Late night flight to Indianapolis, followed by a 2 ½ drive to Louisville ($200 cheaper than flying direct), made for a sleepy Friday morning start.  Today’s destination: Mammoth Cave Nat’l Park.

Started the day with a scenic trip of Kentucky (iPhone mishap) – past multiple horse farms, thru Kentucky bluegrass, ultimately entering the backside of Mammoth.  Ferried over a rain-gorged river to the Visitors Center – 2 car ferries in 3 weeks, awesome life!

My friend Dawn booked the 9:30am ranger-led tour a month in advance.  Lucky for me – ‘cause when we arrived, I saw most tours were sold out (all day).  Double lucky?  Arrived 30 minutes early…only because we gained an hour slipping into Central Time Zone.  Whew!

Quick bus ride, short walk past our sink hole surroundings, ranger prep talk – then down, down, down we descended beneath the surface. This was my 2nd caving adventure – explored South Dakota’s Wind Cave Nat’l Park last September [day before Nebraska marathon].

No two mountains are the same – I can now say the same of caves.  Wind Cave was aptly named – strong winds blew from its entrance; cavers greeted by spectacular rock formations & colourful mineral deposits.  Mammoth, while void of exotic mineral veins, boasted its own eye-stunning formations.  Mammoth Cave runs deep (twice the depth of Wind Cave), water dripping down the park’s narrow maze of metal stairs cut for tourists.  Shared space with cave crickets (resembling spiders) surviving deep underground.

Highlights: Moonlight Dome & Frozen Niagara.  2 hours was not enough – I’ll be back.  HUGE fan.

Back on the road, enjoyed home-cookin’ in Elizabethtown before a self-guided tour of the Jim Beam Stillhouse in Clermont.  Appreciated the science behind processing Kentucky bourbon – but that’s as addicted as I’ll get to “fire water” 🙂

Bib pick-up downtown, followed by an amazing dinner at Lilly’s (celebrated Dawn’s birthday).

Weatherman says 90% chance for rain – rain jacket, hat & a lotta patience – Kentucky Derby Marathon tomorrow morning.

 

 

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