campermom

Longhorn cavern is not like most other caves. Most are formed by water seeping thru the roof, LC was formed by water rushing into the holes, and blasting out the weaker rocks. The men of the CCC had to dig out tons of debris to discover what we can see today. Originally the cave had many entrances, but mot have been closed to protect the cave from unwanted guests. Unfortunately, that includes bats. While there, we did see a lone pipistrel bat ( not sure I spelled it right).

The cave was much larger than I expected and had lots of history. It had been used to store ammunition, had been used as a dancehall, and apparently Samm Bass the bank robber stored millions of dollars in there. The formal cave entrance is called the Sam Bass entrance. The tour was about 1 1/2 hours and it was nice to get out of the heat.

There is a an exhibit about the CCC with pictures of them working on projects at other parks. That was pretty neat. The building it is in is really pretty. Craftsmanship like that is rare these days. While looking at that, my son spotted a wolf spider and fled the building. I just don't get it, he loves spiderman, but doesn't like spiders?

The grounds are pretty and shaded. An observation tower at the back of the property lets you see a nice view, not that far, but the spiral staircase that gets you to the top is fun. We did stop in the gift store. This has cave stuff, educational materials, and other touristy-souvenier type stuff. You know those things, stuff with "YOUR NAME" on it. They have a snack bar/restaraunt. It looked like it would be a nice place to have a luncheon or small business meeting. There is a nice rock fireplace on one end of the dining area, round white tables, and picture windows all around. We just got an icecream and had a picnic at a table outside, in front of the observation tower.