City Social Magazine in Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Issue link: https://citysocial.epubxp.com/i/793515
51 Join us for the Zoo's Birthday Celebration & Family Festival! april 1+2 from 9:30 am–5 pm gates close at 6 PM brzoo.org 47 Years wild! Going low Take Longhorn Cavern State Park, one of the state's many under- ground caves. Longhorn is one of only two in the country, however, formed by an underground river or lake. The smooth dolomite walls weave and flow like the horizontal waters that created it. The cave was first used by Comanches but abandoned when the Native Americans left the area. Civil War soldiers occupied the cave at one time as well and used bat guano for gunpowder. During the 1920s the main room with its high ceiling was used as a dance hall and speakeasy. Most of the cave, however, remained closed off by rock and mud debris until the Civilian Conservation Corps arrived in the 1930s to restore the cave and create a park. It took the CCC a decade to excavate the 2.5 tons of silt and rocks before installing light- ing and passageways for tourists. The cave features hibernating tricolor bats, the massive "Indian Council Room," a wall of multi- colored crystal calcite and a rock outcrop resembling a dog that visi- tors will swear was carved by hand. The latter was discovered by CCC workers and placed on display. Speaking of those CCC men, a few are believed to have stayed behind; occasionally the caverns offer para- normal tours. For more information, visit www.longhorncaverns.com. Beer with a purpose In neighboring Marble Falls, Dave and Quynh Rathkamp are attempting to save the world, one mug of beer at a time. The couple, who met at Tulane during their medical residency, spent vacation time visiting impoverished areas of the world. Dave loved to brew beer and Quynh loved to donate to chari- ties so the two left medicine behind and started Save the World Brewing Company. The makeup of Marble Falls water is akin to water in Belgium, so Dave creates Belgium-style beer. Since both have a Christian calling, the beers reflect Latin names such as Agnus Dei Witbier, a wheat beer with orange and coriander hints that means "Lamb of God" and the Humilus Filius ("The Humble Son") pale ale, what Rathkamp calls his "meat and potatoes beer." Visitors are welcome Fridays and Saturdays in the brewery's tast- ing room to enjoy standard and seasonal brews. Profits help Food for the Hungry, Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels and the couple works hard to maintain a small carbon footprint. There are solar panels on the roof, they recap-