Well, it is that time again – time for my monthly mailer about another great Austin area place to check out. February’s pick is Inner Space Cavern in Georgetown.
A cave, you ask? Sure, especially in what is usually the coldest month of the year. The cave is very comfortable, with a temperature of around 72 degrees all year and has a lot of great formations and rooms to view.
Back in 1963 when the Texas Highway Department was drilling test holes for the new interstate highway, they drilled one that resulted in the drill bit dropping 26 feet. After several more holes, they lowered one of the crew down and he discovered a very large room in a cavern. The cavern was surveyed, cleaned up and opened to the public in 1966. During the development of the cave, around four miles of passages were opened.
Do you recognize these girls? They were in the Dinosaur Tracks letter back in October of last year. The girls are in the soda straw room inside Inner Space Cavern. Soda straws form very slowly as mineral-containing water drips from the ceiling of the cave. Soda straws are actually hollow crystalline formations and it is unusual to see so many in one small room.
The entrance to Inner Space Cavern used to be a giant sink hole. Animals would go to the area to get water and some would fall in to the hole and were unable go climb back out. There are bones from saber tooth cats, armadillos the size of a VW Bug and remains of various other critters in the cavern. Some of the bones have been carbon dated as being close to 24,000 years old.
One very interesting feature found in Inner Space Cavern is the helictite, which is seen above. These strange formations actually grow in all directions. Some will look like your generic stalactite, some will zig-zag around and others will actually grow down, then sideways and then back up.
Directions, tour times and additional information can be found on the Inner Space Cavern website at www.innerspace.com.
I hope you will find this item useful. Look for another to come next month. Also, if you know of someone who new to the area who may like to receive these, just send me the name and address.
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