Arriving in Mammoth Cave National Park on a Wednesday, we had no trouble getting a camp site. The next morning we went south to Bowling Green to take the Lost River tour on a flat-bottomed boat. Because of the drought, they had to dam the river to made it deep enough for the boats. We had to kiss our knees so we could go under the ceiling while on the boat to get to the actual cavern.
Just outside the boat loading area was a very large 'shelf' that was used as a night club even though the local politicians outlawed the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages below street level (they had business interests in the other local night spots). The party goers simply climbed up the stairs to the bar then came back down to dance and socialize.
This cavern site also had a business as a cabin motel during the 20's and 30's and was billed as a honeymoon place. Only one of these cabins is still on the site but cannot be entered for safety issues.
Before returning to Mammoth Park, we stopped at Diamond Cave to take that tour. So many of the formations are white and glittery that's how it got its name.
After looking over the Park information sheets that night, I decided that I would take only two of the ten tours available in the fall; the Gothic Avenue Tour is only available once every Saturday from November 1 – March 18 every year.
The Park was busy with school groups because the area schools were on Fall Break. I did get my two tours, Frozen Niagara and Great Onyx Lantern, when I wanted only because I was first in line when the Visitor Center opened at 8 a.m. Both tours were labeled “easy”.
The Great Onyx Lantern Tour was owned by a Miss Lucy until she sold it to the Park in 1960. She ran a hotel and made some of her guides spend the night so that any visitors arriving during the night could have a tour when they wanted. The original generator-powered lighting system was pulled out by the Park so all tours are now given the way Miss Lucy's guides took her guests through. We rode a bus to the entrance. Again, there are steep stairs twisting around formations and slippery slopes throughout the cavern. One woman had to return to the surface after we got down the first series of steps because she was dizzy. The brochures said not to be pressured by friends and family members to attempt a tour if the idea made you uncomfortable!
This tour required eight lanterns be carried scattered throughout the group in order to see the cave formations. One man insisted on holding his lantern at head height several times even when told by the guide and a visitor not to do so as it blinds others. Others were taking flash photos even though the brochure and the guide said this was not allowed! I had spots in front of my eyes for some time.
The Frozen Niagara Tour information said that it had 12 stairs, including an optional 98 to see the Drapery Room under the Frozen Niagara formation. These stairs were made of steel and went straight down so were easy to navigate. Even though some of the other tours said they were “moderate”, they had an average of 300 to 500 stairs so I don't think I could have gone on them. The Park offers other tours for spelunkers that are “strenuous” and “very strenuous” that I know for sure I wouldn't be able to take!
Because of the White-Nose Syndrome threatening the bats, be prepared to give a list of all caverns entered in the past five years and decontaminating your shoes to help prevent the spread of this disease.
From Thursday through Sunday, we listened as Austin, who was probably 10 or 12 years old, was being berated by his mother for every little infraction. She probably wonders why he's sullen! Unfortunately, they were in a tent, so they were all outside until time to go to bed. Of the five children, he was the only one in trouble for something except for his little sister who didn't hurry enough bringing her mother a damp washcloth.
Before leaving the area, we went to Guntown Mountain Theme Park in Cave City. This was billed as a 'wild west adventure'. We rode the chair lift up the mountain to arrive at the 'town' at the top of the mountain. Several different 'gun fights' were staged during the day. The medicine show as very entertaining as was the dance hall girls presentation. During this show the sound system blew the circuit breaker but they carried on anyway. It also knocked out the snack bar electricity. The country music show was more rock 'n roll than country. The sound system should have been adjusted so that the singers could be heard better; the instrumentals were way too loud and overrode the vocals. This was the last day that Guntown would be open until next spring.
