24 Jul - Mark Twain Cave

After lunch, we went up the mountain for our tour of the Mark Twain Cave. Our guide walked us through a portion of the cave and told us the history of the cave and some great stories. Supposedly Jesse James hid out there; his signature and a date located in the cave. The date was near the time of a train robbery in the area. The cave served as a laboratory for a local doctor, Joseph McDowell, years ago and today is one of the national defense locations. During the cold war, food and supplies were stored in the cave. It is a perfect 52 degrees and is good for keeping things in good shape. Some of the formations we saw were Grand Avenue, the alligator, Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard, and Aladin’s Palace.

“No man knew the cave; that was an impossible thing. Most of the young men knew a portion of it and it was not customary to venture beyond the known portion. Tom Sawyer knew as much of the cave as anyone” (from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain)