Aloha Everyone,
Last night my son and I took a tour of the Endless Caverns. The cave entrance is located in a small structure adjacent to the main building where camping registration and the gift shop are located.
During the summer, they offer 4 cavern tours a day. Our tour guide, Grace was a 16-years old high school student. She has been conducting tours in "solo" for about 3 weeks. A father with his daughter who is a Freshman at the University of North Carolina joined my son and me. Unlike well-rehearsed tours catered to a large group of visitors, Grace shared a more personal view of her job.
For example, Grace told us that she has to enter the caverns to turn on light switches prior to taking in her first group. She then has to return to the caverns to ascertain that all lights have been turned off after her last tour. It seems inefficient that such task require manual labor. Surely technology is available to switch on and off each segments of the cavern and confirm the task via remote camera.
Even though I love the peace, quiet and serenity of being in a cavern, I had to wonder if I would descend into darkness 6 times a day and two of which be all by myself.
There is always a beginning, middle and ending. After a wonderful Thai food lunch, J.J. and I parted company with our son until June when we see each other in La Jolla for our granddaughter's birthday.
Our drive from Maryland took us via Baltimore Harbor onto Harve de Grace and to Woodland Camping Resort in Elk Neck State Forest. Warm welcome from Eileen, the camp host and beautiful mountain laurel flowers around the camp ground helped us eased the tension of being on the road for 6 1/2 hours.
Aloha -- Cathi