by J.Y. MILLER
It was a cold and snowy winter for most of us in Missouri. The snow covered fields and the frost-decorated trees were beautiful, but I am looking forward to the green of spring with new growth of flowers and fresh clean spring mornings.

I’ve been thinking of Missouri places to visit when those warm days come. Did you know that one of Missouri’s nicknames is “The Cave State”? Our beautiful state has more caves than any other state, with more than 6,000 and others being discovered and explored all the time.

Caves are a perfect travel destination because they are nicely cool in the summer and warmer than the cold outdoors on winter days. It is always a good idea to look ahead before you travel, and our computers provide a perfect way to explore and plan.

A good place to begin is the Missouri Department of Natural Resources site at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/springsandcaves.htm. There you can learn what a “karst” is and become familiar with the terms “sinkhole” and “losing stream.” Caves and water are closely related, of course, and this site has much information about Missouri’s many springs as well.

If you plan to explore wild or non-commercial caves, you should certainly not try to do it alone. Caving, which is formally called spelunking, can be dangerous. Many an adult or child has been lost in a cave, and while Tom Sawyer and Becky were lucky enough to get out, it’s not always the case in the real world. One story involves a small child who found his own way out after getting separated from his older siblings while exploring a cave that they were not supposed to enter. He found a previously unknown entrance in what the family thought of as a miracle. The DNR page lists a number of spelunking clubs that will provide training, guidance and companions to help you explore safely.

There are also links to several of Missouri’s springs, including Big Spring at www.dnr.mo.gov/env/wrc/springsandcaves.htm#Big. It is aptly named since, on the average, it has an output of 276 million gallons of water per day.

An unusual cave experience can be found at www.thecaverestaurantandresort.com/index.htm. This is the Cave Restaurant and Resort located near Lebanon. The restaurant, located inside the cave, seats 225 people and serves a variety of food. You can read the menu on their page which also features a nice video tour of the restaurant. The restaurant offers “…more than just a meal, it is an underground experience”. The resort includes rustic cabins for overnight stays.

I have good memories of my visits to Graham Cave near Montgomery City. It is in Graham Cave State Park, which has camping, hiking trails and a small museum. When the trees drop their leaves, you can catch a glimpse of it from I-70. Graham Cave, itself, was the first archaeological site in the United States to be designated as a National Historic Landmark. It was a shelter for early Indians as far back as 10,000 years ago. Read more about it at www.mostateparks.com/grahamcave/geninfo.htm.

The Missouri Caves Association, found online at missouricaves.com, links to the web pages of Missouri’s most popular commercial caves. You can click on the cave name for photos, videos and information about each cave. I also registered to win 4 free tickets to any one of the caves.

I hope you have a great spring and that you get out to see our beautiful state both—above and below ground. Who knows, we may end up in the same tram at Fantastic Caverns or see each other enjoying a meal in an underground restaurant.

J.Y. Miller lives in Glasgow and is a regular contributor to Show-Me Missouri. His e-mail address is jymiller@showmemissouri.net.