Mammoth Cave

 We were supposed to go camping in the Hoosier National Forest in Indiana and also go to the amusement park, Holiday World on the Saturday after we looked at the farm. That plan had to change because we weren't ready to go after all the farm excitement.  That trip was time sensitive because Holiday World is only open weekends and if we didn't leave on Saturday it wasn't worth going.   We also weren't packed at all and we made an offer on Saturday which had my nerves on edge.  We needed a plan B.  To Mammoth Cave, KY we went!


I convinced my mom to come with us because after Hocking Hills she was raring to go on another adventure.  Her schedule was clear, we had enough room in the Farm Vehicle, and she isn't afraid of sleeping in a tent on an air mattress.  I can firmly say it wasn't her dream vacation, but I can also safely say, she did enjoy herself.  Bringing her along turned out to be a good plan too because she got us a half price discount on our campsite because she's a "senior".  "Old people, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose."  -Dumb and Dumber

It's really awesome that Brooke and Luke are at an age where they can do so much more by themselves.  They set up the tent they shared with my mom by themselves for starters!  We took the troop trailer for all our stuff and that included the bikes.  I'll bet they each rode miles and miles for 3 days straight.  It was great entertainment.

 We camped for 4 days and 3 nights and each afternoon deer would come ambling by eating their way across the campground.  Some members of the family got really close to them. Nash said he wanted to touch one. Um, no.

They are very skinny when you see them close up, but I guess I would be that skinny too if I ate grass and walked all day.

 We all watched Mark try to take a selfie with a deer in the background while he was on the way to the bathroom.  Brooke thinks this is totally weird so she's been telling everyone the story.  You may have even heard it yourself.  Mark is weird, but the deer selfie is the least of his problems. ;)


It was hotter than expected with highs almost to 90 degrees in the day.  Thankfully the campground was shaded and we strategically took some cave tours in the heat of the afternoon.

The first evening we set up camp and then made our way to the camp store and to check out the showers.  We already knew that the showers took tokens and that they were open until 10 PM.  What we didn't know is that the camp store was only open until 5:30.  It was 5:25 and the doors were locked.  I could see a man at the cash register who is telling us that the store was closed.  I saw the store hours so I stood my ground until he finally came to the door to reiterate that the store was no longer open.  I am yelling through the glass and pointing at his watch which clearly shows it to be only 5:25.

Now listen, this mama bear was hot and in tow were all my sweaty, dirty, disgusting cubs.  I was not about to go to bed or send them to bed covered in grime if not absolutely necessary.  Either he was too tired to argue or he noted that I wasn't giving up until I got my way.  Do you feel sorry for my family and Mark?  ;)  So in the end, Mr. Grumpy Store Guy sold us the shower tokens and the firewood we needed.  The end.

No really, we paid $3 per 10 minutes of shower water.  Needless to say, we were fast and shared showers.  Mark and the boys took turns showering and then had minutes to spare.  Brooke and Stella  hurried and did manage to both get clean in that time frame.  I wouldn't have thought it possible considering our home shower habits, but it was. My mom and I shared our shower token which I totally came out ahead on because she takes the fastest shower in the Midwest.

On our second night camping, the showers were out of order so a sign directed us to the hotel next to the visitor's center to shower.  The front desk clerk gave us the key to a room that they were letting the campers use.  Mark and the kids showered and then I went back later with my mom.  It was a little hectic, but watching bull riding on TV in the room while we waited for everyone to finish made it all fine. We're making memories!


I already mentioned that my mom slept with Brooke and Luke and then Stella, Nash, Mark and I slept in the big tent.  That left Ellie to sleep in her own tent just like last year.  One morning we were all still snuggled into our sleeping bags around 6:40 AM when we hear Ellie yell, "Den, Den, Den!!" which is the all call for our scouting group.  We use it at home because it works and the kids come running.  We all started giggling when we heard her.  I guess she was ready to go for the day and wanted everyone to hop to it. For the most part, it was effective. {Nash took the selfie of us}

 The campground wasn't very crowded to say the least.  I think our kids were the only ones in attendance as most campers were either seniors or young adults.  It would have been perfect if not for the heat in the day and the plethora of slow moving, but stinging bees.  Poor Ellie got stung on the cheek and Brooke on the leg.  It was frustrating and it put everyone on edge.

 Ellie's tent being smaller was also warmer in the daytime so the second day after our afternoon cave tour, I stripped her down and put her to bed in our tent.  She fell right asleep and got a decent 45 minutes to get her through to bedtime.

 The days preceding our arrival at the campground it had rained.  That meant that most downed branches and sticks were damp.  The wood for sale in the camp store was expensive and although dry, was not very good burning.  We tried to get some from a gas station about 15 minutes from our campground, but that was pretty crummy too.  It wouldn't be tradition if Mark didn't find a completely over-sized and inappropriate log to burn.  By the end of our stay, don't you know that thing was nothing but small chunks of smoldering coals!

 Thanks to FNE we've got the set up.  Sure does make it nicer when you have the tools that make camping more enjoyable!

 The littlest sister did not participate in the shower relay race because she's still small enough to fit in the baby hot tub.  We heated a pot of water on the stove and she was able to get clean right at our campsite.

 Mark made pancakes one cool morning and the kids and I all agree they were the best tasting pancakes we've ever had.  It must be that secret ingredient... dirt.  :)

These cave tours are no joke.  We obviously did the ones suitable for kids, but even still, it was kind of crazy.  The first one we did, Domes and Dripstones, had tons of narrow stairs.  It was so narrow that the park won't allow kids to be carried on the back.  After stepping through the entrance and descending the stairs, I understood why.  Mark carried Ellie on his front and she was good and patient until we stopped so the ranger could talk.  We distracted her by showing her pictures from our phones which ended up okay.

The picture above was from our second tour, Cleaveland Avenue, and the one thing that stands out is that it was COLD. 50 degrees to be exact!  I forgot a jacket for Nash and myself and half way through, a lady let us borrow an extra long sleeve shirt she had for her daughter for Nash.  That made the tour a lot more enjoyable. I was surprised how much we did learn on the tours.  Check geology off our list for the year!  :)

Besides our 2 cave tours, we did one other short hike to see a pool of water coming up from an underground cave.

See the blueish water?  That's where the hole is to the cave.  The water was really clean as you would expect.

Getting up and down was a little tricky.

Check out this cool mushroom!

If I had a dollar for every time someone in our car said, "I don't know why they don't just build a bridge!", I might be about $50 richer.  I can't answer that question, but we did get to take the ferry 3 times and it was kind of interesting.  We needed to take it only because when we left the campground on the last day we were headed horseback riding and taking this ferry saved us an hour.

This cracks me up!

Mark really loves us a lot because he got it all worked out that we could take a trail ride before we headed home.  The place was called Double J Ranch and the owners, Dave and Rocky (the Mrs.) were super nice and professional.  Nash was thrilled because he got to be in control of his own horse this time.  He was so adorable, I could have eaten him up!

Stella rode Poco.

I can't remember Luke's horse.

Yes, even my mom rode!!!  She rode bikes with the kids at the campground and then was a sport on the trail ride.  Nothing to it! ;)

In horse heaven...

But, Mom!  I want to go too!! Mark does not like horses so he stayed behind with Ellie.

Luke's horse came with a "giddy up strap".  He had to give it a little love tap now and again to get it to giddy up.

From Mark's phone.

There was a really nice trail at the edge of the ranch's property.  How's that for awesome? Someday we could bring our own horses and ride here.

The kids were super excited that we got to trot a few times.  I think my mom, not so much.

I took this over my shoulder.

"Awww, cuuute!"  says Ellie. Mark took this while we were out on the trail.

We had such a good time and afterwards the owners let the kids give the horses treats and brush them. Dave and Rocky are good with horses and kids!   Our trip concluded with a fly filled picnic lunch in their picnic pavilion and then we hit the road for home.

Mark said he wouldn't recommend camping and negotiating a contract for a farm.  But when all was said and done, we're getting a great farm and had an awesome little vacation. Camping does make for the best memories!