Today was a great day. After pushing so hard to get that mileage in since Pueblo, CO we took our first off day in two weeks. We were close to Mammoth Cave National Park, the largest cave system in the world, so it was a good day for an off day and to explore with Tom (Seth's dad), Ruthie the dog and Alexa, my girlfriend who lives in Nashville and just so happened to have a day off of work to join us! Awesome!
We met Alexa outside of the National Park and took one car in together, with all the aforementioned people (and dog). Props to the National Parks, Teddy Roosevelt really knew what he was doing back in the day. Mammoth Cave had a kennel where Ruthie could make some friends for the day while we explored, so all were happy.
It was hot as a mug outside, so definitely a good day to reap that free air conditioning, as Mammoth Cave stays a constant 54 degrees during the summer. Talk about a nice day to be off the bikes! We got up with a tour of the caves led by a park ranger and we were off.
Alexa braving the section of Mammoth Cave known as "Fat Man's Misery"
Mammoth Caves is really hard to describe; one of those epics that you really have to see in person. There are almost 400 miles of discovered caves within the National Park, and a few other thousand that the experts believe it stretches. Tours and explorers alike have been using Mammoth Cave for almost the past two hundred years and there is a little bit of everything. Stalagtites, stalagmites, tight squeezes, open-air caverns, sheer rock faces, etc.
It felt the whole afternoon like we were in the plot of a Dan Brown mystery or something, and there was some ancient ruins or treasure buried deep beneath the surface. You would have loved it, Pops.
We made it as deep as almost 400 feet beneath the Earth's surface and learned a lot about the formation of the cave (water eroding limestone over time) and some of the early cave dwellers and explorers who made the cave what it is today.
After our tour, we went to grab Ruthie from the kennel and split for the night. After some grub, Alexa and I headed to camp in the National Park while Seth, Tom and Ruthie grabbed a hotel room in town.
This was our last night with Tom, and we have been so appreciative of his support. Thanks, Alexa, for coming to visit and for a cushy campground. A great respite for sure!
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