Spelunking the Kartchner Caverns

Have you ever wanted to discover new and exciting things? If you find yourself traveling through Benson, Ariz., then make sure to visit Kartchner Caverns. Be a spelunker for a day or two.

Kartchner Caverns is so rare and beautiful because it is a “live” cave. This means that the cave itself continues to grow over time. However, very slowly, the formations such as stalactites and stalagmites that hang from the ceiling are constantly growing.

Kartchner Caverns was discovered by two spelunkers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, back in November  of 1974. While exploring the limestone hills in the Whetstone Mountains, they discovered a sinkhole that led to the cave.

What made this discovery even more exciting was the pristine condition of the cave. In 1978, the two spelunkers confided to the property owners of the cave, James and Lois Kartchner.

In 1988, the cave was purchased by Arizona State Parks. Even though Kartchner Caverns has been open to the public for tours, many precautions are taken on a daily basis to insure the cave’s pristine condition.

There are many interesting formations throughout the caverns. In the Throne Room, there is one of the world’s longest stalactites (21 feet 3 inches), and the tallest and most massive column in Arizona, Kubla Khan (58 feet tall).

In the Big Room, there is the world’s most detailed formation of brushite moonmilk and the first recorded occurrence of turnip shields. Also, there is the first recorded occurrence of birdsnest needle quartz formations.

While visiting the Kartchner Caverns, there are two different tours available. The Rotunda, or Throne tour, offers half a mile (1.5 hours) of exploring the original trail made by the first spelunkers, bat guano, formations and the Kubla Khan. The Kubla Khan is the largest formation in the entire state of Arizona. The second tour is of the Big Room. This is half a mile (1.5 hours) and just opened up to the public in 2003. Kids six and under are not allowed on this tour. The Big Room tour teaches the public about the cave and ongoing scientific research of the caverns.

Unfortunately, if you are an extreme adventure seeker and want to go out spelunking on your own, you can’t. All tours of the Kartchner Caverns are led by a trained guide. And for all you photographers out there, there are no cameras allowed inside the cave.

Also, remember to make reservations and buy your tickets in advance. Keep in mind that the Big Room Tour is only available October 15 through April 15.

Beautiful Beaches of Rocky Point

Sunset view from a beach in Mexico. (Photo by Christina Stymfal)

Rocky Point, also known as Puerto Penasco in Spanish, is a popular destination for many Arizonans. The appeal mainly comes from its beautiful beaches and resorts. Rocky Point has the closest beaches to Arizona and is just over 60 miles from the Arizona-Mexican border at Lukeville. Being from Tucson, it is about 200 miles to the Rocky Point coastline (4 hours). Many prefer Rocky Point over the beaches of California mostly because of the distance. Rocky Point used to be primarily visited for its excellent fishing opportunities. Now, the town is full of hotels and resorts for U.S. travelers that want to visit the warm, clear beaches.

Since the tides are quite large it creates the perfect conditions for swimming, snorkeling and other water activities. One business in particular is Santiagos Ocean Services. Santiagos has boats that are used for fishing trips, Bird Island eco tours, snorkeling excursions, whale and dolphin watching tours, sunset cruises, and parasailing. For fishing, Santiagos provides its customers with everything from bait to tackle. The fishing excursions take you about 15 miles out in the ocean to catch fish such as the Rock Bass and Cochis. Catch all the fish you want without the mess afterwards. Santiagos will clean, fillet and bag your fish. This way you can enjoy the fishing experience to the max.

Just southeast of the Rocky Point coastline is Bird Island. With 4 and half hours touring the island, you will be able to see all sorts of marine life and over 20 species of exotic birds. The tour of the island includes 2 hours swimming and snorkeling in an ocean full of playful sea lions. But if adventurous isn’t in your vocabulary, then maybe a sunset cruise is for you.

See the spectacular Mexico sunset from a yacht. On this dinner cruise you can relax while you sip your margarita and watch the dolphins swim by. On the cruise you can also enjoy a shrimp or Mexican food dinner. This cruise has the option of being secluded for a romantic getaway or a big family gathering.

With a 9 year safety record, you can feel safe when get the bird’s eye view of Rocky Point. Parasailing offers you an excellent way to get some great pictures of the beautiful landscape.

Shopping in the streets of Mexico. (Photo by Christina Stymfal)

Manta Rae is another business in Rocky Point that adheres to fishermen. Instead of having several different water activities, Manta Rae specializes is sport-fishing charters and whale watching. Synergy Tours offers visitors a complete guided tour of the city, as well as a ecology tour.

There are many different activities that Rocky Point has to offer. A simple online guide may give a traveler a better idea of where to start first.

One thing is for sure, if you spend the weekend in Rocky Point you are going to have to eat. There are many fancy places to eat at all the different resorts located in the town. But some tourists might before to eat at the local restaurants in order to better grasp the Mexican culture.

From El Sombrero to Sunset Cantina, there is an experience you will never forget. The majority of good local restaurants are located along Calle 13. The restaurants are hard to miss, especially El Sombrero with its gigantic sombrero on the front of the building.

If you do end up staying the weekend in Rocky Point, there are some great resorts and hotels located along the beach. Playa Bonita Hotel and Penasco Del Sol are just two places to stay that are located right on the sand. The resorts such as the Mayan Palace Puerto Penasco offer water activity tours, as well as guided tours of the town.

Here is a link to the locations of some of the hotels and resorts located in Rocky Point.

ATV Adventures

Sand rail and ATV tours out in the desert. (Photo by Christina Stymfal)

The only way to truly experience the border is to see it first hand. Instead of walking around trying to absorb your surroundings, why not turn sightseeing into a fast paced adventure?

When I visited Mexico I wanted to see the true culture of the country. Instead of shopping at the tourist traps, I decided to sign up for an extreme ATV tour. This involved going into the heart of Mexico and seeing the countryside.

There is nothing more exciting than riding around in a sand rail out in the desert. The bonus was that at the same time I got to see the local town as well as some beautiful farm land.

You walk away from the ride with an excellent sense of the Mexican culture and landscape, and of course a little bit of dirt on your face.

There are several all-terrain vehicle tours across the Arizona-Mexico border. The majority of the tours in Arizona are located in Yuma. Silver Bullet Motorsports, Inc. offers trail rides to several different places. There are tours going to locations such as Fortuna Mines, Picacho and even Martinez Lake. Besides the exciting ride, Silver Bullet Motorsports also takes its riders to many petroglyphs and mines.

For those that are more experienced with all-terrain vehicles, there are many different rental shops in Yuma. If you are interested in renting an ATV, Rhino or a Dune Buggy for the weekend to race around the dunes or see the border, then Dune Visitors is a great place to check out.

Jet Rent is another business that rents quality ATVs and Rhinos. Both of these businesses are located in Yuma near the Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area. This is the hotspot for all-terrain vehicle enthusiasts. From personal experience, Buttercup is the best place for having a great vacation at the dunes.

With an ATV or sand rail it’s not just a way to get around town. It’s a way to see the heart of the west. The border is full of interesting places once you get away from the tourist spots. The real culture is found where perfectly paved streets aren’t going to take you.

For a weekend, an ATV is a fun and exciting activity whether you are at the dunes or you want to scope out the local towns along the border. Why not have an adventure and see the heart and soul of the wild west at the same time?

View of Mexico from a sand rail. (Photo by Christina Stymfal)