Ice Cream Social Scheduled for Oregon Caves National Monument

Plan a visit to Oregon Caves National Monument in July to help celebrate the monument's centennial. Photo of the Chateau at Oregon Caves by Jess Stryker.

Who doesn't like an old-fashioned ice cream social? If you're in the vicinity of Oregon Caves National Monument in early July, stop by for a scoop or two to help celebrate the monument's centennial.

Dishing out the frozen treat on July 11 and 12 will be none other than Oregon's First Lady, Mary Oberst.

The festivities begin at 1 p.m. on July 11 with remarks from First Lady Oberst as well as from National Park Service representatives, members of Oregon's congressional delegation, and special guests.

Along with the ice cream and speeches, there also will be tours of the cave, and a photo essay depicting construction of the Chateau at Oregon Caves. By the way, there's an $8 million renovation and restoration of the Chateau under way, so disregard any dust. The work is scheduled to be completed by 2012. Some historic-preservation specialists will be on hand for the social, so you'll be able to ask them any questions you might have of the restoration work.

On Sunday, July 12, there will be more cave tours, stories from the "Cave Queen," and a reunion of former staff and the Oregon Cavemen.

Throughout the weekend there also will be educational and informational booths representing many of the monument's partners: the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service, the Siskiyou Field Institute, and other community groups.