The ride from Falls of Rough, a Kentucky state park to Mammoth Cave, a National Park was long, beautiful and challenging, and… both Margaret and our final rest day awaited my arrival. Margaret has been on her own adventure in Pippi since leaving me in Wichita, and she joined me in Mammoth Cave because the rest day happened to coincide with her birthday! It meant we were able to celebrate with a tour of the caves and some Newman’s Own cookies in lieu of cake. I believe it was a good birthday and when we left this am to ride, Margaret left for Lexington where she will meet me on Saturday for our final night before heading home.
Hope the brakes are working well! 📸 Marilyn Hutchinson.
We made it!
We are headed into the cave!
The guide is explaining the very tedious way these names were burned into the ceiling of this part of the cave, when it was privately owned and operated.
No Currins that I found.
This cave is much drier than any I have been to before. That means many fewer stalactites and stalagmites.
This did not really meet my standards for a “good road.”
The spaces were so much bigger than I expected, This is peering into the abyss.
The birthday girl. We did wear masks through the whole tour. Many noses were peeking out by the end.
After saying goodbye to Margaret and Mammoth Cave, we set out for a 60 mile ride to Campbellsville, KY. The beginning and end of the ride were beautiful, but the in between involved more big trucks than I would have liked. They were generally considerate, but a big truck coming up from behind and passing when there are no shoulders is often intimidating, even if they are “nice” about it. That consideration can also sometimes mean they are right behind us for quite some time. We try to pull over so they can get by, but I find my heart rate is often elevated in these encounters.
The cows seemed happy to be in the water.
Hubert Atwell’s did not have anything to purchase as we rode by, but we thought it deserved a photo!