Mammoth Caves, Kentucky (March 30 – April 2): The Mammoth Caves area was probably more interesting from a subterranean perspective than above ground. While there are forests full of a very diverse number of deciduous trees, through which we hiked 6 miles…not the views we are used to from Colorado. But once underground, we took the Historical Cave Tour within Mammoth Caves National Park, which was a dry cave and doesn’t have stalactite and stalagmite formations, but has vast giant dry caverns. We walked about two miles down to 160 feet below the surface only to walk back up a massive tower at the end. I felt like we were in the mines of Mordor from Lord of the Rings!
We also visited Diamond Caves, which was a “wet” cave and full of the standard stalactite and stalagmite formations that we are used to seeing in most caves we have visited. Photos where quite challenging underground.
Our trip from Mammoth Caves across Kentucky to North Carolina and the Great Smokey Mountains took us over the Cumberland Gap, a historical mountain pass originally used by the Native Americans for centuries and then the first gateway for settlers to the “west”.
Why does the turkey cross the road? Why does the truck cross the river?
Mammoth Caves National Park: Wandering the hiking trails and driving around the area as well as the a few shots of the subterranean tour…and the mines of Moria!
Diamond Caves outside of Mammoth Caves National Park:
Cumberland Gap was the first mountain gateway to the west, a pass between Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, used for centuries by the Native Americans and then settles as they moved west into Kentucky. Here’s how we travel the Cumberland Gap these days!
The Traveling Lounsburys 