I-10 through tucson into Kartchner Caverns - Time: 3+ hours 166+ miles (from central Phoenix)

Discovered in the 1970’s and made public over a decade later as a state park provides the visitor with an unsurpassed look at the natural effects of mother nature over the life of the earth.  The cave is close to Tombstone and can easily be included in your stay and well worth the trip.  A recent discovery like this is difficult to find. Famous for the spindly formation called Soda Straws, which is composed of hollow tubes that incessantly drip from the cavern ceiling. Each drop deposits a minuscule amount of minerals onto the end before falling to the cave floor. Considering that each “straw” grows by just 1/10 of an inch per CENTURY and the longest straw in the cavern is just over 21 feet long, well, you could do the math but I’ll make it easy by saying the Kartchner Caverns straws have been growing undisturbed for a good couple hundred thousand years!

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