Pocono News Section

One Tank Trip: Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park

One Tank Trip: Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park - Friday, June 27, 2008 at 6:15PM EST

Reported by: Jeff Chirico
Friday, Jun 27, 2008 @ 06:15pm EST
GREGG TOWNSHIP, CENTRE COUNTY -- It's Friday and we're filling up for another One Tank Trip. Your travel agent, Jeff Chirico, takes us to the dark and wild side of nature.

We're going to a place that formed before humans walked the earth. Amid the farmlands of Centre County --we cruise through America’s all-water cavern and wildlife park.

From wild beasts to a watery underground world, Penn's Cave and Wildlife Park reveals nature at its best. Denise Rothrock of Lewistown said, "They're the most beautiful thing we've seen so far."

Rothrock's talking about the mountain lions. Apache steathily approaches and carefully checks out our camera. Terri Schleiden of Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park said, "Apache is very inquisitive and sometimes likes to come up to glass to see people with cameras and anyone else."

The black bears like chomping down on weeds and licking our lens. Ever smell bear-breath before? From there we head underground into this 30 million year old cavern. "I hope you have your sea legs you're definitely going to need some," said one visitor.

Amid feeding trout, we board a boat. Becky Thomas of Penn's Cave & Wildlife Park said, "You feel like you're stepping back in history when you go into the cave."

The cavern's like a cathedral of nature's handiwork. Use your imagination and you'll see images in the stalagmites and stalactites. With only a small light leading us we motor through narrow passages formed during the Ice Age.

The temperature in the cavern is 52 degrees year round. During the summer it's an escape from the heat, and during the winter, you can warm up a bit. At the end --a vibrant light show accents formations hundreds of thousands of years in the making.

From once secret passages to the fascinating animal kingdom, Penn's Cave opens eyes to the nature we rarely see.

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