Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
This is Fred Ball for Zions Bank, speaking on business.
As I was driving into Kanab on a recent visit, I noticed a large roadside attraction north of town called the Moqui Cave. The cave's entrance portrays a replica of an ancient Anasazi village, and the cliff dwellings are replicas of the originals that existed in 900 A.D.
I introduced myself to the cave's owner, Lex Chamberlain. He is a man with an engaging personality and zeal for life, especially evident as he showed me the many treasures contained in the Moqui Cave.
Lex and his wife, Lee Anne, took over the family enterprise in 1989 after the death of his father, Garth Chamberlain, who bought the old cave in 1951. When his father bought the cave, Lex says "it was a big, filthy and dirty hole." Garth and his wife discovered the large cave had been abused and mistreated because it was filled with graffiti and black stains from campfires.
The couple began to clean up the cave in a variety of ways. They used 286 bags of Portland cement and put a clean white coat of paint on the interior of the cave. They also leveled the cave's floor with 150 truckloads of dirt.
The cave was initially used for dances and socials. But after years of long Friday and Saturday nights of dancing, the couple decided to turn the cave into a museum.
Today visitors can enjoy an extensive collection of Native American artifacts in the cave. I particularly enjoyed the display of fluorescent minerals on display. They look like ordinary rocks, but they bring forth an exclamation of awe and wonder when an ultra-violet ray suddenly illuminates the display. A gorgeous glow is awakened in the drab looking stone.
There are many dinosaur tracks, fossils, old photographs, world currencies and other interesting things to see in the Moqui Cave. It's worth a stop if you're in Southern Utah.
For Zions Bank, I'm Fred Ball. I'm speaking on business.
