Want To Stay 200 Feet Underground With No Escape?
Well, the answer is obvious, so how do you think 5 people felt when they experienced just that near the Grand Canyon!
This happened two years ago and I was reminded of it by a different headline I saw today. Here’s what happened:
“Five people were rescued Monday night after being stranded 200 feet underground at Grand Canyon Caverns when the tourist attraction’s only elevator broke down, officials said.”
First of all, how cool that you can explore underground caverns? However, what began as a cool trip turned much more serious. As The Washington Post story goes on:
“The group had descended 21 stories in the elevator Sunday for a tour of the caverns in Peach Springs, Ariz., Coconino County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Jon Paxton told The Washington Post on Tuesday morning.“
These caverns are a big tourist attraction for people of all ages – but no one expected an underground malfunction like this! The Post stated:
“But when it was time to go back up, the elevator was out of order, so they faced a decision: Climb back up 21 flights of stairs or wait for rescue. Some of the tourists, who ranged in age from their 20s to their 70s, were not in a physical condition to use the stairs, so the group chose to wait underground, Paxton said.”
So the fact is, there are stairs to make sure there is always a non-mechanical way out…but the ages of some guests made that option less desirable!
The Post story then shared a comforting note:
“The one bright spot in this deep, dark story is that they didn’t have to sleep on the cavern’s floor. The visitors stayed at a suite located at the bottom of the tourist attraction while they were stuck waiting, Paxton said.”
Luxury Underground!
Yes, you can actually stay in an underground suite, called the “deepest, darkest, quietest hotel room in the world!”
Up to 6 people can sleep there – here are more details: it costs $1,000 per night for two people, according to the cavern’s website. It includes two queen beds, a fully functioning RV-style bathroom, a kitchenette and a living room area with a television. It also has a small restaurant that served the group of stranded tourists.
A Fast And Happy Ending!
The Post reported that the underground ordeal ended well:
“Authorities used an emergency lift to bring the tourists back to the surface one-by-one on Monday after workers advised them it would take longer to repair the elevator, according to Paxton.”
“We gave them the option,” Paxton told The Post. “They could wait for tomorrow for the crew to fix the elevator or they could to be lifted. They chose to be lifted.”
I hope those stranded people had a sense of humor – especially when this is one of the things you see down there!
The headline I had read was about the Grand Canyon – and I had no idea there were caverns you could explore – I did all of my touring above ground – and way above the canyon!
It was my first and only time to the Grand Canyon, and the coolest part for me was taking the train to the canyon from a small town called Williams two hours away – so easy and enjoyable…here’s a bit of my view from the train:
Quick and easy, and when you arrive, it’s just a few steps to this:
It is literally impossible to capture the canyon in all its grandeur: it’s miles across, more than a mile deep, and breathtaking…here’s a bit of video:
I was there on a perfect day: high 80’s, clear skies…so I hiked a bit of the canyon – take look:
Click here to check out just how incredible the canyon is, and how you can hike to the bottom of it too!
If you are at the Grand Canyon, then you can also drive to one of America’s most spiritual communities:
The red rocks of Sedona are incredible – “enter the vortex” by clicking here:
Also a short drive away is a classic Wild West town with quite the sordid past!
Jerome Arizona was known as “wicked city!”
Click here for the story about how it got that name!
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Categories: Exotic Travel, Memoirs, nature, Pop Culture, Travel, Travel Adventures, Travel Memoir
johnrieber 
I am intrigued about the restaurant you mentioned.. any more details about it?
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I’m blanking…where did I mention it?
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“It also has a small restaurant that served the group of stranded tourists…”
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Got it! It was The Cavern Grill and it’s a basic salads, burgers and sandwiches kind of place!
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Thanks!
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Hi John, this looks like a great adventure, obviously better if the lift doesn’t break down
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Indeed Robbie, but when I read that there are in fact stairs to get out I thought that made it much better! Thanks for the comment!
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Yes, but 21 flights is a lot of climbing.
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What a story! Well, they got to stay in luxury while trapped.
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Indeed! Luckily they could have walked out but chose not to based on a few people who didn’t feel comfortable doing that…at least there WAS a way out! Thanks for the comment!
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Exactly! Best to you, John.
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I LOVE the Grand Canyon, but can’t imagine visiting the caverns, especially after a failed elevator! Nice to have lodging down below (when needed) but I certainly wouldn’t pay to stay there. 😉 🙂
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What a story – stranded in luxury!
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That’s so cool! I took that train from Williams to The Grand Canyon back in 2017 myself. I loved it. Now staying in that hotel in the caverns might be a little much though.
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I was on that train one year later…such an easy way to get there without the traffic and parking hassle! Thanks for the comment!
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My wife and I agree about most things, but have different ideas about the ideal sleeping conditions. She likes a lighter room, while I dark is better in my book. Even I would feel uncomfortable in a place with no light.
By the way, John, have you been getting this message lately? “This comment could not be posted.” It seems to happen on 20% of my responses in the last two weeks. (It just happened here.) Then, I have to retype my comments, and it always goes through the second time.
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I haven’t gotten that at all, but knowing all of the glitch issues WordPress cycles through I’m sorry it is a pain to comment – always great to hear from you!
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I’m not overly claustrophobic, but I would have been hiking out the stairs. It might have been a slow walk, but I wouldn’t have been staying overnight. Ha, ha.
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Thank you for the fantastic photos . . . having only been ‘to the top’ more than a half-century ago, it all looks very luxurious and easy-to-manage now. I would have not minded staying ‘downstairs’ for the night at all . . . just to see whether anything went ‘bump’ during the dark time up top 🙂 !!! We have some fabulous cavern systems in Australia but one has to be much more of an explorer! Certainly no lifts . . . one more likely has to crawl thru’ narrow spaces on one’s stomach 🙂 !
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That would be a bit scary but nice to know there were accommodations. I enjoyed visiting The Grand Canyon the one and only time I did. I also loved Sedona and Jerome. One of my favourite parts of the US. The rain ride looked like it was from a western movie!
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Darlene, they actually do a fake robbery with masked men on horses…the train stops and they make their way through the cars! Kinda funny! Yes, that area is really something I want to explore more!
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I’d be up those 21 flights of stairs quicker than a jack rabbit. I wouldn’t stay there overnight!
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nooooooooooo, I would not want to be trapped down there, and like John said, I might take my time and try to use the stairs if possible.
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I’m glad you read that, as we would have hiked out on those stairs for sure! We’d also stay down there for one night, but more than that just seems a bit creepy right? Thanks for the comment!
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If I took my time, I think I could still manage all those stairs without too much trouble, John. But if my wife was with me, she would not be able to do that with her bad knees. So I would stay down there with her of course.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, I was happy to hear they had stairs out but it also sounds like a bit of a climb…when we hiked up Angele’s Landing it was 1,750 feet and not in a straight line…I should go back to my watch and see how many steps I took that day! Cheers!
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