4 miles underground

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Geo: 37.3351, -86.2477

After waking up early and cooking up a hearty camp breakfast over the fire we headed out for Mammoth Cave National Park. It took us a little less than a half hour to get there from our camp ground. Camping is available at the Mammoth park, but they didn't have an camper sites with electric and water hookup available. If I hauled a camper 350 miles, I was darned well going to get to use as many of its features and amenities as possible!

I pre-booked us ticket for the "Grand Avenue" tour via the web site http://www.recreation.gov. The tour was about 4 miles in about 4 hours and included a lunch break. At first I was a little concerned that it was classified as "strenuous" as while I am in good shape, I am not IronMan. Then I gave it some more thought. This is a tour at a national park in America being taken primarily by Americans. We are not a people who are generally considered to be in top physical form. I figured we could handle it and we were right. No biggie. I do recommend good shoes because the trails are cave trails and often damp and rough. Slipping and twisting an ankle or scraping a knee are probably the biggest dangers.

I enjoyed the brisk pace of the tour and the brief presentations from our former geologist/ranger guide. The highlight of the tour for the kids was not the lunch break (which is unusual), but the presentation where we all sat down, turned off any light-making equipment and sat silently in total darkness. It was, very literally, an eye opener.

The boxed lunches that were available for purchase weren't bad and they included soup which was nice in the cool, damp environment. If you want to bring your own you need to put it in a clear plastic bag. A couple people had clear plastic backpacks like the ones you might buy kids toys or art supplies in. By not allowing any opaque bags inside they eliminate the need for bag searches.

On the way out we walked across a mat treated with disinfectant foam. Mammoth has yet to have a confirmed case of White Nose Syndrome which is devastating to bat colonies, but they are taking precautions on the way in and the way out to try and contain the spread of this scourge.

When we finished the tour we were unsure of what to do next. In the cave information center they have a desk which is often staffed with folks who know the area and have visitor/tourist pamphlets. We chatted with the volunteer and took a few flyers. We decided to try and visit the plant where they have the Corvette assembly line. It's in nearby Bowling Green, KY. When we got there it was closed for tours which was pretty disappointing. Across the street we saw the Corvette museum which was less interesting to us, but what the heck? We spent an hour or two wandering the floor looking at old cars and talking about Dad's old '86 Corvette. The museum was OK, but nothing to write home about if you don't have a serious historical interest in these iconic muscle cars.

We decided to cap off the day with a trip to the movie theater. We just missed one showing so we headed for an early dinner. We made our way to the Brickyard Cafe (brickyardcafe.net). It was excellent. I wasn't wild for my pasta dish, but the wood fired pizzas and calzones were the bomb. The calzone was the most beautiful pizza-pastry I have ever seen. It was generous in size and really tasty. There is a children's menu if you request it. Oddly, they didn't include their address on their business card, but the web site or a search should get you there.

After the movie we headed back to the camp site. Unfortunately, we did not get to sleep there long. A tornado and severe thunderstorm watch, coupled with a strong suggestion from the ranger sent us off to a no-tell motel for the rest of the night. I conducted my check-in with a young lady stationed behind bullet-proof glass. Ironically, five feet to her left was an open door, so I'm not sure what the point of the glass was. I dutifully answered her name and address questions so she could fill out the paperwork to get us checked in. When I mentioned I was from Virginia a young man in camouflage gear, slumped in a chair nearby jumped into the conversation. "Y'all have get many ticks where you're from?" Remarkably, I managed to pull together a coherent, non-insulting answer to this most unexpected of questions. "I haven't seen any ticks yet this season," I replied, turning to face him. At this point he flicked open a lighter and began burning a tick off his thigh. If only I had David Sedaris' gift for prose because that is a moment which just begs to be shared to full effect. I'm sure he has the ladies swooning from one end of the state to the other. Who can resist such a blatant come on?

Note: I got a little ahead of myself and accidentally included the horse pictures here. We actually rode the next day.

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Photos

Kate on her horse, Cocoa
We did a 2 hour ride in Mammoth Cave National Park with Double "J" Stables. They are a licensed outfitter and can be reached at doublejstables.com. I felt like we got excellent value for our money. The kids had a blast. At the time we visited, they only accepted cash.

Alex rode Buddy
Alex really bonded with his horse.

Josh and his horse, Curly
Josh's horse was a little pokey, but it became the running joke of the afternoon.

Alex throwing rocks into Lake Nolin
The water, as evidenced by the height of the tree, appeared to be high. I could be wrong though.

Our no-tell motel
This may be the last motel in America that still has keys... it didn't even provide key rings. Your room number is written on your key in Sharpie. Still, I can't complain since no tornadoes took us that stormy night.

Entrance to Mammoth Park from Double J
Double J Stables have their land right next to the park so trail rides take place almost entirely in the park. It was a fun opportunity to see parts of the park we would not normally have seen.

Kate's pizza at the Brickyard
That pizza was REALLY tasty.

Josh confronts the calzone
The calzone cooked in a wood-burning oven was beautiful and delicious.

The General Lee
Although not a Corvette, this made-famous-by-tv muscle car made its way into the Corvette museum

Lunch at Snowball Cave
The lighting isn't great here, but you can see the "smoke graffiti" that was left on the walls by 19th century visitors.

Gather 'round the campfire
You can tell they are camping with mom, not with dad, because broccoli is being served. I think this picture is actually from the day before.