This the first article in a series of updates that will look back over my excursions in the last year. I’ve still been busy even if this blog has been quiet!

Back in May 2019, I finally made a trip to Mammoth Caves National Park, which I had been thinking about for a while. It’s about 3 hours from Cincinnati and I will definitely go back! I recommend planning your trip at least several weeks in advance and even earlier for busy holiday weekends.

The busy season at work starts in February and lasts until August. By early May, I already felt like I needed a break, so I scheduled time off on the Friday before Memorial Day. Dad and I planned to drive down on Friday morning, do a couple cave tours Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and come back on Saturday afternoon/evening to avoid the crowds.

However, neither of us knew that you needed tickets for almost all the cave tours at the park. We thought you could just wander the caves at your leisure. However, there are fixed schedules with a limited number of tickets for each tour. Certain tours are only offered at certain times as well. I did not think to look at the park’s website for details on the tours until the week before hand. Dad had been to the caves many years ago, before they started selling tickets, and was surprised to learn about the new requirement as well. There are only a few self-guide tour slots available, and they only give you access to a tiny part of the caves.

It was a lucky thing that we decided to head down on Friday, because almost every tour for Saturday was sold out! We grabbed tickets for a couple Friday slots and set out a week later. We stayed at a hotel in Cave City which was about a 20-minute drive from the park, although the park also has a lodge with some cabins as well.

Our first tour was the Domes and Dripstones option, which was a little too thrilling for my taste. The tour lasts about 2 hours and includes a moderate amount of physical exertion. Tickets costs $8-$17 and several tours are offered daily. The description includes a warning that discourages any visitors with a fear of heights or claustrophobia from registering for the tour. I hate heights but I decided to challenge myself and give it a shot anyway.

The tour met at the visitor center and then everyone boarded a bus. A few minutes later, we disembarked at a metal doorway that was totally out of place in the wilderness. It felt like something out of the “Myst” adventure video game from my childhood. The guide gave a short introductory speech and explained this doorway is called the “New Entrance” that was created in 1921 by a dynamite blast. Then we proceeded down a narrow tunnel that descended steeply. I intentionally left my phone in my pocket so I could immerse myself in the experience. As a result, I’ll rely on photos from other travelers (with due credit of course!)

The first few steps are all man-made, but then I was staring into the dark depths of the Earth. We had to walk down a very narrow metal walkway that was just wide enough for a person. The walkway was made of metal grating and you could see right down into the shadows below. I grasped the handrails tightly and stared at the back of my dad’s neck as the tour guide had instructed. I felt for the stairs with my feet and concentrated on every tiny little feature on my dad’s neck – every mole, every pore. I felt anxiety creeping in. The metal grating was slippery in spots which only made it more excruciating as it slowed our progress, and I stood on the grating. It felt like I was suspended over nothing.

We descended for several minutes with brief stops on solid rock outcroppings. Then it was back on the grated stairway as we continued down for several hundred feet. Finally, we reached the main passage and completed the tour on solid rock, much to my relief. As I stepped off, my whole body unclenched, and I began to breath normally again.

The tour did include some very interesting geological features, including stalactites and stalagmites. The “Frozen Niagara” really does look like a frozen waterfall. However, you can access it much more easily and quickly on the tour that is named after it, rather than the Domes and Dripstones option. I am glad I made it through the challenge, but I would strongly encourage anyone else with a fear of heights to pick another option. In addition, a couple brought their screaming toddler on the cave tour, which was also a little distracting and disruptive. Who thought that was a good idea? The kid was too young to appreciate anything he saw anyways.

Upon returning to the visitor center, we had to walk across mats soaked in soapy water to slow the spread of white-nose syndrome amongst the bat population, which unfortunately has already been devastated.
We visited the small museum in the visitor’s center, which was actually very informative and interesting. It did a great job of addressing not only the history of the Mammoth Cave system but also the ecology of the Green River valley as well. The exhibits also highlighted the role of women and black cave guides, which I was glad to see.

Afterwards, we had dinner at the Green River Grill which is in the lodge near the visitor’s center. Both dad and I had the barbeque which was mediocre at best. The baked beans were the best part of the dish unfortunately. You must go outside the park for other options, but there is little besides fast food. Foodies beware! In fact, there is not much of anything outside the park except for a few decrepit and depressing “attractions” such as Froggett’s Guntown Mountain. It offers wholesome family entertainment, such as mock gunfights and can-can shows. Another outlandish destination is Dinosaur World, which features dozens of large dinosaur statues made from foam and fiberglass.

We ended our Friday night with our last tour, but it was by far the best! We walked down to the Old Entrance for the Star Chamber tour. As we approached the massive opening, we could feel the cool air rushing out and it was probably 15 degrees cooler in the cave than it was outside, even in the evening. I had on shorts and a t-shirt for the tour, and it was a little chilly inside. You will warm up after a little walking, but I might recommend a light jacket and/or some pants anyway.

The Star Chamber tour was much more interesting and much less stressful than Domes and Dripstones. First, it was much smaller (about 30 people) than the Domes and Dripstones tour (about 90 people). Second, it had a distinctive and intimate atmosphere because it was lit only by hand-held gas lanterns. There were approximately 8 lanterns for the whole group, and all the interior lights were off. I carried the lantern for my little group, and it was a very different feel from the Domes and Dripstones tour. The lights flickered on the walls, and I could feel the heat from the lantern rising to my fingers. It gave me a good idea of what it was like to explore the caves in the 1800s or early 1900s. It would be interesting to go back and experience a regular tour with all the lights on and compare it to our torchlight tour. The tour lasts about 2.5 hours and is also moderately difficult. Tickets cost between $10-$20 but is only offered once a night.

Our guide on the Star Chamber tour was much more of a storyteller than the one on the Domes and Dripstones tour. He told several intriguing stories about the mythology and history of the caves. Our guide also demonstrated an illusion called the Giant’s Coffin. This large rock (called a breakdown block) fell from the cave ceiling and remained intact. When guides shine their lights on the rock in a certain way, it makes it seem like the “lid” on the Giant’s Coffin is lifting.

The guide also told us about Native American remains that had been discovered in the caves and about the tuberculosis colony that briefly inhabited the tunnels.

The Star Chamber was, of course, the highlight of the tour. The name comes from the torch soot that has coated the ceiling over the centuries. Visitors created “stars” in the “night sky” by throwing rocks at the ceiling that chipped away the layer of soot and revealed the glittering gypsum beneath it. The trick inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson’s essay “Illusions.”

The most dramatic moment occurred when the tour guides took away our lanterns and disappeared down a side passage, leaving us in unsurpassed darkness. It was really quite unsettling. Thankfully, the guide returned with our lanterns, which shined like the “rising sun.” It was long past my normal bedtime when we returned to the hotel, but it was absolutely worth it!

Since we couldn’t find tickets for any tours on Saturday, dad and I went on a short hike above ground before we left in the morning. There are a number of excellent trails to choose from, and we opted for the Sinkhole Trail which was about 1 mile long. It was relatively quiet and shaded. The sinkhole is only one of many in the region, which is sometimes called the “Land of 10,000 Sinks” or the Sinkhole Plain. We also learned that the sinkholes funnel water down into the Mammoth Cave system. I snapped a few photos of the tropical plants that inhabited the sinkhole before we headed home.

https://photos.google.com/search/may%202019/photo/AF1QipPTy0yERvx7hOC3DB20aoiIz4vkKfgfwKD2OWef

Although I would have liked to do at least one more cave tour on Saturday, I have an excuse to return!

Up next: Columbus & the Wilds followed by Hocking Hills. Looking into the future. Next, I’ll recount a weekend each in Cleveland and NYC. Then, a 5-day vacation to Las Vegas with Nataliya.