Bridal Cave and a few other stops...

Well, we moved to Missouri. And after getting every. single. last. box. unpacked. Richard and I decided to go have a little fun with the first of many Missouri adventures.

One thing I have learned about Missouri during my short time here, is that there are a LOT of caves. We picked one close to us, called Bridal Cave (named after all of the weddings people hold there), and made a day trip out of it. 

First things first though. You can't go into a cave with an empty stomach. What a preposterous idea! So with a little help from Google, I found the perfect spot for lunch. With a name oh so fitting for this blog, Malarkey's Pub & Grill was the place for an adventure worthy meal. We stopped in Camdenton and chowed down to prepare for our cave tour. We ordered breaded portabella mushrooms and the garden melt sandwich, which was delicious! It was like an open-faced pizza sandwich. So good! Oh yeah, and there were sweet potato french fries.

Then, it was time for the cave. Only a short 2 mile drive from the restaurant, we headed on over. To get to the cave you have to drive down Thunder Mountain. We took a moment and stopped to look-over the scenic over-look.

At the bottom of Thunder Mountain was another viewing area, which we embraced while waiting for the tour to start.

I see you!

Time for the tour. Which way do we go? Thank goodness for Richard!

The tour guide said that if you wack these formations with a mallet, they resonate like an organ. But I guess they don't do that anymore. Something about "preserving the integrity of the cave, yadda yadda yadda."

There were a few areas of to the side where you could look down and see the crystal clear water. I think the picture in the bottom right looks like a castle.

Can you find the "Guardian Angel" in this one?

How about a Blue Heron?

Just a little cave "cheese" thrown in there...

Below are the "straw" formations on the left and the "wishing well" on the right. Each year they clear out the wishing well and donate the money to local organizations.

And that was that. The day trip was fun and interesting. Not scary. No rushes of adrenaline or sweaty palms. Just fun.

But then, Richard just had to suggest that we climb the Thunder Mountain Tower.

Being the adventurer that I am, I hemmed and hawed, but finally gave in. Anything for a good view and picture. Up we went!

At the top, I held on for dear life, but managed to soak in the view unharmed. Getting down was the hardest part. It was impossible not to look down!

Apparently there are several of these towers around the Fort Leonard Wood area, so I won't be surprised if I catch myself having to climb up another in the near future to get a good shot.

On our way out of Camdenton, we stopped at the Ozarkland Gift Shop. How can you not stop at a huge red barn screaming "Blowout Sale" at you?

Needless to say, we didn't by anything. Moccasins and fresh fudge were not something we were in need of, but it was a fun stop nonetheless.

And that was our Monday. Well done Missouri, well done.