Kentucky Part 1: Stonehenge, Caverns, and Caves

Pulling out of Nashville, I felt the need to reconnect with nature, so I headed for Bowling Green, Kentucky. I arrived in the historic downtown about 3:00 PM. I was hoping to make it to some of the caves north of town, but it was getting close to closing time and I needed to find a place to stay. I lucked out and got the only reasonably priced AirBnB in the historic downtown, and it was a gem with a washer/dryer so I could get cleaned up and reorganize. I was in by 4:00, got some groceries and cooked a much needed healthy dinner.

The following morning, I woke up early, eager to get out to see the sights. I started with with the farthest attraction that also happened to open the earliest, Kentucky Stonehenge, in the small town of Munfordville!! A native, Chester Fryer, sourced all of the rocks in nearby Hatcher Valley, and relocated them to his property, around his estate. Aside from Stonehenge, there are a few other rock projects around his property, including Cannon hill across the street. It was a nice way to start the morning!

On the way to my next destination, I passed by a couple of Civil War battlefields, including that where the Battle of Munfordville took place. It was a victory for the Confederates which temporarily strengthened their hold on the region and impaired the Union supply lines.

Next, I made a short stop in the sweet little town of Horse Cave where I found these trucks…and this guy in the driver seat of the one at the market….YIKES!

I also visited Hidden River Cave in Horse Cave, and found an amazing botryoidal lepidolite mica crystal as well as a zeolite and kyanite crystal and a mookaite stone in the gift shop. I couldn’t resist (In the pic below, I also have my other Kentucky finds!). Hidden River had an interesting museum which I walked through, but I decided to skip the cave tour as I splurged on the crystals was feeling anxious to get to the Diamond Caverns where I could see some beautiful stalactites and stalagmites.

When I arrived at Diamond Caverns in Park City, the next tour was scheduled in 15 minutes and there were only two others signed up. I picked up the two shiva lingams above, visited Pappy for a squished penny, and we began the tour. Although not a huge cave, it was stunning and I learned so much about all of the calcite formations; flowstone, columns (when stalactites and stalagmites grow together), drapery formations, and best of all, cave bacon (last pic)! You will also see a small alter in the photos. They used to have weddings in the cave, but too much damage was being done to the formations, so they were stopped.

Just down the road from the Diamond Caverns is Mammoth Cave, the world’s longest known cave system. Over 400 miles have been explored, and many believe there is over 1,000 miles in the cave system! I chose the historical tour that covered a couple of miles in the limestone section, including a stop in the massive star chamber after ascending and descending hundreds of steps, creeping through Fat Man’s Misery, and then climbing back up the huge mammoth dome stair tower getting a great view of Butterscotch Falls. Although there were about 30 people on the tour, the guide was super entertaining and it didn’t feel crowded in the huge spaces.

Finally, for the last stop of the day, I drove back to Bowling Green to visit the Lost River Cave where I caught the final boat tour of the day. Although not quite as impressive as the previous two, it was an relaxing way to end the day, and interesting to hear the stories of its past. It was an ancient native hunting ground, used as a campground during the Civil War by both the Union and the Confederacy, and was a secret hideout for Jesse James. At the mouth of the cave, there is the “cave nightclub” which was apparently a happening underground hangout in the 1930’s. Today, the nightclub hosts weddings and special events throughout the year!

And that wraps up the first part of my brief Kentucky tour, but don’t worry, there is more fun stuff coming soon!

Cheers, hugs, and love,

Michelle