Today we were in Mammoth Cave National Park. We woke up at a early time that I do not know. And drove 1.5 hours to Mammoth Cave. We arrived to the visitors center just before it opened at 8:00. We got our tickets for our tours and our Jr. Ranger programs.
Our first tour was at 9:00 it was called the Grand Avenue tour. This tour was 4 miles and 4 hours. We learned about the history of the cave and the first tourists. In the snowball room there were old picnic tables, an old lunch counter, bathrooms and drinking fountains with running water, lots and lots of gypsum. At the end of the tour we saw lots of stalagmite’s, stalactites, drapery, and cave bacon. It was all very pretty. We went down 49 stairs when we got to the bottom it was like a new world. It was so pretty.
After the first tour we went to the restaurant in the visitor center for lunch. I got Chicken Fingers and Root Beer. Then we went to the visitors and walked around the exhibits. Did you know that all of the first tours were led by enslaved African Americans. Also, another guy whose name I don’t rember built stone towers in the cave and said that the cool weather would cure people with TB actully more people died of it though.
The second tour was my favorite of the two. It was more historical and we learned more information. We saw Native American Moccisans, and Gourd Bowls by lantern light. We also learned that there are mummified people all over the caves. This tour was 3 hours and 3 miles. We saw two natural waterfalls that would not be visable without the lanterns shining on them. At the end of the hike we saw stalactites and stalagmite’s. We are now in the car on the way to Louisville.
