Just a quick write up on a trip that we took last weekend to visit Karchner Caverns.
Karchner Caverns in southeastern Arizona was just discovered in 1974 and was kept secret for may years until it was made a state park in a secret vote. Since it is considered a "living" cave, the state is trying to keep it in its natural conditions. This includes airlocks, a mist spray you walk through on the way in and a no touch policy.
We decided at the last minute to try to visit the caverns on Saturday. The caverns have normally been booked up in advance. However, Saturday was showing as still open on Friday evening at the
reservation site on the internet.
We decided to chance trying it without reservations and left around 7am on Saturday morning. On the flight was Tom from Phoenix and Dave and Ann from Glendale. The morning air was bumpy until we got above 6000 ft. Its about a 45 minute flight to
Benson airport E95.
There was a good headwind as we descended but it was calm on the ground. A DC-3 was on the ramp as we taxied in.
Tom arrived about 10 minutes before Dave and Ann in their RV-6a.
After tying down the RVs, we walked up the the FBO to see about renting a car to drive to the caverns. The gentleman in the FBO went out of his way to be accomodating to us and said he really likes RVsand let us use their curtesty car, a big Lincoln Continental. Its about a 5 mile drive into downtown Benson and we went to Gallenano's Italian Restaurant for breakfast.
Tom got the "Campfire" special. They toss just about every breakfast item on a plate then pour a pitcher of gravy over it. Dave and Ann had a bet that Tom couldnt eat all of it, but he won the bet.
To get to Karchners Caverns from Benson, you go back out to I-10 and take I-10 back west for about 2 miles to exit 302. Take AZ 90 south for 9 miles and the visitor centor for Karchner is on the left.
When we pay our parking fee at the entrance gate, the attendent said we were not allowed to take cameras into the cave and were supposed to leave them in the cars so we didnt get any pictures inside the cave.
The entrance to the caves in in the side of the hill next to the visitor center. The state uses electric trolleys to shuttle people back and forth between the visitor center and the cave entrance.
When we got to the entrance there are two air locks you have to go through and then a long tunnel to where the cave starts. As you walk through the airlocks, a fine mist is sprayed on you to eliminate anything floating in the air around you.
The tour guides did a great job talking about the features and history of the cave and made it very interesting.
A couple we meet there offered us lunch in ther RV (motorhome) but the winds had picked up and we decided to head back. When we got back to Benson airport the winds were really blowing but they were straight down the runway.
The guy at the FBO told us where he kept the keys and said if we wanted to come back after hours or when he was closed, to just let him know in advance and we could borrow the courtesy car again.
It was a short, fun flight with good company, good food and spelunking thrown in. Stopping in Casa Grande for 3.82 a gallon fuel versus the 5.00 plus a gallon fuel at Deer Valley was a plus.
Benson - Karchner Caverns
Kartchner Cavern
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