My Favorite Postcards

Slovenija
Kras

Kras Karst Slovenija

Predjamski grad in bogastvo kraskega sveta
The Predjama castle and the marvelous subterranean world of the Karst

Foto: Arne Hodalic, Mirko Bijuklic

This unused postcard was given to me in 2017.

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Škocjan Caves, found on the Karst Plateau, is a cave system in Slovenia. The area was entered on UNESCO’s list of natural and cultural world heritage sites in 1986.

Colossal Cave
Tucson, Arizona

Colossal Cave is located in the Escabrosa Limestone of Mississippian origin 300 million years old.  The limestone was formed in a great inland sea of that period from the calcium deposits laid down by the remains of a sea creature called the crinoid, a small plant-like sea animal.  The mountains in which Colossal Cave is formed were a mid-tertiary development caused by a crustal upheaval of the earth approximately 40 million years ago.  The cave system was carved out of the solid limestone by the action of seeping water that eventually formed an underground river with many intricate tributaries.  The full extent of the Cave is not yet known but explorations have reached a length of 39 miles.  The many weird and beautiful crystal formations that cover the interior of the cave were formed over a period of thens of thousands of years.  The number of different crystal formations are astronomical and their sizes vary from the minute to the colossal.

Bob Petley photos

This postcard is postmarked in 1978.

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This was written several years ago, so I wanted to find out how long they found out the cave was.

On the official park website it reads:
Colossal Cave has never been fully explored. Although there are an estimated 39 miles of cave tunnels.
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So it looks like they never found more tunnels since back in the 1970's.

Apostle Islands
Sea Caves
Lake Superior - Wisconsin

Ice covered sea caves of the Apostle Islands, sculpted centuries ago.

Photo by Dennis O'Hara

This lovely postcard was sent to me by my adorable nephew Tavis in 2015.

Caves
Sawa-i-Lau
A visit to the magnificent caves at Sawa-i-Lau is included in the "Sayandra" Blue Lagoon cruise.  Here visitors are able to swim in crystal clear waters and dive under ledges to explore other hidden caves.

Ektachrome by Charles Stinson

This is postmarked in 1973 with a Fiji 5 c stamp.

Parque de las Cavernas del Rio Camuy, Puerto Rico

Rio Camuy Cave Park, Puerto Rico

unused, from 2009

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The Camuy River Cave Park is a cave system in Puerto Rico. The caverns are part of a large network of natural limestone caves and underground waterways carved out by the third-largest underground river in the world, the Río Camuy (Camuy River). The cave system was discovered in 1958 but there is archaeological evidence that these caves were explored hundreds of years ago by the Taíno Indians, Puerto Rico's first inhabitants.

Over 10 miles of caverns, 220 caves and 17 entrances to the Camuy cave system have been mapped so far. This, however, is only a fraction of the entire system which many experts believe still holds another 800 caves. Only a small part of the complex is open to the public.

Lake Superior
Sea Caves

Centuries ago the glaciers sculpted these "sea caves" embedded in the rocks along the Lake Superior shoreline.  Seacaves such as these can be found in Tettegouche State park along Lake Superior's North Shore and in the Apostle Islands.

Photo by Tom Algire

unused postcard featuring glitter glued onto the water, ice and words - bought in 2013

Cyprus Sea Caves
Paphos

postmarked in 2013 with two Cyprus stamps

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Paphos (or Pafos), is a coastal city in the southwest of Cyprus. It lies on the Mediterranean coast.

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A sea cave is a type of cave formed mostly by the action of the waves of the sea causing erosion. They are found throughout the world.

Grotte de Castellana
Grotta Bianca (White Cave)

postmarked in 2008 with an Italy 0,65 stamp

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The Castellana Caves (Italian: Grotte di Castellana) are a remarkable cave system located in the municipality of Castellana Grotte. They are one of the most famous show caves of Italy.
Italy - Stamp 2008

Festival Internazionale Della Filatelia 2009, 0,65
(International Philately Festival 2009)

Tonto National Monument

The Tonto Cliff Ruins were inhabited as late as the 14th century by early farmers known as the Salado Indians.  Salado is a Spanish world which means "salty."  These indians were named Salado because of their proximity to the "Rio Salado." The Tonto Monument, located near Roosevelt Dam, was established in 1907 and covers 1,120 acres.

Archaeologists believe that the Salado Indians moved into the area around 900 A.D.  The Salado Indians grew corn, pumpkin, squash, beans, cotton, and their crop fields were located about four miles away from the dwelings themselves. Like the Anasayi, Sinagua, Hohokam, and Mogollon peoples, the tattered remnants of the Slado were forced to move from their homes by the new arrival of stronger marauding tribes or that simply a prolonged cycle of drought made it necessary for them to find new water sources.

Photo: Willard Clay

This postcard is unused. 

Co. Fermanagh
Northern Ireland

The area around Lower Lough Erne boasts a rich combination of natural and historic sights. In summer, ferries serve several island and cruisers are available to hire.   The limestone hills of west Fermanagh contain interesting cave systems.

Pictures featured are the Round Tower on Devenish Island; Castle Coole; Fermanagh Lakeland; Boa Island Statue; Marble Arch Caves; and Enniskillen Castle.

unused, from 2012

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A few famous people born, raised in or living in Fermanagh.

John Armstrong (1717–1795), born in Fermanagh, United States Congressman
Samuel Beckett (1906–1989), author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)
Robert Kerr (1882–1963), athlete & Olympic Gold Medalist
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900), author and playwright (educated in Portora Royal School)

Inside the caves

The Baths

 Saltpetre Vats and Booth's Amphitheatre in Mammoth Cave
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

During the War of 1812, saltpetre was mined in Mammoth cave and converted into gunpowder.  It was also at this point that Edwin Booth recited to a group of cave visitors in 1872.

postmarked in 1982 with a 13 cent 'Crazy Horse' stamp

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Edwin Thomas Booth (November 13, 1833 – June 7, 1893) was a famous 19th century American actor who toured throughout America and the major capitals of Europe, performing Shakespearean plays. In 1869 he founded Booth's Theatre in New York, a spectacular theatre that was quite modern for its time.

Frozen Waterfall, Cathedral Caverns, Alabama

A portion of the world's largest frozen waterfalls, 100,000,000 years old. Featuring the 7 greatest wonders In the world.

postmarked with US Buffalo Bill Cody 15 cent stamp in 1989

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Cathedral Caverns State Park is located within Woodville, Alabama city limits. The cave was first developed as an attraction by Jay Gurley in the late 1950s. It was declared a National Natural Landmark in June 1972.

Mr. Gurley maintained the cave as a tourist attraction from 1959 to 1974. The cave was sold in 1975 at an auction. The State of Alabama bought the cave in 1987 with the intent to reopen the site as a state park. After funding delays, restoration work actually began in 1995. In May 2000, the Cavern re-opened to the public.

In 1995, Cathedral Caverns provided the cave settings for the Disney Studios film Tom and Huck especially where the vicious Injun Joe (Eric Schweig) falls into an enormous chasm.

Cathedral Caverns holds six world records:

(1) Cathedral Caverns has the widest entrance of any commercial cave in the world. It is 25 feet tall and 128 feet wide.

(2) Cathedral Caverns is home to "Goliath"--the largest stalagmite in the world. It measures 45 feet tall and 243 feet in circumstance.

(3) Cathedral Caverns has the largest flow stone wall, which is 32 feet tall and 135 feet long.

(4) Cathedral Caverns is known for the largest "frozen" waterfall.

(5) Cathedral Caverns has the largest stalagmite forest of any cave in the world.

(6) Cathedral Caverns has the most improbably formation in the world which is a stalagmite that is 35 feet tall and 3 inches wide!

Maravsky Kras, Jeskyne
Moravian Karst, Caves
in the
Czech Republic

postmarked in 2008 with two Ceska Republika (Czech Republic) stamps

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The Moravian Karst is a karst landscape and protected nature reserve to the north of Brno in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. It encompasses a number of notable geological features, including roughly 1100 caverns and gorges.  Currently, four of the cave systems (Punkva Caves, Balcarka Cave, Kateřinská Cave, and Sloupsko-šošůvské Cave) are open for public tours and exploration.