Caves

There's a good chance you've at least heard about the Piasa Bird painting on the cliff walls near Alton, Illinois even if you've never seen it in person. There's an even better chance that you've never seen the caves behind it and there's a reason for that.

These caverns can detect secret nuclear testing all across the world.

Turning unusual spaces into homes is all the rage these days. Barns, tiny homes and...you can add caves to the list as this is exactly what a Midwestern family has turned into a cavernous home.

If there is a silver lining to the terrible drought that's been plaguing the Midwest, it's the fact that as the waters have receded, previously inaccessible areas have been opened up. That is the case for a very famous Civil War cave in Missouri.

Just about every worthwhile destination has a claim to fame. For one Missouri cave, it has several. One includes a rubber duck that has called it home for over 75 years. Oh, and it (the cave) serves burgers, too.

It might be the most frequently used location in the state of Missouri for weddings and it lies hundreds of feet below the ground. It's a cave that seemingly marriages were meant for.

Too many stories these days don't have a happy ending. Fortunately, this one does. A dog who was lost since early June was just found alive an well 500 feet down in a Missouri cave.

I don't get the chance to adventure as much as I used to. Fortunately, I can vicariously live through the journeys of others including two adventurers who recently shared what it's like inside the caverns of Cave-In-Rock State Park in southern Illinois.

The bridge takes you to places you didn't know existed. Ancient places that time seems to have forgotten, plus caves and waterfalls.

No state in America has caves quite like those you'll find in Missouri. One of them can lay claim to being the largest cave entrance room in the United States. It's truly something to "marvel" at. Literally. Oh, and it was once believed to have the fountain of youth inside, too.