Mammoth Caves National Park, KY

In 2012 we visited Mammoth Caves National Park which is located near Cave City, Kentucky. However, at that time I was unable to explore the subterranean world of endless caves. Fast forward 12 years, we are back and I'm determined to venture into the abyss better know as Mammoth Caves. I have a one day window to explore as much of this underground paradise as I can so I chose the guided cave tour Domes and Dripstones as it focuses on natural formations of the cave namely stalactites and stalagmites. The tour includes the entire Frozen Niagara Tour and a small portion of the Grand Avenue Tour. Susan opted to stay home, as she is not fond of caves, tunnels, or tight spaces. I found this out the hard way.

Duration: 2 hours

Distance: 0.75 miles or 1.2 km walk

Total steps: 640 including 280 steps on initial descent and an optional 96 more

Mammoth Cave National Park is located in southcentral Kentucky and is  home to the longest cave system in the world. The rolling hills covers over 52,000 acres offering up a plethora of activities including hiking, camping, boating, and so much more. Currently, there are over 425 miles of passageways that have been surveyed. It became a national park on 1 July 1941, named a World Heritage Site in 1981, and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.

The Domes and Dripstones tour starts with a 10 minute bus ride from the visitors center to the new entrance. Departing from the bus we descend into a rather deep sinkhole to the cave entrance. At the unimpressive entrance the ranger gives a short talk on what is to be expected.

As soon as I entered, I immediately descended into the depths of the cave. The passageways are so narrow you must turn sideways or bend down to get through. The constant 12C or 54F temperature is felt immediately.

Nearing the end of the tour their is a formation called the Frozen Niagara. At this point one can stay up top or take the optional 96 stairs down for a closer look. Of course I went further into the abyss.

The tour ended with a short bus ride back to the visitors center and me wanting a little more. However, I wanted to tour the grounds and see the old entrance to the cave. So I opted to hike the grounds.

Old entrance

Fort Boonesborough State Park

The second leg of our adventure south took us further down the I-75 through Cinninnati, Lexington, and into Fort Boonesborough State Park which is near Richmond, KY. It was  a little on the cool side but that didn't matter cause it was a beautiful sunny day. The trip is just over 222 miles or 358 km and took about 5 hours with a couple of stops for the dogs and some much needed stretching exercises.

We arrived to the park and was greeted by a campground host singing Christmas carols. I guest you can never be too early for Christmas. We found our site got parked and set up.

We are only here for one night so I have some exploring to do. Fort Boonesborough State Park is located on the banks of the Kentucky River. The campground is open year round and offers 166 sites that range from water and electricity to 18 full hook-up sites. The primitive area is closed indefinitely due to major flooding last year. The park hosts several functions throughout the year in a large activities building. Service buildings provide showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities. They are quite dated but very clean. The park provides WiFi but I was unable to get on. The campground store is well stocked with the essentials including ice cream, groceries, and souvenirs. A short walk from our site is an 18 hole mini golf course equipped with lights for playing in the evenings. The cost is $4.50 adults and $3.50 children.

Kentucky River

Campground Store

Miniature Golf Course

One of Three Picnic Shelters

Fort Boonesborough was the final terminus for Daniel Boone and his band of trail blazers as they carved out a trail that became known as Boone Trace. This trail was only large enough for those travelling by foot or horseback. Boone and his party of early settlers arrived in April 1775. Their preliminary camp was a site called Sycamore Hollow near the Kentucky River.

Sycamore Hollow

Three weeks later when Richard Henderson arrived it was decided to move the camp to higher grounds close to where the permanent fort was constructed. Boonesborough was chosen because of it's close proximity to the Kentucky River. A rock wall marks the site of the forts first position. By late 1775 Fort Boonesborough consisted of 26 one story log cabins laid out in a rectangular shape with a blockhouse in each corner.

Footprint of Fort Boonesborough

Rock Wall

A replica of the fort was build about 0ne-half mile away and is open to the public. However, it closes for the season on 1 November and reopens 1 April the following year. As my walk was coming to an end I noticed a number of other sites in the park. All in all it is a great place to stay for one night or several. We will definitely stay here again.

RV Parks Scoop - Cave Country Campground, Cave City, KY

We have stayed here once before on our travels south but have never blogged on the actual campground. Cave Country Campground lies right off the I-65, so very easy on/off location. The park is south of Elizabethtown and north of Bowling Green making it centrally located for sightseeing.

The campground itself is very open, some trees are present but they are still small so no scratching the rig. There are a total of 51 sites all being pull-thru and on an angle making getting in and out easy. All have 30/50 amp service along with water, sewer, and cable. No extra charge for cable but an extra $2 for 50 amp service. They take several discount cards including Good Sam, FMCA, and AAA only to name a few. The price per night $38.00

The interior roads are hard backed gravel, well groomed so no potholes to worry about. Our site #43 was hard packed gravel with a cement patio which was placed almost perfectly.
Some sites I noted had firepits ours did not. The roads along with all sites were plenty wide and long enough to fit any size rig with a tow vehicle.

There is free wi-fi in the park which worked amazingly great. Our Verizon 4G phone also worked fine. If you have roof-top satellite there would be no interfere from trees.

This is basically an overnight or short term park. Not a lot of amenities, just the important ones like laundry facilities, washrooms, propane services, an enclosed dog run, and a picnic pavilion. Sorry no swimming for those wanting to take a dip.

Beware... DO NOT park or drive on the grass. The owner has a real issue with his grass. If you damage one blade you will be charged $125.00 to repair it. NO JOKE. There are several trains that pass through town each night that can be very bothersome for some. I lived by train tracks in my younger days so no bothering me. Felt like home...almost! There is some highway noise but again nothing that will keep you awake at night. All in all it's a great park.

A Day With Abe Lincoln

We arrived in Cave City yesterday and decided to stay an extra night. After two long days of driving we wanted a day to relax and sight see. Cave City is centrally located with many interesting places to visit. I have blogged on many of these attractions before. This time we travelled north to visit Abe at his birthplace. 

When we mention born in a log cabin in Kentucky most people think of Abraham Lincoln. In the early 1900's almost 100 years since Lincoln's birth, a memorial was built on a knoll near the town of Hodgenville, KY. The memorial and Sinking Springs Farm became apart of the national park system in 1916.

There are 56 granite steps leading up to the memorial, one for every year of Lincoln's  life. Inside is a log cabin which is typical of the period and area. However, it is not the original birth cabin.

To understand how Abraham Lincoln came to be the 16th President of the United States we first have to look at his ancestry and where they came from.

Samuel, the first America Lincoln arrived from England in 1637 and settled in Massachusetts. His descendants moved to New Jersey then Pennsylvania. In 1768 John Lincoln (Abe's great grandfather) moved to Virginia. In 1782 John's son Abraham (Abe's grandfather) along with his wife Bersheba settled near present day Louisville. Although the area was dangerous with Indian warfare it held rich fertile land for farming attracting early pioneers. In May 1786, Abraham was killed while working the fields. Thomas, the future presidents father was saved from death when his brother shot an attacking Indian.

In 1803 Thomas's family moved and settled near Elizabethtown. As a skilled carpenter, Thomas saved his money enabling him to purchase 230 acres of farmland. In 1806 he married a young women named Nancy Hanks (somehow related to Tom Hanks from what I'm told). In 1808 Thomas and Nancy bought Sinking Springs Farm a 300 acre stony farm for $200. The first child, Sarah was born but at one year of age they moved 14 miles southwest. 

On Sunday February 12, 1809 the future president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln was born in a small one room log cabin which sat atop a knoll near the town of Hodgen's Mill (Hodgenville, KY today).

How the cabin might have looked

The reason for the name Sinking Springs Farm is from a sink hole that developed on the land. This is where the Lincoln family got their fresh water supply.

  












Before walking the grounds of Abe Lincoln's birthplace we visited the National Park Visitor's Center where they have several exhibits and a very informative film.

The Lincoln family bible

Lincoln family statue

We also learn that Abraham Lincoln had a younger brother (Thomas Lincoln, Jr) who died in infancy. The cause of death is unknown. The simple field stone once marked his burial site.

  The grounds at this historical site are beautiful with several walking trails of different lengths. About 9 miles down the road is the national historic site of Lincoln's boyhood home. We opted to leave that for another time since it was time to eat. Food always wins over siteseeing.

Beautiful grounds

RV Park Scoop - Renfro Valley RV Park (Renfro Valley, Kentucky)

Before we left Georgia behind we had to pick up some pecans. Everyone knows that Georgia is known for their pecans, peaches, and Vidalia onions. Moses, the man behind the pecan stand was a real business man. We picked out what we thought were the two bags of pecans we were going home with. Nope, Moses made us a deal on 4 bags of pecans. With smiles on our faces (including Moses) and less cash in our pockets we were all happy.

Every state has its own challenges, whether it’s the mountains of Tennessee or dust storms of Texas. What is pretty consistent across the board are the terrible drivers. Yes we have our fair share in Canada but on the I-75 there seems to be way too many. There are so many people from Canada and different US states, that are all trying to get home in one day. So, in saying that, people are crazy on the road, cutting me off and stopping on the on ramp in front of me instead of accelerating. These are just to name a few. I’ve also noticed that if it is race weekend (NASCAR) people seem to drive like they are on a race track.  So the moral of the story is you have to have eyes up your butt.

As we approached our stop for the night we were feeling good so we decided to push on another 30 miles or so. What a score. We found the most amazing RV park in what I thought was the middle of nowhere. It’s just off the I-75 at exit 62, 45 miles south of Lexington and 135 miles north of Knoxville. As we were ready to exit, all the traffic started to slow down. We crept along then the traffic came to a complete stop right in front of our exit. Fancy that! Another score!

I had never heard of Renfro Valley let alone the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame. Once we registered, got set up, had something to eat, I decided to go out and explore. The campground is part of the Renfro Valley Entertainment Center and is equipped with all the amenities. The interior roads and sites are all gravel with grass between each site. All sites have 30/50 amp service along with water, sewer, and cable TV. There is no Wi-Fi at this park.

Our site...trees are just starting
to blossom

This is about 1/3 of the campground...got to love the
hills of Kentucky

Within walking distance of any given site is live country, gospel, and bluegrass music along with a shopping village and historic cabins. They also have a full service restaurant on the premises. As I was walking around all I could smell was smoked ribs. Too bad I just ate.

Pretty neat shops

The Music Store which has been around since 1939

An old Gristmill 

Full service restaurant on the premises

Aunt Polly's House...the
oldest house in Renfro Valley circa 1817

How did this place get it’s start? Well I asked the same question and this is what I found out. It all started in Chicago in 1937 when a young man by the name of John Lair was listening to a new contraption called the radio. With his new love for music and entertainment John moved back home to the Renfro Valley and started the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. For two years the show continued on WLW radio in Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. While this was happening the Big Show Barn was being built in Renfro Valley. Most locals figured the barn would turn into a future tobacco barn. What they did not know was in two short years there was a loyal following of the radio station. So on November 4th, 1939 the Old Barn doors opened and the announcer from WLW started to broadcast what became known as the Renfro Valley Barn Dance. They are now in their 76th year. If you like country music this is the place to come. It’s quite, small but has great entertainers.

The Old Barn

The New Barn

Unfortunately, we arrive a day early or we could have seen Loretta Lynn in concert. Other artists gracing the New Barn stage are Tracy Lawrence, Ronnie Milsap, The Oak Ridge Boys, Charlie Pride, Merle Haggard, Mickey Gilley just to name a few.

Site of the Bluegrass Festivals

A country singer entertaining the
campground

We have already decided that this place deserves a return visit. The area is alive with music and entertainment.

A Mammoth Place

 

 

Under Mammoth Cave National Park lies the most extensive cave system in the world. Now over 365 miles of explored passageways exist meaning Mammoth Cave is twice as big as any other known cave. Archeological evidence indicates that prehistoric people explored approximately 10 miles of the cave over 4000 years ago. Mammoth Cave became a national park in 1926 and a World Heritage Site in 1981.

 

Mammoth Cave National Park

 

Mammoth Cave System

Rainfall travels underground resulting in a continous sculpting of Mammoth Cave. Animals and plants living in the cave system depend on the quality and quantity of this water. Pollutants from human activities above threaten this water supply below. 

 

 

Deer standing on roadside

Mammoth Cave National Park Green River Ferry

Ferry cable system

Are we there yet? Once loaded it takes approimately 1 minute to cross

Green River

Unfortunately I was unable to take one of the tours through Mammoth Cave. Definitely on my bucket list. What a beautiful park.