Underground

My parents and the kids and I went on a road trip yesterday to visit a salt mine. It's still a working mine but the sections that are open to the public are already mined. The salt mine is 660 feet below ground and you take a elevator down. I had read the reviews online and they were glowing so we were excited to see it.

We watched a short video to prepare us for the trip down and then were fitted with hard hats. They were fashionable.

The elevator ride down takes 90 seconds and is pitch black. It made me a bit anxious but it's over with quickly and then you are down in a large open area of the mine. We were free to explore at our own pace and there were several exhibits positioned around.

The ticket price included admission to the mine, the dark ride and train ride. The dark ride was my favorite and it was a tram ride that takes you all over the unused portions of the mine. At one point they turn off all lights and we sit in darkness to truly experience how dark and quiet it was. The only sound you hear is that of the fan that pumps oxygen down into the mine. It's a little unnerving. The highlight of the ride was they stop at a pile of loose salt and let everyone take a chunk home. The kids loved that.

What a fun experience! The kids really enjoyed it, more so than I thought they would.