“Everyone put on their swimsuits and shoes that can get wet!” This statement caused a murmur of excitement to run through all eleven children spread throughout Ryan and Amanda’s Oklahoman home. Where could we be going? The suspense made everyone lose no time in getting ready, and when finally, everyone and everything we needed was packed into the fifteen-passenger van, we headed off on our venture. Our destination we learned, as we pulled into a parking space, was Little Niagara, the head of our trek down Travertine Creek, in Sulphur, Oklahoma.
It was beautiful. The cold water, which came from an unseen spring further up, dashed over rocks creating a sloping waterfall. Quickly we unloaded and headed down the path to the creek. A sort of rock stairway led into the deep clear pool, and most of us hastened down to feel the water. Brrrr! Being spring fed, the water stayed a constant sixty-five-degree temperature and being only a fairly warm day, it was freezing! Samuel took the first full plunge, and then one by one everyone else followed. We played at Little Niagara, clambering over the rocks and attempting to slip down the fall like a slide.
After getting thoroughly wet there, we moved further down the creek, heading toward Lost Cave Falls. On the way, we discovered an amazing waterfall slide that many of us went on several times. We also passed a bridge and a little island in the middle of the stream before we arrived at the waterfalls. Here, bamboo grew thickly and the water laying in still, murky pools, gave an eerie feel to the place. The cave or caves, for there were two, lay higher up on the opposite bank from us, and with the frequency of rattlesnakes in the area, no one wanted to cross the cloudy mysterious water, so we did not travel up to them.
Going on, we came upon another fall. Quickly flowing water, made it impossible to see very far in the cave nestled beneath it. Jayla rested over the small dip in which the water flowed, successfully cutting off the water supply to that spot! Using a flashlight, we saw that the sides of the cave were perfectly square. Looking then on the other side of the falls, we discovered a huge stone block with a large metal handle, placed to seal that side’s opening. Perhaps it was once an underflow so that the falls could be crossed from above? Once we learned the safeness of it, Samuel crawled into the cave. It was not a very big one, long, but very short so that there was only enough room for one person at a time. When he had safely emerged, several others wanted a turn in the cave.
Traveling down the creek was very challenging in some places. Rocks hidden in the watery depths made slipping and falling much more frequent, adding to the fun and excitement! Everyone had a blast and so many great memories were made! Our final destination was reached for the day, as it was getting late. We headed toward the van and on the road home. Before the day was finished however, we stopped at Brahms’ and had supper topped off with their delicious ice cream. What a wonderfully fun-filled day.
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