A Gap, a Boat, and a Cave

Due to Covid19, our summer vacation plans got rearranged. We were planning a trip to Florida and Disney originally since I had to go to a conference down there in July. That was all canceled and so we looked at the map and decided to take a different trip this year. We headed north instead to Kentucky. 

Cumberland Gap and Cumberland Falls

Our first stop was to camp at Falls Creek Cabins and Campground in south eastern Kentucky near Cumberland Falls. Due to Covid19 it wasn't very busy, but this seemed like a nice place to stay. There are various campsites and many cabins for rent. The site also is home to an outdoor recreation center that includes zip lines and rafting/kayaking. They also have grubbing for gem stones/arrowheads, which the kids really enjoyed. We drove down the road a mile or so to Cumberland Falls State Park. The views of the falls and the river are really amazing, We enjoyed walking the trails and watching the falls. 

After Cumberland Falls, we headed over to Cumberland Gap. It's about an 1.5 hour drive over to the corner of Kentucky where it meets Virginia and Tennessee. Cumberland Gap is steeped in history. From its use by Native American tribes, to Daniel Boone and the forming of the Wilderness Road to open up the frontier to colonists, Cumberland Gap has played a key role in American History. Cumberland Gap National Historic Park aims to protect the land and teach future generations of the area's importance. Due to having the camper attached, we could not drive up to Pinnacle Overlook unfortunately. They do not allow trailers on the twisty road, and I didn't feel like leaving it in the parking lot of the welcome center. The cave tours were also not running due to Covid19. 

The Ark Encounter, Big Bone Lick SP, and the Creation Museum

After exploring the southeastern part of the state, we headed northwest. Our next campsite found us at Big Bone Lick State Park just southwest of Cincinnati, Ohio. The site is known for fossils and mammoth bones found there, and the welcome center has a lot of that history documented for visitors to view. There is also a bison herd housed here and they frequently have programs where you can get up close and learn about the bison. The kids really enjoyed the bison program and seeing them so close. The campground is nice and on top of a small mountain. It seemed to be a very popular campground and was full during the weekend. They were also doing a Christmas in July campground parade and decorating competition which made the campground super festive and fun. We definitely enjoyed our time here and the other campers we met were very friendly. The campground almost felt like a small, friendly town. 

While staying at Big Bone Lick, we ventured out to the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. I picked this state park due to it's location about the same distance from both of those attractions. We had bought combo tickets for both attractions. We visited the Ark Encounter first and it was a Friday. It wasn't too crowded but there is a lot to see and do. We spent most of the day there touring the Ark reproduction and visiting the outside animal exhibits. The kids even got to ride camels! We took our own lunch and bottles of water. The Ark provides kids a full experience of what things might have looked like and how they worked as well as providing adults with thought provoking statements and questions. We enjoyed our time there, and I definite suggest planning for a full day of maybe 5 hours or so. 

The next day we ventured to the Creation Museum. They had an outdoor garden area and animals that the kids enjoyed. Much of the main experience is inside the main museum. There is a 4D theatre and a long winding path through various rooms discussion creation, the flood, and other events from the Bible. I would say that the kids definitely had a more fun and engaging experience at the Ark. The Creation Museum is more thinking and reading focused, and I would not recommend for kids younger than middle school. Most of the younger kids I saw there were ready to move on to the next thing faster than their parents could read the content. So if you are interested in visiting these and have young children, stick to the Ark and save a little money. Adults would probably enjoy the museum more, but I do feel like a chunk of it was repetitive to what we saw at the Ark the day before. I think they could probably wrap the Creation Museum experience into the Ark Encounter and just have a single attraction. 

Mammoth Cave NP, Lincoln Birthplace NHP, and Lincoln Boyhood Home NM

We left Big Bone Lick and headed southwest towards Louisville. Our ultimate destination was Mammoth Cave National Park. However, we had a couple of stops before we reached it. We stopped at Lincoln Birthplace NHP and Lincoln's Boyhood Home NM. Lincoln was born and spent the early part of his life in Hodgenville, Kentucky just south of Louisville before moving to Indiana. The two sites are about 15 mins apart on opposite sides of town. Don't miss driving through Hodgenville though to see the town square with the boy and man statues of Lincoln peering across the square at each other. Lincoln Birthplace NHP is the site of the first Lincoln Memorial built around 1907. The well known Lincoln Memorial in D.C. has a similar exterior look to this one and was built after this one. After touring the sites and letting the kids complete their Jr. Ranger badges, we drove south. 

Our last destination of the trip was Mammoth Cave National Park. Mammoth Cave is the world's longest known cave system. There are lots of different tours available for various caves in the park, but the they were only offering self-guided tours of the main cave during our visit due to Covid19. There were limited numbers allowed, and they forced spaced entry by family. Get your tickets ahead of time! I got there early in the morning on a Monday and had to settle for 1pm ticket time. By the time we got back after lunch for our tour, they were sold out till Thurs of that week! I had made a poor assumption that due to Covid19 and it being a Monday it would be slow. Fortunately we were able to get in. The main cave is huge and splits off of the largest room in two directions. We headed down the longest side first and then returned to the main room to take the other path. It's not as muddy as some caves I've been in and there was plenty of room to spread around. 

They had rangers stationed throughout the cave off the paths to answer questions or help as needed. All the rangers we met were super friendly and helpful. Many of them had lanterns, but a few were sitting in the dark. It soon became a game with the kids of how many rangers can you spot in the cave. Make sure to take a flashlight or headlamp. (My apologies to the ranger hiding in the dark that got blinded by my headlamp light!) It's also cool down there though not as cold as I have seen in some caves. Since it was July, I was happy we were walking in the cave and not hiking outside it. 

Overall, we had a great little trip and were able to check some National Parks off our list. If you're looking for a little one week loop through Kentucky, these would be some fun options.