After two days in Shawnee, we struck camp and headed out south and east. Steve suggested Mammoth Cave National Park as our next destination. He’d never been there, and I hadn’t been there in over 40 years. We took our time getting there, having decided that we would eschew interstate highways as much as possible. Kentucky countryside in October really took our breath away and just about won us over. We felt right at home…for a while. Reminders of Wendell Berry and Barbara Kingsolver colored our interior landscape, but our exterior sightings began to speak urgently in other voices. Every quarter mile or so, there was a Baptist Church with a slogan on its marquee or a Romney/Ryan sign in someone’s disheveled yard. The National Park and National Forest boosted our faith. The rangers were intelligent, articulate, and friendly. Their awareness is broad-based; they can discuss archaeology, geology, history and the present with ease. We stopped at two different public libraries to get information as well. Scanning the “Kentucky Section”, we hit such landmarks as Bluegrass Music, Edgar Cayce, Muhlenberg County, Daniel Boone, and The Kentucky Derby. As we drove along the Green River valley, I was singing in my head, “Daddy, won’t you take me back to Muhlenberg County/Down by the Green River, where Paradise lay?/ Well, I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in askin’;/ Mr. Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away.” Gas stations and barns had signs posted: “We Support Coal”. Questions: Why are we here? What are we looking for? What are we doing? What do we want to learn on this trip? More about that later. For now, some photos of Kentucky…
Steve underground
The Green River, Kentucky
scillagrace 
Haven’t been to Mammoth Cave in decades either. I see the stalactites still grow downward.I wonder how many centuries it would take for the “stalagmites” to reach the ceiling?
Where the two finally meet, you get the columns. I like the “drinking straws”. Steve hypothesized correctly that the shelf he’s looking at in the picture was formed when a stagnant pool that had been collecting minerals on the surface suddenly drained from underneath. Fascinating stuff!
I love Mammoth Cave! We went just last year.
We did the Historical Tour and the New Entrance tour. Both so interesting! Gone are the boats and the specimens of cave fish that I remember from 1970. The Visitor Center exhibit is under construction, and White Nose Syndrome is an active concern. So much to learn…
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Interesting to think about what it is that makes us feel comfortable in a place – it’s clearly more than just the landscape, but how much congruency do we need between our values and the ones around us? Looking forward to your next post!
I’ll tell you a story in the next post about that congruency…or the lack thereof…and where it led us. Stay tuned!
Some great shots again here Scilla, especially like the forest road.. all those lovely colours.. Can’t weait for more 😉
The forest road is where I did a little victory dance after being “off map” for a little while, orienteering by the sun and my watch. I was, oh, so happy to see that road!
Beautiful pictures! I agree with Helen — the forest road is particularly intriguing and lovely. So autumn-esque.
I really like pathways. I find them so inviting!
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