Avila Sea Cave

Near Avila Beach in central California is an interesting cave.

Looking in the other direction you can see some very expensive-looking houses.

And looking down it's wavy!

Our World Tuesday

Ruby Falls!

I've shown you some of the Ruby Falls cavern (which you walk through to get to the waterfall) in the last couple of posts, but the spectacular part is the destination, completely within part of the cave. After walking for a while the waterfall becomes audible, and eventually you come to its cavern.

The lights change as you watch.

In my opinion you don't get to spend enough time at the waterfall, but it's certainly impressive while you're there.

Ruby Falls Formations

Here are some lovely natural rock formations in the cave that leads to Ruby Falls.

Part of the attraction was how well everything was lit.

Next week I'll show you the actual waterfall.

Our World Tuesday

Ruby Falls (1)

Ruby Falls is in a cave near the Tennessee/Georgia border, near Rock City about which I've already posted. It's your basic tourist trap, but definitely worth seeing.

For this post I'm showing you the well-lit trail through the cave; there's more to come.

Our World Tuesday

Zapata Falls Skylight

Within the almost-cave of Zapata Falls is a skylight. I couldn't decide which of these photos I liked best so I decided to post them all for Skywatch Friday. I love the way the water droplets play with the sunshine.

Cave of the Winds (Inside)

In last week's Scenic Sunday post, I showed the area surrounding the Cave of the Winds. This week we're heading inside. All these photos were taken hand-held with my old DSLR in a cave with no flash, using a fixed-length lens (no zoom), so they may not be perfect, but I think they get the cave's beauty across.

First the tour takes us through a tunnel directly into the cave.

Once inside, various areas are dimly lit, and it's a uniquely beautiful experience.

Now I want to see some of the more famous caves, such as Carlsbad Caverns. But to see more scenic sights, visit the Scenic Sunday meme.

Cave of the Winds (Outside)

One of the tourist attractions in the Colorado Springs area is the Cave of the Winds, a natural cave that allows visitors to go under the Rocky Mountains. Here are some photos of the area from the outside - it's in a canyon with fairly steep sides. This is right on the edge of the city, showing how the inhabited area goes right up against real wilderness.

In the next photo, you can see some caves.

Finally, here's a touristy thing just outside the cave, where you can pay to pan for gold.

Next week I'll show you some photos from inside the cave. And that's my Scenic Sunday entry for this week!