One chilly weekend late in the fall, John and I had opportunity to go to Mammoth Cave National Park just outside of Bowling Green, KY. Our weekend was jam packed with visiting friends, exploring the mysterious caves, and getting to eat at some local restaurants, but the national park itself was definitely the main focus. We couldn’t help but start to marvel at the beauty of the park as soon as we arrived on the property. The wonderfully wooded drive from the interstate to the visitor center provided us with a great welcome and excited us for the rest of the visit to the caves. Before our Domes and Dripstones tour, we went from the visitor’s center to the historic entrance trail and marveled at the beauty of the natural entrance while walking in as far as we could. From the natural entrance, we connected to the Dixon cave trail and overlooked the cave as best we could while the bats were hibernating. We then connected to the Green River Bluffs Trail and looped back to the visitors’ center from the Dixon Cave trail. We wish we had known about the River Styx and the trail we could’ve taken from the Green River Bluffs trail, but we knew little about the importance of the river until after our tour. We chose the Domes and Dripstones tour, because it included everything we wanted to see. To read about some mistakes we made on our trip, click here. When we booked the tour, the sound of over 500 stairs was a bit intimidating, but don’t let it throw you off. They are mostly descending stairs and the beauty that they will lead you too is well worth every step. At the beginning of the tour, our guide gave us a lot of history about the cave’s natural entrance, the property itself, and the designation of national park and world heritage site. As we descended into the cave, we talked more about the rivers that carve the caverns and the animals that live in the pitch dark depths. The way the stalactites hang from the ceilings in the 'Drapery Room' made me feel like I was in a beautifully decorated room, but the 'Frozen Niagara' was the main attraction of the the tour. This wonder is truly a beautiful marvel. Just standing there marveling at its size you realize how long it must've taken to make such a thing. My own life felt a bit insignificant on that lengthy timeline. After the 'Frozen Niagara', the tour is pretty much over. You'll take a few flights of stairs up to the surface and take the bus back to the visitor center. John and I marveled about the cave even after we'd hit the road for our next adventure.
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Talkin' 'bout Tacos:
I'm Taylor, aka Tacos! I am sharing my journeys and experiences from across the world hoping to inspire travel and adventure in all who read. Archives
June 2024
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