The Laurel Caverns & Lick Hollow Picnic Area

Just random stuff here...What do you get when you put ants on a log with alphabet soup?












The Laurel Caverns is the biggest cave in Pennsylvania penetrating 46 stories deep into the *mountain interior located in Farmington, PA.  We were able to take the hour long tour down into part of it.  It was summer, but, as you can see, we wore our jackets down there because it maintains a temperature of 52 degrees year round.


*The Pennsylvania definition of "mountain" is very different from my personal definition.  I would define the "mountains" here more as large hills.

The picture to the left isn't one I took because for some reason I didn't keep my pictures like this cause I figured a bunch of cave pictures aren't that interesting.  I don't know really what I was thinking.  I guess some things don't seem as cool right after you've seen them.  Anyway, they call this spot the "King's Hall" cause they've strung electricity through there and hung chandeliers from the ceiling.  It looks really cool....even better than this picture cause it's lighter.

Below, the steep slope in this passageway is called gravity hill.  It creates an optical illusion that confuses the brain into underestimating the slope.  Our guide put that golf ball on the rail at the left of the picture and it rolled "up" to the right.  It was crazy.  Our guide was pretty funny too.  I swear the old guy used the words "Well, gee folks..." every 6th sentence or so.  Cracked me up.

After our spelunking expedition, we tried our luck at a game of mini golf at Kavernputt.  The last hole where you hit your ball into a hole and they keep it was insane.  It went up this steep slope and I think we got two balls in there by actually hitting them with the clubs.  After a million tries, Jason just gave up and tossed the other two in.  Guys don't like games that are "impossible".

On the way up to the caverns, we saw this little road off the highway that had a sign next to it saying "picnic area".  So on the way down we decided to check it out.  I'm so glad we did.  It was called Lick Hollow Picnic Area.  Odd name, I know, but it was really cool.  It had a little stream running through the main area and a couple of hiking trails. After we ate the lunch we packed, we hiked one of the shorter trails. 

The ground was covered with ferns and it was green everywhere!!

There were all kinds of flowers and greenery.  Some I've never seen before.  These little caterpillars were relatively common to see.  I even saved one that was stuck to Jason's jeans.  Funny looking guys.

 

Here's me with the flowers that my cute honey put in my hair...ahhh, romantic.  :)   I actually made it into this post TWICE!!!  Quite the rarity to get me in front of the camera rather than behind.