Off the Beaten Path

B is for Book

.... and for Benson
.... and for Bats
(This month I will be participating in the A to Z Blogger Challenge. Each day my post will be inspired by successive letters of the alphabet. Click here to see links to other responses to this challenge.)

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At our advancing ages it is sometimes difficult to find gifts for each other. We don't need more 'stuff'! So, as Christmas approached I wracked my brain to find something that was useful and something that might be a bit of a surprise for Mr. Dreamy. I decided a travel book might work. I visited our local bookstore and perused the books on the shelves. "Off the Beaten Path" was one that caught my eye. What I like about the book is that it has a section for each state in the US, arranged alphabetically. The opening page for each state has a map with numbers for each suggested place to see. A brief description about each suggested venue follows. This helps me 'see' where each suggested attraction is located in relationship to where we are driving. More than once the book has led us to an adventure we might have missed otherwise.

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Benson, Arizona was one of those adventures. We were driving west, heading for Casa Grande, AZ, where we planned to meet some of our friends. Our timing was off. If we continued to our final destination we would arrive after dark. Something we detest. In looking through the book I found a reference to the Kartchner Caverns State Park and their cavern tours. A quick check online provided more information. (I LOVE the fact that I can access the Internet and all of its information with our iPad while we travel down the road!) I was able to make reservations for a site at the campground, as well as reservations for a tour of the "Big Room".

This is one of two tours at Kartchner Caverns. This particular tour is only available during winter months as this cave is a maternity ward for bats. In addition to the awesome cave formations, the guide pointed out areas where the bats will roost through the summer months.

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B is for Beautiful, too!

Soda straw formations.

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A typical camp site at the park.

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Gypsy and Tucker on the loop trial in the park.

They were very impatient and wouldn't wait for

me to take a decent photo... 

nor would they turn around and smile at the camera!

This is a map of our 2.7 mile trek on the trail.

The trail actually goes around the hill where the caverns are located.