Survey - Where should we visit?

So, this post is just a simple question:  if you could tell visitors to your area about one place that they really should see, what would it be?  Think about the hidden gems that only the locals know about, or the one place that is just your favorite.  This could be a historic site, a park or attraction, a store or restaurant or museum, or even a hiking trail.  We're looking for some inspiration as we travel through different parts of the country, so post your answers or suggestions in the comments.  Don't post the obvious major attractions (i.e. The Alamo in San Antonio) unless that's really your favorite place in the area. 

Puppies & Kitties on the Farm

  Many of our blog posts are about historical sites and interesting places to visit with kids.  This one is really just a chance to show some adorably cute pictures of baby critters.  While staying in Tennessee, we had the opportunity to visit Gourmet Pasture Beef on the Gunn Family Farm and see both kittens and puppies.  It's a beautiful and picturesque site, and we appreciated the chance for the kids to see a working farm. 

The momma cat and her kittens weren't hard to find - they greeted us eagerly before pausing for lunch.

  Clearly, the kids were in heaven.  There's not much cuter than a friendly and playful kitten, unless it's two of them.  (Or more!)

After playing with kittens until they were all ready for naps, we headed over to the barn to see the puppies.  At the gate, one little puppy face appeared, then wriggled through the hole.  Out popped one fat little puppy.  Behind him a whole passel of puppy faces appeared at the hole, and one by one they popped out.  Chaos ensued. 

This photo was just pure bliss on the part of Sissy, and the puppy.  If I were going to title this photo, I'd call it "Puppy Love."

Sissy is my photography helper, and she took a few shots of me with the puppies.  The little blonde one I'm holding was a little bit shy, and she just wanted to be snuggled and protected from everything.  They were all too cute for words.

After the kids got tired of being licked to death, we headed back around the barn to see what the kittens were up to.  I realized about 10 steps out that I had taken off my sunglasses to hold the puppies and placed them on the step next to me.  I turned back around to get my sunglasses and as I came around the corner, not 30 seconds after leaving, I found 9 little puppies playing tug of war with my sunglasses on the ground!  Thankfully, the game had just started and my sunglasses escaped unscathed.  Lesson learned: never leave a new toy unattended with 9 puppies. 

My son found a small toad, and entertained himself and the cats with it until it hopped off.  The cats were less than impressed.

    The irresistible pull of the kittens drew the kids back for another round of play and more cute photos.

This little kitten was content to stay in Sissy's arms.  They gazed at each other in mutual adoration for quite a while. 

A couple of the kittens started climbing trees and playing in the flower beds.  It's really hard to pass up a photo op with a cute kitten, so we'll end this blog with a few of my favorites.  Many thanks to Gourmet Pasture Beef for letting us come visit!

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

   We've explored several caves in the Texas Hill Country.  Natural Bridge Caverns and The Cave Without a Name are two of our local favorites.  While neither is all that large compared to other caves around the country, both are living caves with active growth and beautiful formations.  Since my son (we'll call him "Bubba" for the purposes of this blog and privacy's sake) is quite the geologist, he was quick to request a chance to visit some larger caves on our travels.  Mammoth Cave near I-65 in the south of Kentucky seemed like a good place to start.  With over 400 miles of surveyed passageways, it is by far the longest cave system in the world.  Cave tours can be reserved online in advance, but we weren't entirely certain of the timing of our visit.  The kids were especially interested in the Trog Tour, a tour for 8-12 year old children where they get to dress in coveralls and get a little off the beaten path on a tour without parents.  Unfortunately, this tour was sold out by the time we knew our exact travel plans.  We decided to drive on up from Tennessee and take whatever tour would be available. 

  

As we drove past the entrance, I asked the kids if they were ready to see a mammoth cave - a really large cave.  My daughter (we'll call her "Sissy" for the blog) suddenly realized that the cave is named for its size, not its inhabitants.  She was very curious as to whether Woolly Mammoths had ever lived in the cave.  I didn't think so, but we agreed that she could ask the tour guide.  

We arrived with 5 minutes until the next tour was scheduled to begin - the Historical tour.  The fee is $12 for adults and $8 for children.  Rather than waiting for the next tour, we ran to the bathrooms, grabbed the camera out of the car and raced to meet the tour group.  Our guide gave us some basic introductory information and safety warnings (narrow passageways, claustrophobia, lots of stairs, etc.) and we headed down the hill to the entrance.  

When we stepped around the rock wall to the mouth of the cave, a cold gust of air hit us.   While I expected the cave to be cooler than outside, I wasn't prepared for quite how cold the gust felt.  I realized I had left the kids' jackets in the car, and we might just be in for a miserable 2.5 hour tour.  We gritted our teeth and headed down the stairs into the mouth of the cave, anyway.

The size of the entrance and the first large room, called the Rotunda, were impressive from the start.  This area in the historic entrance was used for mining saltpeter to make gunpowder during the War of 1812.  Remnants of the mining operation are still visible.  While the size of the cave is impressive, there are not many formations in this part of the cave.  One of the most interesting things to see is the smoke writing and cave graffiti from tours in the 1800s and 1900s.  Until the cave became a National Park in 1941, guides encouraged tourists to sign their name, and even charged a small fee to allow tourists to hold a candle on a stick to write their name in smoke on the ceiling.  It's a little eery to see the beautiful handwriting from long ago in the cave graffiti.

   The kids' favorite part of the cave was a section called "Fat Man's Misery."  We found this section after descending down very steep and small passages to a lower part of the cave.  It was a long stretch that was less than 18" wide from the waist down but widened a bit in the top part of the passageway.  It wasn't much taller than my 5'6", so if you were tall you also had to stoop.  This narrow section meandered in a winding fashion for quite a distance.  Unfortunately, it was just too dark to get any good pictures in the depths of the cave - the flash was blinding and we were asked not to use a flash around the other guests. 

  Following Fat Man's Misery, we had an interesting climb up 6 or 8 flights of stairs on a metal tower that has been constructed to allow the tour to keep moving forward rather than retrace its path.  This was the one section of the cave we were able to see on the Historic tour that had a few formations. The temperature was still pretty chilly, but we got one shot of the kids in the cave.  Sissy finally got to ask her question about Woolly Mammoths towards the end of the tour.  She asked if there had ever been any evidence of Woolly Mammoths discovered in the cave.  There has not, as their range was in colder climates.  There perhaps could have been Mastadon in the area, but no definitive evidence has been found.  She was happy to get an answer from the guide. 

   The return to the surface felt pretty good - we were chilled through.  We decided to hike on down the half-mile trail to the river.  We warmed up immediately hiking in high humidity, and started to enjoy the cool vents where cave air escapes along the path.  The trail takes you down to the Green River and the River Styx, along with the Styx Spring that feeds that little tributary.  The kids posed by a large tree in front of the river.  We explored a little along the banks, then realized that it was incredibly slick and we were lucky not to have fallen in the river. 

  When we hiked back up the trail and passed the mouth of the cave, another tour guide was starting a presentation to a group about to enter the cave.  He was fascinating - I think we learned more from overhearing his presentation than we learned on our entire 2.5 hour tour.  I asked another employee his name and was told he is Richard Howell.  I'll request him as our guide if we ever go again.  He mentioned that the temperature in the cave is around 54 degrees year round.  No wonder we were cold! 

  We enjoyed a brief visit at the visitor center and museum - there was quite a bit of interesting information and exhibits about the cave system.  There never seems to be enough time to see it all, but we were able to do a quick walk through.  On the way out we stopped by the Park Store, and since we have been trying to visit as many National Parks as possible on our travels, we bought the National Parks Passport so that we can stamp our book at each one and keep track of where we've visited.  We also found great Kids' Atlases by Rand McNally for under $4 each.  They contain a detailed road map of each state along with facts like the state bird, tree, flower and more.  There are activities that go along with each state, and more road activities in the back.  We are letting the kids use a highlighter to mark where we go both on these books and on the larger folding maps we bought at the start of the trip.  They are definitely getting some great geography lessons as we go.  These books have been great to give the kids something productive to do in the car - a very competitive game of finding state license plates is ongoing at this very moment!

  Questions, suggestions, comments?  Add them in the comment field below.

Cummins Falls State Park, TN

  A few months ago, I read an article online that described the top 10 swimming holes in the United States.  Knowing that we would be traveling, I made a few notes of places we might try to visit.  One of those places was Cummins Falls State Park in Tennessee, located about 10 miles off of I-40 near Cookeville.  In researching the location, I learned that this is one of Tennessee's newest state parks - the dedication was less than 2 years ago.  As such, the park is very rustic and primitive.  Restroom facilities are under construction, but not complete.  There are some signs with maps and park rules posted at the edge of the gravel parking lot.  At this time there are no entrance fees, probably because there is no office or place to collect them.   

 

  We headed out to Cummins Falls on Sunday afternoon after church with the Roberts family.  It was an overcast day, and though the temperature in Nashville was in the mid-70s, it was only about 68 when we arrived at the park.  After parking, we headed down the trail to the scenic overlook before going down the trail to the bottom of the falls.   We enjoyed the 0.4 mile winding trail through the woods to reach the overlook, and this was the view that greeted us:

  

 

From the overlook, we continued on the trail down to the river to get to the bottom of the falls.  It's a fairly challenging trail, with some steep drop-offs along the side and plenty of mud if it has rained recently, which it had.  Once you reach the river, you turn back to the left and wade along the river for nearly another half mile to reach the falls.  There are some places where you can walk on the banks, and others where you have to wade or cross the river, which requires having some balance and taking cautious steps on the slippery rocks.  My son, as usual, found a friend to carry along the way.   

 

 

  It's a baby alligator snapping turtle.  (Thankfully, his parents didn't show up to join the party.)  When you round the final bend and can hear the falls, this is the view that awaits.  Notice the size of the people standing in various levels on the falls. 

  There were quite a few people at the falls, exploring under the waterfall, climbing on the rocks leading up to the swimming hole, or settled in to enjoy the view and watch the kids play.  We picked a dry spot with a nice view of the falls and settled in.  I packed in a two-legged backpacking chair, which worked well on the uneven rocks.  (I also packed in a hammock, but there were only two trees suitable to hang the hammock and they were located up a steep rock slope and surrounded by poison ivy, so I wouldn't recommend trying that unless you are very confident in your abilities.)  With the falls as our backdrop, we took a few pictures of the group. 

 

 

 

   The kids enjoyed playing and swimming at the edge of the swimming hole, which is pretty large and very deep in the middle.  The water was very cold, but you got used to it after a while if you kept moving.  The rocks that slope down into the water are covered with algae and are very slick, so getting in and out of the swimming hole can be tricky in places.  Our group had on a variety of different kinds of shoes, from trail running shoes to Crocs to water shoes to Vibram Spyridon toe shoes.  The trail running shoes were great for hiking on the muddy trails, but hard to wear for swimming.  The Crocs were also a challenge for swimming.  We had a few instances of foot cramps from hiking over rocks in the water shoes, but they worked well in the river and for swimming.  My Vibrams seemed to be the best option across all of the types of terrain - they worked perfectly for both the hiking and the river and swimming.   

 

  After playing for a while, we decided to swim across to the right side of the waterfall and head up to explore the falls themselves.  These rocks were incredibly slick and hard to climb.  The water felt very cold!

  The adults took a small detour and swam out to the middle of the falls and discovered that there is a rock shelf overhang, so you can actually swim through and hide out under the bottom of the falls.  The water is deep, so this is a place to explore only if you are a strong swimmer. 

 

   After the swim we climbed up the falls.  You really start to get a sense of the size of the waterfall when you see a person walking along there.  The current is strong in some places, and the rocks are slick even on the tops of the falls.  There are many holes and gaps that you can step in - the ground is uneven under the water.  I would use great caution if exploring with small children, as one slip could send you tumbling down several rocky steps of the waterfall.  The views are exceptional, though, and sitting underneath a waterfall of this size is a one-of-a-kind experience! 

 

   After exploring for a while, some of the kids decided to go back the way we came, but my daughter came with the adults for a more adventurous route back - straight off the falls.  She was cold and scared, but determined to jump off a waterfall! 

 

Me, first.

 

She did it!

After some momentary panic at the shock of the cold water, she calmed down and swam back across the swimming hole to the rocks where our warm towels were waiting. 



 

   We stayed to play as long as we could, and then started gathering up our gear to head out.  Rather than taking the long trail back through the river and up the mountain, we tried one of the more direct climbs back up to the overlook.  That trail was a fairly serious climb, made treacherous by mud and rain.  While it was a much faster route back out, I would only recommend it to folks with some experience climbing.  It was a little scary with the kids, who required some assistance to climb.  There was also a fair amount of poison ivy to dodge along that route. 

 

  When we got back to the car, we took a while to clean off the mud enough to get in the car.  This was complicated by the fact the restroom facilities are not yet open and there is a single port-a-potty in the parking lot.  Bring plenty of towels, baby wipes, trash bags, and fresh water to clean yourself off, at least until the restrooms are open.  After a strenuous afternoon of play we were all starving, but we had wisely packed a picnic in the cooler in the car. 

 

  I think we all had an amazing time - I can't think of anyplace else I've ever been where I could experience a waterfall of this size up close and personal.  We will definitely try to return if we are ever in the area!

 

  Comments, questions, suggestions?  Leave them in the comment field below. 

 



Nashville - Tennessee State Capitol

  On Friday we headed down from Springfield to Nashville to see the State Capitol.  We parked at the farmer's market near the Bicentennial Mall and had a great view of the Capitol building sitting up on the hill - the highest ground in Nashville.  We explored the Mall a little - I loved the map of Tennessee that covers the ground under the railroad tracks.  The first comment the kids made when they saw the hill was that they wanted to roll down it in the grass.

  We made our way to the Capitol with Dianne and Kerry Roberts.  We were fortunate to have Kerry take the time to show us around - he is uniquely qualified after serving as a Tennessee State Senator.  It's a beautiful building, and the kids were especially impressed with the spiral staircase in the library.  The Capitol was designed by William Strickland and construction began in 1845.  Strickland died several years before construction was complete, and he is entombed in one of the walls. 

  After we toured the inside of the Capitol, we went back outside and found some of the historic architectural elements that were replaced during renovations.  This area is called the Charles Warterfield Reliquary after the man who supervised the renovations, and it's a great spot for pictures.  (We seem to have a hard time passing those up!)  It's on the northwest side of building.  My daughter helped to get a shot of me with Dianne. 

 

 

  As we started back down the hill to the car, the kids decided they couldn't resist temptation.  This was their favorite part of the day:

   After tumbling down the hill several times, we headed back towards the car.  We strolled around the farmer's market and ending up buying some peaches from a local vendor.  There were a variety of places inside the market to buy lunch.  After grabbing some food, our next stop was Nashville's Centennial Park.  The centerpiece of the park is a full scale model of the Athenian Parthenon dating back to the Centennial and International Exposition in 1897.  The original was built of plaster and began to deteriorate, so in the 1920s it was rebuilt in concrete and steel.  It's an impressive site to behold!

 
  The building houses a museum and art gallery, but since our time was limited we walked the grounds of the park and had a picnic rather than paying to enter the museum.  There are many pretty spots in the park for a picnic, but the kids picked out a spot next to a large tree they wanted to climb.  My son made it up, then found out he had company in the tree. 

  The kids both enjoyed trying to share a few nibbles of their lunch with the friendly squirrels.

  After lunch, we walked around to see the various sunken gardens and other attractions in the park.  Dianne snapped a shot of me with both kids. 

  After a daring rescue from the train tracks, everyone was ready to head back home.  We had a great day visiting some really gorgeous locations.  I'd recommend all of them as good inexpensive options that are family friendly.  Like most families with kids, we aren't made of money, so we have really tried to find opportunities to see what attractions there are around the country that don't cost much.  It's nice to find that there are plenty of interesting places that fit the bill! 

 

  Feel free to post any comments, questions or suggestions about these locations in the comments under this post.