Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, U.S.A.
Mammoth Cave NP
With its more than 400 miles of mapped and explored territory, Mammoth Cave is considered the largest cave system in the world. Due to the pandemic, however, only a tiny part of the cave could be visited. Spelunking was unfortunately out of the question. We had to be happy with the only available tour: the Self-guided Extended Historic Tour.
After a brief safety talk and a short downhill walk, we entered the cave through the Historic Entrance, a natural opening that has been used by people for thousands of years. Once inside the belly of the cave, we followed the path to a humongous room where leftovers from mining were still visible.
In the early 19th century, African American slaves worked long hours in dire conditions to mine salpeter inside the cave. Combined with sulphur and charcoal, it was made into black gunpowder which was used during the wars. I found it ironic that, indirectly, these men helped to preserve American independence while many never enjoyed freedom themselves.
While Mammoth Cave ddin’t display intricate stalagmites and stalactites, it impressed me with its cheer size. The rooms were enormous! And even though we only saw a tiny part, it was not difficult to imagine how colossal this entire cave system really was!
The trail ended about a mile into the cave. It was here that, in 1841, Dr. Croghan, a medical doctor from Louisville, Kentucky, build two huts to house patients who suffered from tuberculosis because he believed that cave air would treat this lung disease. Not surprisingly, all patients died. I think it is safe to conclude that the two year-long experiment proved that cave air does not cure TB!
Mammoth Cave NP is much more than just a cave system. The park has miles of hiking g trails through beautiful rolling hills. We decided to hike the Green River Bluff Trail and were not disappointed. In fact, we were treated to incredible views of the Green River and the surrounding forest. Because it was almost winter, the deciduous trees were bare so the landscape only displayed dull brown and grey colors. With dazzling shades of green however, these views must be remarkable in springtime!
On our way back to the visitor center, we inevitably had to walk on a very muddy, well-traversed trail. It guided us past the place where one of Mammoth Cave’s underground rivers emerges from the deep, dark depths of the underworld. This stream was fittingly named the River Styx. Accessing or even getting close to the river was impossible because it was fenced. Were they trying to keep out people who were eager to become invincible like the mythological Achilles? “Some people” tried getting close enough to take a picture and found out that the climb up was a wee bit challenging!
Almost by the parking lot, we connected to the Heritage Trail. Here, we encountered the Old Guide’s Cemetery, a tiny burial site where Stephen Bishop’s tomb can be found. He worked as a slave inside the cave but later became a guide. He also helped discover and create cave tours and eventually he was given his freedom. He paved the road for many African Americans and in fact, after the Civil War, black and white guides worked side by side. I found that to be amazing!
On our last day we conquered the Sink Trail. This fairly easy hike took us inside a sinkhole and offered some dramatic views. Kentucky is very prone to sinkholes because of its Karst terrain, which develops in areas with a lot of limestone bedrock. Here, underground water sources are literally able to dissolve rock and create a void and eventually a collapse. Traversing the floor of this enormous sink was pretty cool.
Apparently, during periods of high rain, it is possible to see the underground river emerge but the area was pretty dried out. Aside from mud, there was no evidence of a subterranean river. Nevertheless, we were treated to impressive rock formations.
On the way back, we took a wrong turn and ended up on a different trail. After a mile or so, we realized we made a mistake and had to retrace our steps. Luckily, we didn’t miss the trail marker this time and we reached the parking lot in no time. Tired from all the exploring, we plopped in the car and drove back to our Airbnb in Horse Cave.
National Corvette Museum
On our way down to Mammoth Cave we drove through Bowling Green and noticed the weird looking yellow and red building next to the highway. It turned out to be the Skydome of the National Corvette Museum. We made a note of it because Bert and Maarten wanted to visit on the drive back.
For someone who is not a car aficionado like me, the museum is still plenty interesting. I had fun leaning about the history behind this popular American sports car and it was neat to see cars of different eras on display in realistic settings such as a Mobil service station and a 60’s Corvette showroom . They even showed the very first 1953 car!
Inside the Skydome we admired “Vettes” of every generation. Alongside these beautiful cars, were 8 heavily damaged ones. These were the vehicles that were ruined on February 12, 2014, when a sinkhole collapsed inside the Skydome. I’m sure more than one tear was shed on that day!
The mangled cars were removed from the 30 foot deep hole and are now on display. General Motors fully restored two of them too and are working on a third one.
I would have loved to visit the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant where Corvettes have been made since 1981. Sadly, due to Covid 19 restrictions, the plant was closed to visitors.