musicians that need tips- don’t forget to tip your pianist!

Big Bang piano Bar in Columbus, Ohio. June 1, 2011

Ohio has something to teach everyone about loyalty. From the state nickname to the name of the gorilla born in 1956, Ohio believes in itself and what it has to offer to the world. It is a true example of what self confidence can do for a person, or even a team, because they have been successful many times over. Loyalty, through thick and thin, pay off in the long run. Make like Ohio, find what you believe in, and NEVER let go.

A big cat at the Columbus Zoo. June 1, 2011
Penguins at the Columbus Zoo. June 1, 2011
A tropical fish at the Columbus Zoo. June 1, 2011

 

Flamingo at the Columbus OH Zoo. June 1, 2011
The ducks of Ohio State's Mirror Lake
The Ohio State Stadium. June 1, 2011
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Day 23: Coral Caverns & Shawnee State Park, Pennsylvania

Tucked away in rural Pennsylvania sits a small cave waiting to be explored, off the beaten path  in the bank of the small mountains of Manns Choice, PA. The cavern is a bit difficult to find and is a fairly small opertion, but what you will find in the cave is a geologist’s candy. It is probably hinted at in the name of the cave, Coral Caverns, but what you will find inside are clear examples of a stromatolite coral reef from the days of the Devonian.

Stromatolite in Coral Caverns, Manns Choice PA, May 31, 2011

Coral Caverns is a privately owned cave. Small and quaint, what it lacks in the generic souvenir and touristy type shop it makes up for with an enthusastic cave owner who shows the cave with pride. Coral Caverns has been in operatiohn since 1932, a small cave discovered by accident when a quarry found the opening in 1928. The limestone is vertically bedded here, and the inside of the cave has some very well preserved stromatoporoid reefs, along with a moderate display of speleothems.

Coral Caverns May 31, 2011

The visitor center has several interpretative displays that can help teach about fossils and other cave life, especially helpful for kids who are thirsting for knowledge. The caverns are open on the weekends for the public to tour, so try to plan accordingly, although if you are organizing a group I am sure a quick call to the owner could arrange a tour time that is conveinent.

Coral Caverns, Manns Choice, PA May 31, 2011

Very near the cave is a wonderful state park that has camping amenities, Shawnee State Park . The campgrounds are large and beautiful, offering access to a large lake where you can canoe, fish or swim. The views are beautiful, as you can gaze across the lake towards the appalachian mountains in the distance.

Shawnee State Park Pennsylvania May 31, 2011

I could go on and on about how beautiful Coral Caverns was, or about the scenery of Shawnee State Park, but I think this is one of those times where the pictures should do the talking. Enjoy!

Coral Caverns in Manns Choice, PA. May 31, 2011
Coral Caverns in Manns Choice, PA. May 31, 2011
Looking up in a Coral Caverns Chimney in PA. May 31, 2011
Coral caverns May31, 2011
Hey geology buffs, can you determine tops? Pen for scale. Coral Caverns, May 31, 2011
The lanterns lining the entrance of Coral Caverns in Manns Choice, PA. May 31, 2011
Looking up in Coral Caverns. PA, May 31, 2011
The baby robin, newly hatched, in front of Coral Caverns. May 31, 2011
Shawnee State Park, Pennsylvania. You can rent boats for the lake. May 31,2011
Shawnee State Park Pennsylvania. May 31, 2011
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Day 22: Niagara Falls, Ontario

Blue. It’s a color that many of us love. To those who know me, it is almost more of an obsession. How many of you have heard me make remarks about that beautiful shade of cerulean blue? Or watch me eat my blue M&Ms last so that I can enjoy looking at them the longest? Are you one of the dozens of people who have remarked to me how often I wear the color?
The color is something that evokes an emotion in me. The emotion produced by looking at the color is what I crave. Blue is a peaceful color, something tranquil and relaxing. It makes you feel as if you are laying in the sahde on a cool, tropical beach. The same feeling of love that many of us are struck with as we gave upon a waterfall, negative ions swirling in the misty air. The color blue and Niagara Falls have something in common: They create a calm, tranquil, loving environment for us to bathe in, truly soaking in all the goodness of life.

Niagara Falls- Horseshow Falls from the top. May 30, 2011

Niagara Falls actually consists of two falls, the American Falls state-side, and Horseshoe falls on the Canadian side. Located on it’s namesake river, more than 4 million cubic feet of water per minute crashing to the bottom of the falls. The area I was closer to, staying on the Canadian side, was the 173 foot tall Horseshoe Falls. It was during high flow season, and the rate had increased to around 6 million cubic feet of water per minute and the mist was thick. I couldn’t get a clear picture of the falls at all.

One of the tourist attractions, Maid of the Mist, where you can get in a boat and get soaking wet as it chugs it's way as close to the falls as it can. May 30, 2011

The geology of the falls is something temporary, and in the terms of geologic time, very short lived. It is currently eroding the top layer of limestone/dolostone at a rate of ONE FOOT per year! It is a remarkable rate that puts the Niagara Falls extinction at only 50,000 years from today. Only 11,000 years ago the falls were located about 7 miles to the North of it’s present location, but the water tapped into a portion of non-resistant soils and rock, causing it to retreat quickly (in days or hours, even!), forming the “Whirlpool” you can visit downstream today.

The Niagara Falls "whirlpool"...I don't think you get the scale, let me post another picture.
So, here it is zoomed in a bit. Do you see the people down there yet? No? Ok...let's zoom in again (Click on photos to see in original size)
Zoomed in as much as I can with my stock lens. Yes, there are people down there. They are just TINY!~

Today Niagara Falls is a HUGE tourist destination, and as such the prices of dining and tourism have risen dramatically. Parking is a full $20 (although they like to note that you can “come and leave all you want…for this day only…ha ha.), the tours are short and cost betwee 15 and 20 dollars, and the food is slightly pricier than normal restaurant prices. I decided that I didn’t feel like getting wet as I was already feeling a little cool because of the mist, so I decided to watch “Niagara’s Fury- A 4D experience”. It only lasted a little over 20 minutes, and although the “4D” effects of a moving floor, snowfall and water spray were interesting, it wasn’t informative enough nor impressive enough  to be deserving of the $17.36 I had to pay.

I would say that you can certainaly make your Niagara Falls trip less expensive if you have more time to see everything. If you bike or hike from a nearby campsite or inexpensive hotel to the Falls you save $20, and there are several inexpensive grocery stores nearby (I went to a local grocery called “No Frills” and I was able to purchase two lunches and two dinners, with drinks, for under $12).

A Niagara Falls rainbow. May 30, 2011

The water wasn’t only at it’s high point while I was there- it was overunning the place. I was the only person crazy enough at my KOA campsite to *attempt* to sleep in a tent. I arrived at my campsite the evening before to a muddy mess, but managed to find a damp spot that my tent would have been ok on- If a severe thunderstorm hadn’t decided to roll through. The entire campsite turned into a wetland, and I had to evacuate my $9.98 tent to my Jeep. I paid for two nights worth of camping to sleep in my Jeep, but hey, this trip isn’t always going to be perfect. It’s an adventure. The storm may have been strong, but I do enjoy a good thunder and lightening show.

The mud of my campsite. At least my Jeep enjoyed it. May 30, 2011 at Niagara Falls, ON, Canada KOA campground.

This wasn’t the first time my tent was in a severe thunderstorm. It has survived many nights and days in such storms, but it was the first time it leaked. I am more than happy with my tent’s performance, considering I bought it for $9.98 from my local Wal-Mart. I don’t think any tent could have survived while pitched in the middle of a mini lake.

The Niagara Falls color-changing night lightshow. May 30, 2011

At night Niagara Falls comes alive with a light show. This time of year (late spring to early summer) the mist is more dense because of the increased water flow so the show isn’t as pretty as it could be (although still enjoyable). If you want the full effect of the Niagara Falls experience I highly recommend coming in late summer or early fall.

The lights of the night at Niagara Falls. May 30, 2011
The Niagara Falls nightly firework show. May 30, 2011

I spent my night at the Falls watching the colored lights pour over the misty water of Niagara Falls, watching the people dancing in the grass to the live band, until the end of the firework show they put on everynight. It was a soothing night, listening to the falling water and feeling that cool mist breeze through the air. A refresher before another long day in my Jeep tomorrow as I drove back into the states to see another cave.

A Blue Niagara Falls. May 30, 2011

In case you were wondering, yes, as the lights changed there were times when the falls were all blue. In some cases, it even qualified as a shade of cerulean.
I’ll see everyone again when I report back state-side. Until then…
-Nicole

"Don't Jump In" is what the sign is telling you.....believe it or not, people actually do go over the Falls in barrels...even with the high fine for the violation. May 30, 2011
Horseshoe Falls- The water is just about to give in to gravity. May 30, 2011 in Niagara Falls, ON.
Yes, there are rainbows at Niagara Falls too! May 30, 2011
Standing in front of Niagara Falls, the American Falls in the background, in Canada. May 30, 2011
The night lights of Niagara Falls. May 30, 2011
Niagara's night lights. May 30, 2011
Live band and dancing audience at Niagara Falls. May 30, 2011
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Day 21: Driving thru Canada to Niagara Falls

As I had described on Day 15, what I share with you is only a small portion of what I do in a day. Going to so many places, so far away, involves a lot of driving. Today was another one of those days where driving was the main attraction of the day. This isn’t to say that a day of driving is anything less than exciting- it is more of a series of evens rather than one main event. Little things that add up to one whole experience.

Canadian Gas Prices (in liters) May 29, 2011

Driving through Canada was certainly different. The first noticeable difference on the road in Canada is that everything is in Km instead of Miles. Armed with a Tom Tom GPS unit, this conversion is made with just a couple clicks of the button. Another difference hits you when you stop at the gas station. The sign, at first, looks appealing: Only $1.21 for gas!!!! However, the gas is sold in liters, not gallons, and while right now the Canadian and U.S. dollar are almost par, the Canadian dollar does hold a slightly higher value. I calculate my gas mileage at every gas stop to make sure my Jeep is runnnig smoothly. Try calculating your MPG when you have filled up in liters and driven so many Km. Wouldn’t the world be so much easier if we all used the simple, countable and easily convertible metric system? I think so….

Maple sugar candies. Best enjoyed from Canada, in Canada. May 29, 2011

When I travel I try my hardest to always eat and drink items that are not necessarily available at home. I look for the drinks I have never heard of, the foods that are unique, or sometimes the items that are available back home but are notorious in the area. The following is a collection of a few of the items I have found along my way that are unique to the areas I enjoyed them in.
What have you found on your travels to be unique? Are these certain items that, when you go to a particular state or country, are a must-eat or drink? I look forward to hearing from everyone.
-Nicole

I decided to try a new beer when I arrived at my campsite in Ontario, Canada May 29, 2011
A coconut hershey's chocolate bar in Canada. Notice that the product labeling is required by law to be in both English and French. May 29, 2011
I had never seen this candybar before. Ontario, Canada May 29, 2011
While this is available almost anywhere, it seems to be fitting to drink it while in the country of it's origin. May 29, 2011
Apparently Cadbury makes more than the easter creme eggs. ...Alcohol, huh? It was yummy.
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Day 20: Ontario, Canada-Bonnechere Caves

When you are truly passionate about something people take notice. Everyone that you know, and some you don’t, supply you with more information about the subject of your heart and the knowledge and experience simply snowballs. A wonderful effect of passion, because each day brings something new. In planning my trip I decided a visit to my friends in Canada was a must on my schedule. Shortly after organizing the dates my friends told me of a place to visit that I simply couldn’t refuse. Nestled in the Ottawa Valley of Ontario laid in wait something I had yet to experience: My first Canadian cave.

The "Canadian Passport" mark. (lol)
Renfrew, Ontario's Historic Swinging Bridge (Restored in 1983). May 28, 2011

Canada is a whole new animal for me, and this was my first visit. I was very excited about earning another stamp in my passport, but was disappointed to find that they don’t stamp it when you are crossing via vehicle. The universe didn’t seem to think that was vefry fitting for my picture-taking, thoroughly documenting ways of travel and I heard a loud shot as something hit my windshield only a few miles past the border. Something had slammed into my windshield (that I just recently replaced this year, I might add) creating a rather remarkable shape: A double “C” on the passenger side. My Jeep had, rather unfortunately, been branded with my trip to Canada.

Odi's King Burgers in Renfrew, Ontario. May 28, 2011
Poutine and a cheeseburger from Odi's in Renfrew, Ontario. May 28, 2011

All four of us (or rather 3 and a half since one was an adorable 2 year old) then headed into town where I was to partake of some local cusine before we headed to the caves. We dined at Odi’s King Burger in Renfrew, enjoying some Poutine. Poutine is a french dish, consisting of french fries covered in gravy and cheese. If you ask me, I think it was like a fried version of mashed potatoes and gravy. Delicious.

The Bonnechere Caves of Ontario, Canada. May 28, 2011
The Bonnechere Caves. May 28, 2011 in Ontario.

Bonnechere Cave is located north of Algonquin park and is located in fossil-abundant Ordovician limestone. The cave consists of passages, with no large rooms to speak of, and has very little ornamentation. I would place the very sparse speleothem development at less than 1%. This is quite obviously due to the nature of the cave since it has been mostly filled with rushing water in recent geologic times. The limestone of the cave may be older than some, but the constant rushing water that filled the caverns did not allow redeposition to occur in any large manner. The cave passageways are incredibly interesting. They very methodically follow prominant jointing in the cave’s home formation. It seems to be located all within the same formation, the limestone being all of the same type, but I have yet to complete the research to know which limestone this is.

The roaring waters of Bonnechere River in Ontario. May 28, 2011

The Bonnechere river roars past the cave and into one of the natural entrances carved by melting glacial waters. The entrance is best viewed from the other side of the river, where you can stand on the remnants of an old bridge. The water was pretty high today, this area of Canada suffering from the same high waters that much of America is suffering from this Spring.

Teh Bonnechere River, and it's namesake Cave's entrance. May 28, 2011 in Ontario.

My visit to this area of Canada was fantastic, especially since I was able to spend it with such wonderful and accomodating friends. Spending time with them and their son reminded me again how precious spending time with friends can be. I loved every minute of it, and it even made me think a second about having kids of my own. The passion of cave geology calls, however….someday in the distant future I suppose. For right now I have many great friends with cute kids to play with and enjoy (then send them back to their parents when they get grumpy! Ha ha!~)
Tomorrow I was to head off on my own again. I was going to miss spending time with my friends, but I had something pretty majestic to ease the pain: Niagara Falls. I’ll see you there, if I survive the barrel drop (j/k).
-Nicole

The Bonnechere River, rushing past the wild, abundantly blooming lilac bushes of Ontario. May 28, 2011
Some of the proliferous fossils that adorn Bonnechere Caves in Ontario. May 28, 2011
Could it be...cephalapoda? Why are you in the Bonnechere Caves? Oh...it's Ordovician? Of course you would hang out here. May 28, 2011
Some of the very sparse speleothem development present in Bonnechere. I have seen these many times, and I have named them "lizard backs". May 28, 2011 Ontario, Canada.
Emerging from the Bonnechere Caves to the trail. May 28, 2011 Ontario
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Day 19: The Remington Museum in Ogdensburg, NY

The old American West was a time, and a culture, in itself. A tumultuos time where your next dinner depended on your hunting abilities, and natives were in tense relationship with the cowboys and pioneers invading their lands. Today the world is small. We are interconnected with technology and an unknown land is no where to be found. There is no new frontier to conquer, as far as morals and top-side land is concerned, so it can be difficult for us to understand what this time was like. Luckily that time was documented well by the artwork of Frederic Remington, famous sculptor, painter and writer who was passionate about capturing the life of this time.

Remington's "Coming through the Rye" bronze, no. 15. 1902. Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

The Remington Museum sits in Ogdensburg, NY. A small city, port to Ontario, it happily claims itself to be the home of Frederic Remington. His career began as an illustrator for Harpers, and as he became notorious for his work many sought him out to freeze these moments in time forever. As time went by he desired a more artistic venue, and he began painting and sculpting some of the most famous works portraying the American West.

The detail of one of Remington's bronze scupltures. May 27, 2011

His attention to detail is exquisite, especially notable in his bronze sculptures that would have delicate bridles and ropes adorning the sculpture. Every sculpture of Remington is dynamic, capturing a moment in time that was in action or full of emotion. My favorite painting (top) has to be “The End of the Day”. The blue color used for the snow really does capture how cold it was outside as the logger returned home for the evening. My favorite sculpture of his would be “Mountain Man”, an image of a man riding his horse down a steep grade.

Remington's "The Mountain Man" Cast No. 54 July 1903. Remington Art Museum Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

Along with displays of originals of his work, and some artwork by other artists that Remington had collected, the house itself is remarkable. The Parish Mansion, home of the Remington museum, was built in 1809. Recently renovated, Remington’s wife, Eva, moved into the home in 1915. When she passed away she left her late husband’s art and collections in a will to form the museum.

Frederic Remington's "The Last March" 1906 oil on canvas. The Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, NY May 27, 2011

While Remington’s finished works are the main attraction of the museum, I have always found the sketches and unfinished works to be more interesting. It shows the raw image that the artist had in his mind and often conveys a more dramatic idea of what he wanted to attain in the finished work.

Remington's unfinished painting, "Ghost Stories".

While the museum was beautiful, it was time for me to make like the Wild West and countinue my wagon trail northward. Tonight I headed into Ontario, Canada to visit some friends and, of course, a cave. In a way a Jeep is the modern covered wagon, the adventurous way to go anywhere and pioneer forwards.
I’ll see you at the end of my next trail.
-Nicole

Stairs in the Parish Mansion, home of the Frederic Remington Art Museum in Ogdensburg, NY. May 27, 2011
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Day 18: Relaxing in the Countryside, St. Lawrence County, New York State

Hummingbirds are amazing creatures that have captivated us for years. The feeders that are sold so that we can view these tiny birds up close are varietal and numerous, a staple for many homes within their habitat. The Ruby-throated hummingbird is one that most of North America is at least familiar with. The birds normally beat their wings around 65 times per second but can reach up to 200 beats per second. Their heart rate, and metabolism, are equally as impressive. They are incredibly fast yet they can be moving so fast and still in the air at the same time.

Hummingbird in St. Lawrence County, New York May 26, 2011

This quality makes the hummingbird unique, and a life lesson for all of us. The hummingbird can be both focused and expeditious at the same time, and still able to flit from place to place at speeds of over 30 mph when needed. These small birds captivated me as I sat on my relative’s porch in the country, watching them interact with each other around the nectar provided.

Hummingbird feeding in St. Lawrence County, NY May 26, 2011

Spending a day in the country was exactly what I needed. I had been running around to so many places, accomplishing so many goals, that I honestly felt like a hummingbird. I was exhausted and I needed to revitalize myself for some further exploration. In hummingbird lingo, I really needed to enter torpor. My relatives’ home (who cooks the best salmon dishes I’ve had to date) was far from the reaches of my cell reception and distractions, the perfect haven after being on the go for over 2 weeks.

St. Lawrence County, New York State. Goats, Horses, Cattle and more.
The horses running in a field in St. Lawrence County, New York

The countryside of St. Lawrence county rolls with green hills, dairy farms dotting the landscape. In the fields adjoining their property were horses, goats, cattle, geese and other domestic animals, as well as an abundance of wild animals including many beautifully-colored birds. Granite outcrops adorned the fields looking like round, gray elephants laying down for a nap. It was a beautiful view to take in.

A bright yellow bird (I forgot the name, help?) in St. Lawrence County, New York. May 26, 2011

I spent a long time sitting on the porches at the different bird feeders, mostly the hummingbird feeders, observing them interact with another. One hummingbird would lay claim to a feeder, and when it finished feeding it would find a good branch with a view of it’s feeder and watch to fend off the feeder from others of his kind that dared to take a drink. The hummingbird was never allowed to take an eye off it’s feeder, for every few minutes another would approach and they would zip through the air quarreling over nectar rights.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird in rural New York (St. Lawrence County) May 26, 2011

I couldn’t help but think to myself how amazing the hummingbirds were, to be able to move their wings so fast and stand still. It reminded me of myself as I watched them flit from place to place, each stop but a rapid action in space. I have many interests, and I try hard to be successful at everything I do. This means my attention is often divided, and I have to flit from place to place like the humming bird. This doesn’t mean I don’t accomplish much: I actually accomplish a lot. Even with all this movement I still have one main focus in life, my nectar that I feel compelled to place at the top in hierarchy.

A hummingbird drinking nectar in NY. May 26, 2011 (I had to turn the shutter speed way up to capture the wings...so it is dark. Any tips for a Nikon DSLR are appreciated.)

Life is a journey like that of the hummingbird’s flight. We move from place to place, working hard to achieve what we want, but still having that one feeder to claim as our niche in life. Even if we change feeders at one point in life, even several points, we always have that one thing that keeps us driven to do everything else that we require of ourselves. Make sure you accomplish this like the hummingbird: every second counts when life is so short (but not to forget that torpor is a necessity for life to go on…our metabolism can only go so long).
-Nicole

The goats playing in St. Lawrence County, New York May 26, 2011
Close-up of a goat in St. Lawrence County, New York May 26, 2011
A close-up of one of the Belgian horses in St. Lawrence County, New York May 26, 2011
Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding in St. Lawrence County, NY. May 26, 2011
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Day 17: Maine to the Upstate NY Countryside

Even when thousands of miles away, you can feel as if you are only a few miles away from home. During this trip I have found myself in unfamiliar territory many times, in places that I hadn’t even done much prior research on. A few others I had been to once or more before and I knew what to expect. No matter where I was, near or far, I always found something that made it feel like home. You can been thousands of miles away from familiar territory, but since the world is so integrated it can feel like you are right next door.

Sitting on the coast of Kennebunkport, ME May 25, 2011

I was born on the west coast, and although I currently situate myself in Missouri I have found myself traveling to the Wild West many times, and it feels familiar to me. The East coast, notably the New England coast, has always been a whole new bird. Strange and different from the warm waters of the Pacific. It was in this strange land that I had ventured yesterday, and found myself gazing upon the waters in this morning.
It turns out that as many differences that the West coast and the East coast have, there are still some simliarities. What? Well the answer is perhaps so simple that it seems ridiculous to state it, but they are both coastal environments. They both offer that same salty air serenity that many of us crave as a vital piece to our mental well being. The sound of the waves crashing, the feel of the ocean spray in the air. Thousands of miles away from the golden coast and I felt like I was in the same place, especially as the sun was shining on a warm Spring day.

Kennebunkport, ME Morning of May 25, 2011

As I traveled west towards my destination for the night, a relative’s home in the country of upstate New York, I saw many things that made me feel like even less space was between I and my home. Many of the trees were similar to those of the midwest, agriculture dotted the land (although much sparser than that of the midwest), and road-kill deer littered the sides of the road. When I reached Lake Champlain it was flooded, much like the flooding of the midwest right now. Homes sat in a couple feet of water and fields looked like lakes, the water only a foot from the railways and roadbed. Was I really halfway across the continent?

The flooding of Lake Champlain, NY May 25, 2011

The differences were certainly more noticeable. The mountains were much taller, animal Xing signs warned not only of deer, but also moose and bear, roadway outcrops had more igneous and metamorphic rocks than sedimentary. Gas stations and restaurants of unfamiliar names appeared on highway signs and of what agriculture I did see it was predominantly livestock as opposed to crops. I was certainly in a different place, so why did I feel so close to home?
I think sometimes we spend so much time looking at the differences that we miss out on the similarities. We point out the items that stick out like a sore thumb to what we are accustomed to, focusing on them. We forget to acknowledge that all of these places, or people in some cases, are of the same world, same universe, and even the same matter. While travel is usually directed towards finding something different, perhaps we should also consider what is the same. I think our world would be a much better place if we all realized that every place, and every person, has something in common with another. Next door or thousands of miles away, our lives are intricately woven together in this universe.
What we do today can have effects on others for years to come. Whether it be an action, a voiced opinion, or a product of our creative mind, we all have an input on the way the world revolves. Each of us has a part to play in this small world, each of us our strengths and weakensses. It is up to us to determine what role we can play best to contribute. Even though we all have our unique attributes, we are all of the same place- we should never forget that.
-Nicole