Kentucky - Cumberland Gap and Mammoth Cave

For our next long trip, my girlfriend and I are planning on revisiting the Mammoth Cave area of KY, which we last visited in 1999, and we are also planning on visiting the Southeastern KY area (I was going to say "Daniel Boone National Forest", but, that's the whole Eastern part of the state!). We have approximately two weeks.

We're going to try and convince another couple we know from Cleveland, OH to come down and visit for their vacation, at least for a week.

In the Southeast KY area, we are planning on staying in Corbin. I will also, if time permits, try to find out any information about the town names around the area. Examples: Ogle, Salt Gum, Fall Rock, Peoples, Quicksand.

For the Mammoth Cave leg of the trip, we are looking at staying nearby at a KOA we utilized previously. I am also interested in any info about the Land Between the Lakes. We will be taking the four-hour cave tour again.

Any information on good eats, attractions (especially off-beat, RoadSideAmerica type stuff), and good hiking is welcome! Thanks!

Well, I've found out quite a bit of information about this area and I've come up with a two week itinerary (not yet totally complete), but it looks like it will be a really good time! There's an awful lot of hiking and nature trails in the Eastern part, and, lucky for me, I will be in the vicinity of Cumberland Falls when there is a full moon, meaning I may be able to witness a 'moon bow'.

You might zap across the Indiana border and see Lincoln's childhood home near Booneville. This is the place where his mother died and is buried, and is west of Louisville.

Timbo!

If I can steal some of the information you have gathered about this area, I'd be much obliged. I am planning a trip for the week after Memorial Day when we will be traveling back to the Boston are from Indianapolis via Kentucky, WV, and PA. We only have 6 days to do the trip and I want to pack in a bunch of stuff (Fort Knox, Corvette Museum, Mammoth Cave, and others).

I, too, love the towns with fun names. I am hoping to stay off the interstates until we reach the Scranton, PA area, then we will zip our way back home through CT.

Again, any info you have would be awesome! I'll have to check the lunar cycle to see when/if I might be near Cumberland Falls.

Always willing to share...I'll post more when I get home tonight.

I've never been able to 'zip through' CT on my way home from a trip. I've taken to going up I-87 and over I-90.

At least you'll be able to visit the Corvette plant if you want. When we're going, they're on their two week shutdown (the same two weeks as where I work!). Mammoth is awesome. Take the four-hour tour if you can. In PA, stop at Steamtown. Some interesting history there. Also, for a town with a fun name and interesting history, Jim Thorpe, PA. A really nice hill town with some interesting architecture, etc.

More later.
Tim

<a href = "http://bg.ky.net/Tourism/attractions.html">Bowling Green </a> area:

The aforementioned Corvette stuff. A couple of old towns that sound interesting: Smiths Grove Historic District and Woodburn.

In Eastern KY, I've listed many places that I may or may not get to see. With your limited time, you'll have to be even choosier. But, here they are:

Big South Fork River & Rec Area <br>Carter Cave <br>Chained Rock <br>Cumberland Falls <br>Natural Bridge <br>Red River Gorge <br>Wolf Creek Dam <br>Yahoo Falls

Much of this information was gleaned from a Smithsonian "Guide to Central Appalachia" or some such that I borrowed from the library. I believe it is out of print, but I found it to be helpful in planning.

As an aside, on I-80 in PA around mile marker 204 (from a 2002 journal) there is a section of road that is used for testing paints for line markings. It's on the Westbound section, not sure if it's on the Eastbound.

I'll post more info if I get it. Hope this gives you a start! Tim

Awesome, thanks! Keep 'em coming if you got 'em! :)

There's quite a bit to see in the area. Civil war battle site at Dover (National park service area). LBL has Homeplace 1850 - an interpitive center, an observitory, a nature center, a bison & elk range, and miles of trails. Lots of campgrounds to chose from.

I'm planning on taking a day trip out to this area from our base camp near BG. I looked at the aerial photography of the area and it really looks like its something! May be a long day, but I'd like to get to know the state a little better.

Civil War sites in KY...I read something once about how the KY campaigns were added just to get some good whiskey. Now, I don't know how true that is...

Just wondering how your trip was? I'm leaving the end of next week, and I'm still gathering information. I've managed to get several maps of parks and byways in the area, but I'm most interested in finding good places to eat at this stage. My last trip down...let's just say I think proper BBQ technique passed KY by!

BBQ? Memphis isn't that far away -- and I'd bet a week's pay they've got barbecue to die for in Memphis! :)
Bob