Meet Mike and Caleigh from Upstate NY

Meet Mike and Caleigh from Upstate New York. When Mike visited Howe Caverns in the mid-1990s as a young boy with his grandparents, parents, and brother, he never imagined that decades later, he’d return with his wife, Caleigh, to celebrate their third wedding anniversary—and stumble upon a nostalgic surprise.

While exploring the breezeway’s mini-museum of memorabilia, something familiar caught Mike’s eye.

“The tall glass that’s gold-leafed in the case?” he said, pointing. “We DID buy that [on that trip].”

Knowing they were planning to return to Howe Caverns, Mike had already gone digging through an old cabinet in search of the souvenir. “And I found it!” he recalled with a smile. His mother estimates that original visit was around 1995, though Mike says he’d need to check the family photo albums to confirm.

For Mike and Caleigh, anniversaries are less about gifts and more about shared experiences.

“On our anniversary, we like to look for someplace different to go instead of buying things,” said Caleigh, who works in school security and has a love of history. That spirit of discovery also led them to plan a stop at the nearby Iroquois Museum.

“My mom’s Native American—Mohawk,” Mike shared. “So we really wanted to hit that as well.” He had been there as a child, but it would be Caleigh’s first visit.

Traveling to interesting places has always been a part of Mike’s DNA. Now an aircraft mechanic by day and recreational pilot in his free time, he grew up in a family that loved to explore. “As a kid, I was into geology and all that… we even used to go to the gem and mineral shows. It’s why I came to Howe Caverns.”

Caleigh, in contrast, grew up with a different tradition. “We had a lake house,” she said, “so we spent our vacations enjoying that instead of traveling.”

Together, they strike a perfect balance—grounded in history, and always ready for their next adventure.

Thank you so much for visiting!