We love National Parks, and can't be more embarrassed that it has taken us ten years to visit the one that is only a couple of hours away. Just a short drive from Lexington is Mammoth Cave National Park. For a number of reasons, this year seemed just right for us to correct that shortcoming and visit the depths of western Kentucky.
In our research prep for our visit, we were delighted to find that they had cabins on site that could accommodate the four of us. These cabins were not only clean and spacious, but also affordable and perfectly located for our trip. We just had to walk two hundred yards to the Visitor's Center or to a trail head.
Our preparation also provided us the foresight that we needed to book specific cave tours each day that we were there. Because of the age of the girls and because this was our first visit, we made a point of booking tours that highlighted all parts of the cave and weren't too lengthy. That being said, our first tour lasted three hours and the other two were about two to two and a half hours. And the girls loved it!
Although we took a lot of pictures, it was hard to truly capture how incredible and vast the caves are. This particular picture came from our Domes and Drips tour, where we saw some amazing formations that have developed over thousands of years.
Any good park visitor knows to take advantage of their junior ranger programs. The girls completed the tasks for Mammoth Cave pretty quickly, and so they go to take the oath on our second day. We love the rangers and all the programming they put on. Every night we attended the ranger talk at the park amphitheater, which meant we learned about Floyd Collins (a famous cave explorer), Caves around the World, and Tuberculosis. Needless to say, the girls enjoyed all, but found the tuberculosis presentation a bit long and over their heads.
This picture gives some perspective on what it is like heading down into the caves, and often that is what people focus on. But what is even more amazing is what the world looks like when you come out of the caves. On our very first tour we spent three hours underground with only kerosene lamps lighting our way. When we exited the cave we were overwhelmed with color. The trees were incredibly green and the sky was a stunning blue. So very cool.
On our very last guided tour of the trip we had the great fortune to be with Jerry Bransford, who is a fifth generation guide at Mammoth Cave. He is an incredible individual who led a wonderful tour. All the rangers who led the tours were phenomenal, however, the personal connection he brought to the whole experience was special. Plus, he had served in the army so he was an expert in crowd control and kept us all on the straight and narrow. It was helpful as we made our way through Fat Man's Misery and Tall Man's Agony.
Just because the caves are spectacular does not mean that they are the only game in town, however. The park has quite a few trails above ground as well, and we made a point of going on a few hikes when we weren't hundreds of feet under ground.
Each time we visit a park we are reminded how much the girls enjoy being in nature and we are reminded that we need to do it more often. They loved learning about the caves and exploring on their own. It was another great national park experience.
But this trip will also be remembered for a few other moments. One, a national park with an ice cream shop is always great and we took advantage of it. Two, the bridge leading to this cream shop was the only location where John could get good cell reception, which was crucial because he unfortunately spent a couple of hours on the phone talking about insurance. It just so happened that we were in the final phases of preparation for the renovation of our house, and John was negotiating the world of home owner's and liability insurance. Ultimately, he was able to get what we needed and still enjoy the adventure.
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