Howe Caverns, New York
A recent trip through the Catskill Mountains in New York provided an opportunity to revisit one of the favorite tourist attractions of my youth. My family used to rent a bungalow in the Catskills, and Howe Caverns was a place we visited every year. Howe Caverns Reception Center. CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=165578696 Howe Caverns is a limestone cave system, complete with a river passing through it that is named the River Styx. The caves were discovered in 1842, when Lester Howe noticed that, on hot days, his cows would gather in the same spot, near some bushes. When he investigated, he found cool air streaming out of a hole in the hillside. He dug out the entrance, and began leading tours in the caves in 1843. Unfortunately, over the years Howe ran into financial difficulties, and had to sell off his land. The area around the caves was bought by a quarry company, and they closed off public access. In 1927 an organization was formed to reopen t...