Wednesday, June 15, 2011

A few CAVE visitors of some degrees of fame

Thanks, Andy, this is great; thanks so much for sharing.

I remember Roy Rogers and Dale Evans visited CAVE twice during the 1980s (I returned to CAVE from other NPS assignments in January 1986). I remember it being twice, but would only bet someone else's annuity just in case my memory-- No, I am going to go out and say it was twice.

Does anybody else remember that RR and DE visiting twice? Trigger did not make the trip.

I read in the park records (maybe a chronology by Mr. Crisman, the Master CAVE Historian, about Perell Roberts of Bonanza fame visiting, but I didn't see him. And I am sure that you remember the Dan Blocker, also a star in Bonanza fame, was a local teacher. I heard that Mr. Blocker died in his early forties in connection with a gall bladder operation. I am assuming he passed away in Lubbock, but I don't know (does anybody recall?)

Paula B and I met Luke, the blond guy handsome dude, from Dukes of Hazzard who was traveling with his Dad, a retired airline pilot, and visiting CAVE, as I recall.

I remember hearing about Val Kilmer visiting, but again I didn't see him. I did get an "earful" that he was rude to several rangers in Caverns Supply. And, of course, Ron "Opie Taylor" Howard, who Kon Kerbo became friends with, and later visited with in CA I think, but Ron can verify or deny. o(*K*)o

And Jeff Denny and I and a supervisor (Manny Cortez?) who escorted the 15th generation descendent of Christopher Columbus (Jeff D., what was his name?) through parts of the cave. I still remember the partial furor when a NM Police helicopter bringing him to the park landed nearby the VC.

I have some other memories of other partially to well-known people lurking in the unknown regions of my skull. And, of course, the Superintendent Monthly Report includes Will Rogers, Amelia Earhart, Ty Cobb, Clark Gable, and others. I think that I will include this e-mail response to you and cc:s as a post in my blog to share with others and hopefully secure more historical accounts from them.

Personally, one of the highlights of my NPS career was meeting ex-President Jimmy Carter at the LBJ National Historical Park in Texas (at the LBJ Birthplace), which of course, isn't at a renown cave site in New Mexico o(*><*)o I was scheduled to give a short talk about President Lyndon Johnson (me, give a short talk? )to President Jimmy Carter, time had to be made up and I was cancelled.

I have a far more interesting story about some people that I had to escort through LBJ's Boyhood Home in Johnson City, Texas at another time, but it probably isn't for "general use" so I will probably e-mail you if you're interested in reading it.

As we interpreters and ex-interpreters have been trained so well, we must suit our material to our audience, right?

Take care,

Bob


Sent: Wednesday, June 15, 2011 6:59 AM
Subject: Fwd: The Roy Roger's Museum Has Closed...

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