On the second day of Alyssa's 12th birthday trip we had two surprises planned. Here is the first stop of the day and the second surprise on her trip: Mammoth Cave National Park.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn in Horse Cave, Kentucky which is conveniently located right off I-65. (Best hotel we have ever stayed in! Friendly staff, really lovely room, fun pool, fantastic morning breakfast. We always make a point to stay at a cheap, clean hotel. This one takes the cake! We will definitely be back soon.) That night there was a really heavy downpour and some crazy strong winds. After eating a delicious breakfast we ventured out into some very light rain. We had already planned to take the back road into the park in order to avoid traffic, avoid some tourist traps in Cave City, KY (namely Dinosaur World) and to appreciate the Kentucky countryside. There were many downed tree limbs on the road from the night before, but thankfully none of them blocked our road. Let me tell you that the drive did not disappoint at all!
Unbeknownst to us at the time, there are over 90 cemeteries and 3 churches inside Mammoth Cave National Park. As we drove along we passed two beautiful cemeteries and one church. If the ground had not been so soft and muddy from the previous night's storm then I would have wanted to return to photograph both cemeteries.
We stopped at the Mammoth Cave Cemetery to check out the beautiful Mammoth Cave Baptist Church established in 1827. The current building was built in 1927 and is now on the National Register of Historic Places. The door was open and we just had to sneak a peek!
Looking through the windows toward the cemetery gave us quite a view! What a peaceful resting place.
Hotch found this old abandoned outhouse in the back of the church. The kids thought that was the coolest!
The most prolific animal in Mammoth Cave National Park is the wild turkey. As we drove we saw at least 10 turkeys. I was driving and Hotch isn't the best photographer. That combination along with the flightiness of the turkeys meant we managed not to take any good photos of the turkeys.
You would never know that an incredible cave is just beyond those rocks and the cinder block cave entrance. We were at the end of the group so I could have more time to take photos. Unfortunately the photos that follow are really poor quality. My camera was having a really difficult time taking photos inside the cave, but we had a blast!
On our way down to the Drapery Room. Totally worth all the steps.
Wish we could have spent a few more minutes down in the Drapery Room so I could have gotten a really great photo. Guess that this will have to do until we visit again. I love my family! Spending time with them is my favorite thing to do because they totally rock!
When we exited the cave the humidity outside fogged up my camera. It was such a contrast to the cave which felt amazing inside because it stays constantly around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit.
We had the coolest tour guide. He was so knowledgeable and funny!
My family is crazy and I wouldn't have them any other way!
We love the National Park Service and are so grateful to be able to tour to see so many of them. Before we visit a national park, national battlefield, national forest or national historical site we research whether or not it has a Junior Ranger program. The kids love earning their badges! We weren't able to finish the Junior Ranger program before we had to leave so next time we visit Mammoth Cave National Park we will make sure to get their badges.
We had to cut our visit short because there were more surprises around the corner for Alyssa. We enjoyed the Kentucky countryside as we drove down to have lunch at Cracker Barrel. We love Cracker Barrel!
Kentucky is a favorite of ours and we hope to come back to Mammoth Cave National Park again next summer. We plan to camp there next time so we can enjoy the countryside, explore more caves and discover all the hidden treasures of the park along with its surroundings.
So fun! Caves are not my friend (claustrophobia and other such stuff) but I would still never pass up the chance to see such beauty and to wonder at Gods creation. (Iwouldn't really enjoy it until looking back on it. Not really during the experience) Thanks for sharing! I love your family adventures.
ReplyDeleteThere were a couple of places where it was a tight squeeze and we had to stoop down to get through, but most of this cave was rather open. Totally get the claustrophobia. I am not sure I would be able to do the spelunking tour because it goes through really tight places and that seems scary to me. I like the open caverns and short tours!
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