Maquoketa Caves

There's a lot to see in Iowa. We found a new favorite camping spot - Maquoketa Caves. There are at least 16 caves that you can go exploring in. Some are only large enough to fit a skinny in, others are large enough that they have been the venue for wedding receptions and dances. We hiked, chased frogs, smored, explored and my favorite, made popcorn on the campstove. Mmmm, mmmm, yummy.

I don't say "shut-up." I just don't. Jonathan and I had wedged down into a cave and had our lights on. We had gone as far as we could squeeze with the boys and decided to turn around to head back. Jonathan was furthest in the cave and turned around first to return to the mouth of the cave. When he turned around he shined his light on the cave ceiling just above my head. Then as quiet as can be he says, "Amber, there's a bat right above head." Frozen and petrified I said it... "Shut-up." It was one one of those 'ugh' moments when you think it might be cool, are too scared to look, have flashes in your mind of your children: 1)thinking it is cool and looking calmly at the bat OR 2)freaking about the bat, disturbing it to the point that it releases it's up-side-down self from the rocks and you find yourself wedged in a cave with two screaming children and a flailing bat trying to not permanently disfigure any member of the family on the jagged rocks. I took a deep breath, turned so I could take a quick bat peek and then left with Matthew. Adam and Dad took a longer look and snapped a few pictures. There was no freaking out, the bat didn't move, and now I think it was pretty cool.