A narrated tour of Carlsbad Caverns - Awesome underground sights!

A vintage 35mm slide show tour of Carlsbad Caverns with cassette tape narration and otherworldly synthesizer music. Located in New Mexico, USA, it is the largest underground limestone chamber in North America. More info: en.wikipedia.o...
Thumbnail photo courtesy of the National Park Service

[@michaelshultz2540]

The kings room is not part of the main tour and require a separate admission fee and a special tour guide usually by apt. The walk from the main entrance to the lunch room takes from 45min. If you walk briskly to an hour and half for the time suggested by the park brochure . This standerd tour is now self guided . The kings chamber and queens chamber are together as a special guided tour by a park ranger. And is an additional 1 1/2 hr. Tour . So if you go plan to see it all . You will not regret it. And take a good camera that can take pictures in the natural lighting provided in the caverns as if you use flash you will only get flat gray dull looking pictures for all your efforts. Or just buy a dvd from the souvenir shop in the lunch room. Also plan to be at the entrance at sunset to watch the bats emerge from the cave it to is a spectacular sight. If you leave never wanting to come back and see it again, then you will be the only person alive to feel that way.!😎

[@Caun-88]

I remember the cassette tape/slides combo from elementary school, had some older teachers who would use them for teaching science related things, animals, minerals, ect. It was like a lamer version of watching a video.

[@miked4377]

great video kevin..very good cassette..

[@daviddanser7801]

One of the best sideshow I have seen. Thank you so much for taking the time to put together the slides and cassette as something to watch. Your time and effort is appreciated. Love the channel, long time subscriber. Can't wait to see more videos.

[@teppest111]

pretty cool.

[@blobbyblobnestmonster1563]

A very beautiful presentation. The pacing with the sound track was perfect. You can spend just the right amount of time taking in each image without constantly hitting the pause button. When I first saw the unopened slides shown in the introduction I suspected that we were all in for an extra hi-res show. If you look at the film base of the slides you can see that the film area is lot larger than a normal 35mm slide. According to wikipedia this kind of slide is called a “superslide” and were photographed using 127 format film instead of the usual 35mm film. Makes quite a difference in the image presentation. It also helped that I watched on a big HD plasma TV in full screen. From wikipedia: Slides shot on 127 slide film were often preferred over 35 mm for example for sets of slides sold at tourist gift shops, because of the larger photo area (hence the advertised name "Superslides")[4] and completely square dimensions of a 127 slide. The format was part of the ISO 732 standard until it was dropped in the third (1991) edition of that standard. I’m hankering for another VWestlife drive around New Jersey with that personal tour guide narration.

[@vwestlife]

The film in the slides is 27.5 x 35 mm, which is just a little bit taller than standard 35 mm slides. So they are not "superslides".

[@blobbyblobnestmonster1563]

Interesting. They look so much bigger than normal.

[@GeebsBurnerAccount]

This is pretty neat!

[@kaitlyn__L]

I didn't know there were scanners specifically for film like that, but I find the light chamber really interesting. Does the scanner make use of the adapter being in a fixed location, to reduce/remove manual cropping? Since that could just be done in drivers? I remember back in the first half of the 00s almost every scanner's sticker boasting about scanning negatives to do home processing, blow up specific shots, etc. Do negatives face the same darkening issue as the processed film, essentially making it a non-feature on basic scanners, or does that work out okay? I suppose maybe it would instead look washed out after inverting the colours?

[@vwestlife]

It does auto-cropping of the slides, but it's not perfect so sometimes you have to adjust the cropping manually. I have not tried using it to scan in film yet.

[@himmelsrand7527]

Which Camera do you use for your Videos?

[@MidniteTease]

I love this. I collect older information on Carlsbad Caverns, mainly because the story of the exploration of the Caverns isn't communicated as much as it used to be. Not to knock the information presented now; it's all very good and even necessary.

[@applescruff1969]

Why do i get the feeling hipsters will soon start collecting these?

[@megabojan1993]

Why do hipsters exist?

[@applescruff1969]

@@megabojan1993 Because they do.

[@megabojan1993]

We don't need them.

[@neoqueto]

That HP scanner is a good idea BUT IT'S A WASTE OF SPACE AT THE SAME TIME haha Beggars can't be choosers

[@AlfaReed]

The narrator sure likes to swear a lot :)

[@EgoShredder]

LOL! He also likes to split every other word into two syllables, even when not needed.

[@vwestlife]

That's just old-school announcer diction, enunciating clearly and distinctively so that your speech can be easily understood.

[@megabojan1993]

I like VWestlife's soothing voice. It's so calming

[@breakingbadatron8874]

does it give you a warm fuzzy feeling?

[@jaxnean2663]

MegaBojan1993 yeah I think he can do audio books or narrating nature documentaries

[@majestik101]

7:45 Behold the magnificent, wondrous beauty of THE LUNCHROOM

[@pineapplebob06]

majestik101 it’s not there anymore it’s been removed about 20 years ago

[@adrinathegreat3095]

A 35mm film slide is very high quality, way beyond DVD resolution, these can be projected on a 10 ft screen and still retain a lot of detail

[@LakeNipissing]

Amazing time capsule, and beautiful location. Thanks for taking the time to scan the slides. Music wasn't "creepy" but about what I would expect in a 1970s presentation like this.

[@cerealfamine1]

I agree, not too creepy, just depressing. Like most media from the 70's.

[@negirno]

@@cerealfamine1 The synth parts makes me nostalgic not depressed, and it certainly not creepy.

[@EdwinNoorlander]

That’s so end 70”. Now it sounds like he is swearing between the slides.

[@irtbmtind89]

These slide and tape sets were used in the Toronto school system well into the 90s.

[@BilisNegra]

Automatic projectors driven by tones from a cassette? Didn't know those were a thing. Mmmm, what a feeling of retro tech coolness in one sentence! Wish I could see that in action.

[@battra92]

Somewhere at my parents' house I have a slide + cassette set of the American Revolution. I wish I could find that again as I would scan them all and put them together as a video just as you did.

[@SirJeff]

Grim Monolith and have one happen again due to not being be able to learn from mistakes? No thanks.

[@ShowRyuKen]

"Stalactites hang tightly from the ceiling; Stalagmites might one day reach the ceiling" is the version I was taught - I was surprised by this narrator's version! In any case, amazing video, thanks for posting.

[@alice-pz1kf]

when this popped up on autoplay i thought it was analog horror 😭

[@KainiaKaria]

I have been to Carlsbad Caverns. I recognize the entrance into the cave.

[@Trance88]

I was in elementary school through the 90's and I totally remember cassette/film slide shows, but rather than having individual slides, it was all film strips. They were always fun to watch. Maybe not as fun as an actual video, but it was better than sitting there watching the teacher talk.

[@banjoplayingbison2275]

Haha I would have expected to find something like that here (since I live in New Mexico)!

[@cerealfamine1]

I was at the caverns in 1991 when I was 9 years old, I remember they gave us headphones that were narrated over radio waves I think. Could have been the same narration.

[@jaxnean2663]

Totally enjoyed it. I also loved the light music.

[@far2manygadgets38]

I didn't think the music was creepy. I must be getting old. I'm guessing the formations are more impressive if you don't use a 10 gazillion lumen light.

[@michaelshultz2540]

far2many gadgets the lightning in the caverns is totaly crafted and staged artfully to enhance the viewers experience and if you take a camera with you it's best to use a hi quality hi speed camera that will not need flash .As the flash will wash out the lightning in the caverns and leave you with a bunch of pictures that look black&white as the true color in the caverns, of everything, is simply varying shades of grey. "But who are we to say ,which is right, and which is ,an illusion ¿ " Deseradata, The Moody Blues.

[@TOMORROWSPHERE]

Great video! I had purchased a history of NASA, included 2 LP records and slides sometime in the late 1970s, wish I had it now! Thanks for taking the time to scan and combine the audio. The slow pacing is charming!

[@SupraWes]

Cool, I want to go now!

[@Musicradio77Network]

I have a slide projector which is an Argus and film slide which were from a filmstrip projector to see Scooby-Doo and the gang talking about acne and pimples. But nice shots of the cavern. I used to go to Howe Caverns once a long time ago, but I would never go back again, because it was too creepy to go to. I was on there once in Howe Caverns, but not anymore. Howe Caverns is the worst attraction of my life due to how creepy the cave were.

[@matixthewolf4692]

I’ve visited that cave so many times. Loved it every time. Though if you go in the winter, the temperature actually seems to be quite warm. There’s even one formation that seems to be a old man and his dog. Oh also in front of the Chinese hat, there’s a small “hill” that you think is strange looking rock, but is actually just a pile of bat poop. Also, I’ve heard from locals that another cave was just discovered thats connected to that one that dwarfs the known Carlsbad caverns.

[@ThriftyAV]

Thank you, VWestlife, for digitizing this very interesting slide presentation. As a teenager, I used to go spelunking with my father and his friends in the wild caves found in the Lincoln National Forrest, near Carlsbad Caverns. This video makes me want to take up this hobby once again!

[@mercuryoak2]

I know this is not really related but I remember my grandparents having a whole bunch of slides of pictures of family etc. Even my dad's family I believe had them if memory serves. My dad had a slide viewer that was black with a red switch to turn on light and it would magnify the pictures but only could put one slide at a time in this. My grandparents had a portable one that was like a view master put slide in and aim at light source or used a slide machine

[@kareno8634]

@ 7:11 *Cousin IT* just add Glasses ; ) Always wanted to scan Slides, never tried. So all YOU do is Need Scanner - Go to Goodwill, and You're good! COOL! Must Try, Thanks!

[@jeenkzk5919]

Does anyone know the name of the narrator? His voice was everywhere in the 70s and 80s!

[@Livewire91]

Sounds a bit like the guy in Battlestar Galacticas intro speech. It's maybe not him thou.

[@frazzleface753]

I would say he's almost certainly Canadian.

[@stevef6392]

@@frazzleface753 I doubt it. There was not one eh or unnecessary apology on that tape. :)

[@LakeNipissing]

It was not uncommon for narration in many presentations to be done by well-known celebrities at the time such as William Shatner, Ernest Borgnine... etc.

[@cyberyann]

Jeenkz K sounds like Peter Thomas

[@paulyh4531]

Very good , used to make my own slides and tapes years ago to video tapes later transferred to dvds then usb sticks.

[@jjlapierre]

VWestlife - I love the way you do things! This video like so many is simply brilliant. Thank you for sharing exactly the way you do.

[@wilkes85]

OOH this takes me back to the filmstrips we used to watch in school. Similar narration and music, even the same tone between the slides. I don't think we ever watched any that utilized a slide projector though... but we did use slides regularly for showing pictures of big school events like ceremonies, trips, etc... we even used one as late as 2004 at my grad ceremony.

[@theannoyedmrfloyd3998]

I have a slide scanner. Man I would love to scan them.

[@yubii9041]

wtf i was just there a while ago

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

“resolution”

[@2010liamf]

Wish you would do more videos of you looking around the thrift store, it's very interesting

[@vwestlife]

One of the thrift stores I go to now has a sign on the door indicating that taking videos or photos inside is prohibited.

[@midnightraiin4035]

What a gift

[@modco2.1]

Wow, beautiful footage. :'(

[@valuevinyl110]

Awesome share!

[@TheComputerGuy96]

Those people who wanted you to get a more modern scanner because your older parallel port one only worked on Windows XP are going to be happy now.

[@The_Wayfaring_Smuggler]

That music sounds like it would come from the film Deliverance, very uneasy feeling.

[@janchristianursuaaguilar7434]

Kevin, how could the music be when it's not. Odd.

[@Pyridox]

Thank you for sharing, and converting. I've never been there, looks nice.

[@TheYuniverse12]

I live in loving ton, bout 100 miles from carlsbad

[@aquiderossi7366]

One of those rather quaint things I frequently experienced in childhood, and a bit nostalgic. As far as slide projection goes, if you wanted to get fancy you could have two or three projectors and crossfade from one to the next by means of dimmers on the bulbs. Remember those? Another thing I saw a lot of were the filmstrips with cassette accompaniment, and all-in-one portable projectors with tape player and 18" or so rear-projected screen. I believe called them "Dukane projectors", this being the brand name I think. When I was young (6-8 or so) there was a slideshow with tape accompaniment shown in church at occasional but regular intervals, from which I first learned a funky and interesting looking word, although it'd be later when I'd learn the meaning. The word? "Copyright."

[@jimb032]

I remember all of that! I've seen one of those shows with the 3 slide projectors and automatic forwarding one time and never again. I remember listening to them chatter as they changed slides and was just amazed at the automation. I don't remember the equipment as I only seen it one time and it was in the early 80's.

[@squishysam]

I don't know why but the narration along with the beeps is so funny to me. There must be something wrong with me.

[@rkan2]

Nice quality indeed!

[@Ungeboren1988]

Rip my ears thanks to those darn beeps

[@EgoShredder]

Wow how loud do you have the sound in your headphones! I have mine at a comfortable low gentle volume most of the time, so I do not damage my hearing. Occasionally I have them mid-volume for music.

[@Ungeboren1988]

@@EgoShredder 30% overall with youtube at roughly 2/3, the sound is simply to high pitched

[@EgoShredder]

@@Ungeboren1988 Ahh ok I have mine around 10% for KZbin when using headphones, and at 30% for speakers.

[@coolduder1001]

I just found a deal on a nice crosley turntable. It's the crosley c200, an at-lp120 for $200.

[@man_eating_monkey]

Hmm I wonder if an LED backlight panel salvaged from an LCD could be used to work scan film/slides with an ordinary scanner.