“Road Trip USA 🇺🇸 Part 6 of 6 ~Driving from White Sands National Park New Mexico, towards Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, Stopping in Anson, Texas for 1 night and Wildersville, Tennessee for Another, and Finally Reaching Mammoth Cave National Park and Continuing on Back to North Carolina through Virginia” October 2024

• November 4, 2024
• By Pen
• 1 Comment

WE BE ROAD TRIPPIN, STILL!

Day 2

5AM-2PM

After leaving White Sands National Park, New Mexico, we drove towards Mammoth Cave National Park, in Kentucky.

We were a long way from Kentucky!

We tried to go further, on this day, but we kind of hit a wall, and felt it was a good choice to get out of the truck for a longer break, take the rest of the day to rest up, and get another good nights sleep. It was an excellent choice.

Our bodies literally vibrated for awhile, every day, after we stopped driving, after so many days and hours. 

We found us another Motor Hotel in Anson, Texas, and stopped, but not before driving through Lincoln National Forest, which was quite beautiful.

7 hours

473 miles

Morning Star Inn

Anson, Texas

One Night

Day 3

4 AM to 4 PM

We had a nice break and we felt refreshed and eager to get back on the road! We drove for a full day, again, and got within a few hours of Mammoth Cave National Park, where we got another Motor Motel for the night.

12 hours

765 miles

American Best Value Inn

Wildersville, Tennessee

One Night

Day 4

4AM-4:30PM

We drove the rest of the way, to visit Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

3 hours

185 miles

We enjoyed another glorious sunrise on this morning, which led to another beautiful day!

MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK

Mammoth Cave National Park was authorized by Congress in 1926, and it was established on July 1, 1941.

In 1981, Mammoth Cave was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to the longest cave system in the world and has a rich history that includes prehistoric exploration.

Sediments of a shallow sea, covering this region 350 million years ago, formed the limestone as highly soluble layers over a 70-million-year period. Over time, as groundwater dissolves the limestone, it forms underground streams. These streams converge, as surface streams do, and create Mammoth Cave’s underground rivers.

We loved driving through this National Park. Given another early morning entrance to a Park, we were treated to many deer sightings, throughout and other than groundskeepers, we had the place to ourselves. We also enjoyed more fall colors!

The Historic Entrance

The Historic Entrance of Mammoth Cave is viewable all hours, free of charge. It is really cool to see. To access this area, follow the paved trail down the hill behind the visitor center. The walk along this path travels 0.25 miles and takes about 5-10 minutes. But, to go into the cave, you must purchase a tour ticket.

We did not go inside this cave, either. As I have mentioned, prior, caves are just caves to me, now, after exploring so many on our travels. Nothing was open, this early anyway, and cave tours are the only way to get in. 

(Not my inside cave photo) 

However, if interested: Reservations for cave tour tickets are strongly recommended, as they can sell out weeks in advance.

There are many different cave tours to choose from. From a fully wheelchair accessible tour, short and long walking tours, lantern tours, and adventurous crawling tours. Some cave tours require a short bus ride to and from the cave entrance.

Boot tread must be a minimum of 1/4 inch in depth, and boot height must be sturdy and cover the ankle bone completely. You will not be able to participate if your footwear does not meet safety requirements. There will be no refunds or ticket exchanges for not having the proper footwear.

Be sure to fully read the tour descriptions before purchasing your tour tickets.

This Baptist Church was established in 1827, and served as the site of weddings, funerals, baptisms, town meetings and as a school for the youth. Even after Mammoth Cave became a national park in 1941, the church was still regularly used by the local community as a meeting place, until the 1970’s.

The Old Guide’s Cemetery is a small, but significant, cemetery located within Mammoth Cave National Park.

The Old Guide’s Cemetery contains the burials of three tuberculosis patients who died during the Mammoth Cave Tuberculosis cave treatment experiment, of 1842. It is located off of the beautiful Heritage Trail, a half mile long accessible trail through the woods.

Buried here is Stephen Bishop, a famous 19th Century African-American cave guide.

Stephen Bishop was born into slavery, in Kentucky in 1821. As with most slaves, Stephen was considered to be the property of his owner; Franklin Gorin. Gorgin, a lawyer, brought Stephen to the Mammoth Cave to serve as a cave guide for what he hoped to become a tourist attraction.  Through his work, Stephen explored, discovered, and documented many parts of the cave that is know about, today.

Stephen Bishop became an expert on the Mammoth Cave system, during his time as a guide and explorer. He was known for his knowledge and experience in navigating the complex and challenging underground system. This expertise allowed him to make important contributions to the field of cave exploration and to leave a lasting impact on the world. Even more impressive, Bishop did all his exploring with just a lantern.

Stephen’s expertise did not go unnoticed, during the 1800s. Stephen was sought out by scientists and geologists because of his vast knowledge of both the caves and his familiarity with geology and minerals. This gained him much respect in spite of his position in life.

Stephen Bishop made many important discoveries and contributions to the field of cave exploration. He was a key figure in mapping and exploring the Mammoth Cave system, and his work helped bolster the understanding of this important natural resource. One of Stephen Bishop’s greatest achievements was the discovery of the “Echo River” within the Mammoth Cave system. This was a significant finding that added to the understanding of the complex, and intricate underground network of caves.

Stephen Bishop should be recognized and celebrated for his bravery, determination, and ability to overcome obstacles. The maps he created from memory, served as accurate guides to the cave system even after modern machinery and mapping techniques were developed.

Bishop’s time as a guide in Mammoth Cave, led him to become an expert in his field during a time when he was seen as property by most, rather than a man with great knowledge and expertise. His contributions deserve celebration not only due to his situation, but because he personified everything that is ever thought of, regarding exploration.

After we left Mammoth Cave National Park, we continued driving, this time, towards our other home, in North Carolina.

We drove till we made it in to Virginia, and got another Motor Hotel.

6.5 hours

380 miles

Knob Hill Motor Lodge

Hillsville, Virginia

One Night

Day 5

7AM to 2PM

I did not set the alarm on this day. We slept, until we woke up on our own, then we didn’t rush, to get back on the road.

We drove the rest of the way, back home to North Carolina and The Whale!! Yay!!!

5 hours

289 miles

Thanks for following along on our adventure!

If you missed out on any of this six-part Blog series road trip, click below for Part 1. After each Blog post, there is a link to the next part:

“Road Trip USA 🇺🇸 Part 1 of 6 ~Driving From North Carolina to Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas” October 2024