The reason for my trip to the caverns in Angels Camp is not glorious or inspirational. My husband, Joe, and I own a timeshare and we had to use up some of our points or lose them. We usually go to places on the beach or skiing resorts. Unfortunately those resorts were not available on such short notice. Therefore, we were stuck with going to Angels Camp. I began doing some research on Angels Camp, looking for some exciting things we could do there. Yet, I wasn't thrilled by what I found. There were only a few entertainment choices and most of them sounded boring and strictly for senior citizens. We could pan for gold, visit caverns or participate in the annual Grape Stomp. I had prepared myself for the reality of a laid back, uneventful weekend. Thankfully, I was proven wrong. By the time we left the sleepy town of Angels Camp, population 3,000, we vowed that we would be back soon. We had a wonderful, down home, friendly experience. Everyone that we encountered was pleasant and welcoming, the food was great and the caverns were amazing. We even enjoyed watching people pull up their pants and use their feet to stomp grapes. Angels Camp has a magical, inviting spirit. The main street is about two blocks long and it looks like a scene from an old western movie. There are even a few old time saloons. The forest surrounding Angels Camp was beautiful and invigorating. When I was walking around outside, I took a deep breath and was exhilarated by the smell of pine trees. The shops were quaint and the shopkeepers/owners took the time to personally get to know each customer. Overall, the atmosphere and surroundings of Angels Camp were one of a kind.
The locals seemed proud of their caverns and encouraged us to visit them. Joe is somewhat of a Discovery Channel freak and he figured this would be his chance to participate in an exploration similar to the ones he had seen on T.V. As we drove up the long, winding road towards the cavern, we had no idea what to expect. When we pulled into the driveway all that we could see was a small parking lot and a wooden cabin about the size of a small house. I was looking everywhere for the cavern, but it was nowhere in sight. As we walked into the cabin we realized it was a small souvenir shop filled with postcards, gold panning dirt, brochures, t-shirts etc. On the right, there was a small room filled with people looking in some sort of hole. I soon realized that it was actually a man made hole through which people could rappel down to the bottom of the cavern. Unfortunately, it was quite expensive to rappel rather than walk. Slightly disappointed that we wouldn't be able to experience the adventure of rappelling, we bought our tickets and waited for our guide to begin our tour.
I was very anxious and excited to explore the caverns and the group intensity seemed to be rising. Finally our tour guide gathered our group together and began to give us information regarding the discovery of the cavern and its history. We then began the long descent down the spiral staircase. Each time someone stepped on a stair it made a loud, metal, clanging sound. The air thin and muggy. There were many lights that illuminated the most impressive areas of the cavern. People were silent as they focused on getting down the stairs and admiring the beauty of the cavern. The tour guide informed us that the beautiful formations on the wall were stalagmites and stalactites. He even gave us an easy way to remember them, stalactites hold tightly to the ceiling because they grow down and stalagmites grow up so you might trip over them. Also, the cavern is so big that the statue of liberty could fit in it upside down. When we reached the bottom, there were several benches and a railing that surrounded the viewing area. We sat at the bottom for about 15 minutes while the tour guide answered our questions and gave us more information on the cavern. We then began the treacherous, tiring climb back up. By the time we reached the small hole, which led to the store, we were all out of breath. Some people bought postcards and others hurried to their cars to leave. As Joe and I walked out of the small shop and back into the beauty of Angels Camp, we were grateful for our experience, though exhausted from the climb.
A brochure from the National Caves Association that I picked up at the cavern, states, "visitors feel a thrill of excitement as underground pathways are followed through a cave or cavern" (C&C Brochure, 1999, p.1). Another brochure from a nearby cavern assures visitors that "you will be dazzled by the superb artistry which Nature, through the centuries, has lavished upon this magnificent subterranean wonderland" (Mercer cavern brochure, 1999, p.3). These brochures mostly focus on excitement, adventure and the beauty of Nature, yet they are developed as marketing tools. They may not accurately reflect the views of visitors or tourists. Therefore, I wanted to find out exactly what brings people to the caves. In addition, I feel that paying money to view nature is an interesting phenomenon and I wanted to find out more about it. I was also curious to find out exactly what a cavern was and why it was so great. To answer these questions, I will conduct a literature review to investigate various claims regarding the reasons for tourism. I will then briefly summarize the artifacts I used to obtain my information regarding why tourists visit the caverns. Next, I plan to analyze these artifacts and interviews to gain a better understanding of the motives for the tourist's trip to the caverns. Finally, I am going to summarize my paper and offer direction for further research.
My research question is inspired by several different viewpoints of tourism and its purposes or effects on society. Views on tourism and travel have changed greatly over the years. New technology, transportation and many other aspects have completely altered people's perceptions of tourism. There are also many differing definitions of what constitutes a tourist. In 1870 a Reverend showed his clear distaste for tourists when he stated, "of all noxious animals too the most noxious is a tourist" (Nicholson-Lord, 1997, p.1). In her book, A Small Place, Jamaica Kincaid claims that tourists are "an ugly thing, that is what you are when you become a tourist, an ugly, empty thing, a stupid thing" (Kincaid, 1988, p.17). Another author believes that "tourism is a devil's bargain," because it promises much to suffering communities but offers little (Rothman, 1998, p.10). There are still other more innocent views of tourism such as that of, "a single person or group of people visiting a new (to him/her/them) site for the purpose of contemplation, amusement or the purchase of objects" (Risse, 1998, p.48). There is a great deal of research regarding tourism but the majority of it seems to culminate around three central ideas. There is a large group of scholars who believe that tourism is artificial and not authentic, implying that it is inherently wrong or bad. Whereas, others feel that tourism is purely a source of pleasure or play. There is also a strong following that believe tourism is the search for the sublime, an ever-heightened experience. I believe that it is essential to analyze each of these components to be able to accurately answer my research question.
Many people argue that tourism is artificial, that it rips away the authenticity of people and places. One author argues that tourists only consume pseudo places, those that are artificial and superior to the real thing. She believes that "travelers only go to "true" places and tourists, by implication, go to "false" places" (Risse, 1998, p.46). Furthermore, some others claim that the more a place adapts itself to tourism, the more artificial it becomes. Another author argues that tourism is a Devil's Bargain in that it trades economic wealth for authenticity. The main goal changes from being loyal and true to community and realness, to meeting tourists' expectations. Inevitably, through this process, a place becomes less authentic. This loss of authenticity can be devastating to a community. Many people lose their sense of identity, culture and history. In Antigua, the devastating results of tourism and colonialism are widespread. Jamaica Kincaid claims that "millions of peopleÉmade orphans; no motherland, no fatherland, no Gods, no mounds of earth for holy ground" (Kincaid, 1988, p.31). These people have nothing to call their own. In essence, their homeland has become artificial and they are left with no authenticity. It saddens me to think that while people are vacationing, they are also forcing communities to become artificial and forego their authenticity.
As late as the 1900's, travel was primarily seen as treacherous and not very enjoyable. In fact, "until the 20th century, traveling was a purposeful activity," and the goal was to experience real things and places (Economist, 1991, p.1). Today, this view has changed immensely and the majority of people travel for pleasure or play. Many people are so bogged down by their stress filled lives that they feel an overwhelming need to relax and play while vacationing. "Tourism for a lot of people is about the four S's - sun, sea, sand and sex" (Nicholson-Lord, 1997, p.2). Many people are drawn to this type of tourism for pleasure "to recover from the mind-numbing ravages of our work schedules" (Nicholson-Lord, 1997, p.2). Scores of people, find that this type of relaxation clears their minds of worries and allows them to focus on themselves and their needs. Others are forced to be very serious and professional in their everyday lives. Therefore, they love the chance to become a kid again and play, a sort of return to their youth. Pleasure and play filled vacations are fast becoming the most popular type of tourism because they offer relaxation and fun.
The search for the sublime has varied definitions, yet they all seem to focus around the main idea of an invigorating, life altering type of experience. One type of touristic search for the sublime can be defined as an exploration for "all that surprises the soul, all that creates a sense of fear" (Lofgren, 1999, p.27). Due to our fast paced society many people feel the need for new, exciting experiences. Also, people become disinterested in their dull, monotonous lives and want to be on the edge, feel alive and take risks. "The goal is not experience but fulfillment," people will go to any lengths to purchase and capture this fulfillment, to feel better about themselves and feel invigorated (Rothman, 1998, p.14). In the 1770's, even Thomas Jefferson was on a search for the sublime. On a trip to Natural Bridge he claimed that "it is impossible for the emotions arising from the sublime to be felt beyond what they are hereÉthe rapture of the spectator is really indescribable" (Lofgren, 1999, p.19). Another viewpoint regarding the sublime connects the experience to pleasure by suggesting that, "the sublime in nature stimulates a movement in the mind, which induces pleasure" (Budd, 1998, p.233). This school of thought contends that there is a significant difference between beauty in nature and the sublime in nature. Beauty on the one hand provides a person with a sense of peace and serenity. In contrast, the sublime invokes and invigorates the mind, almost causing an internal irritation of the senses. Overall, tourism as the sublime can be generally defined as the never-ending search for something more, something new and exciting, that stirs up ones mind and soul.
The sublime may seem appealing and exciting to many people. Yet, there seem to be risks regarding this type of never-ending exploration. The cult of the sublime includes "a longing for more powerful and dramatic impressionsÉa yearning for the wild and surprising" (Lofgren, 1999, p.27). This search for something beyond our natural understanding may seem innocent and beneficial, but the results can be devastating because "experiences become commodities but also wear out, producing a constant demand for escalation toward a more eventful life" (Lofgren, 1999, p.14). Unfortunately, once tourists have mastered one sublime experience it becomes dull and boring and they have to move on to more sublime experiences. This commodification of experience causes me to wonder if the sublime as tourism will ever disappear altogether. Also, if we search for something that agitates our senses, there is a danger that we will become overloaded and unable to deal with the natural, common world. Therefore, one may presume that the search for the sublime should be carefully considered, so tourists don't lose themselves or become dissatisfied with their everyday lives.
As we have seen there are many differing viewpoints regarding tourism and travel. There are a great number of people who travel simply to play and find pleasure in their existence. Others are on the search for the sublime and want to experience something bigger, better and more exciting. Yet one would be na•ve to think that tourism is as simple as experiencing pleasure or searching for the sublime. One must realize that tourism has profound affects on people and places. Unfortunately, due to the increasing need to please tourists, places lose their realness and "the replica becomes more seductive than the original" (Rothman, 1998, p.13). In many tourist spots, locals trade their authenticity for economic wealth and prosperity. Regrettably, this promise is rarely fulfilled and people are left with no identity, history or culture. I have discovered that tourism is a multifaceted entity that means many different things to different people. I believe that it is essential to apply these different schools of thought to a real life practical situation to see if they apply. Therefore, my approach to why people visit caverns will be guided by these newfound views of tourism.
I will be answering my research question in several ways. The main component for analysis will be interviews that I conducted. After people had gone through the tour, I asked them a series of questions regarding why they came to the caverns (specific questions are below). I also interviewed the cavern manager regarding different aspects of the cavern and the visitors. I used brochures, visitor information, postcards and the local newspaper as supplemental information. Once I have gathered all my information, I will analyze it for patterns of why people visit the caverns. Finally, I will also heighten my awareness for other information that I had not predicted or expected.
Where are you from?
Questions to Manager
How long have you worked here?
Questions for tourists
Did you come just to see the cavern or are you vacationing?
Why did you come here? What attracted you to come here?
Why did a brochure make you want to come here?
How long will you be here?
What was your favorite thing about the caverns?
What was your least favorite thing?
How is this different than anything else you have seen?
Do you see this as pure nature?
Do you feel that having to pay to see it changes it?
Do you think that people now are different than those who first discovered it? If so, how?
Do you think that the technology era that we live in has changed your view of the caverns?
Do you like it because it is safer?
Would you have explored the caverns if it was not made safe and accessible by man?
Was it exciting and adventurous?
Do you think the first people who discovered it have the same interest in it as you?
Do you think that this is tourism? If so, why?
What attracted you to work here?
Do you love your job?
How do you think that the people who see it today are different than those who first discovered it?
What do you think is the main thing that attracts people here?
Do you think that the commercialization of the cave has altered or changed the cave and the experience of it?
Do you think that people expect it to be commercialized?
Do you think that this is pure nature?