Friday morning we’re heading out on a ride to visit the longest cave in the world, Mammoth Cave, in Mammoth Cave National Park in South Central Kentucky. The cave is 365 miles long and was discovered in 1859. I don’t think we’ll be exploring very much of those 365 miles, but it’ll be interesting I’m sure.
Our route from St. Louis will take us through Mount Vernon IL, Evansville IN, Owensboro KY, Bowling Green KY, Paducah KY, Metropolis IL,and Cape Girardeau MO before heading back up I-55 to St. Louis on Sunday. Total mileage about 700.
Click to enlarge
If you have any recommendations of things to see or places to eat along our route, let me know.
If you take the tour in Mammoth Cave, they will sit you down and turn out all the lights. You wont be able to see your hand in front of your face.
Your trip looks to take you through the edge of land between the lakes. A great place for a a pick-nick lunch or some fishing.
Be careful speeding at all in KY, we are broke and writing tickets left and right.
Check out the National Corvette Museum when in Bowling Green its right on I65 worth the time.
If you are going through Owensboro KY during lunch or dinner, I would recommend stopping at Moonlite Barbecue ( http://www.moonlite.com/ ). It’s absolutely some of the best Kentucky BBQ! I would 2nd the vote for the National Corvette Museum as well. The lantern tour in Mammoth Cave is pretty neat if you are going with your wife.
Thanks Duane. That’s 2 recommendations for Moonlite Barbecue and several for the Corvette Museum.
The new lighting in Mammoth sucks. I haven’t been on the lantern tour but the lighting is bound to be better. There are a lot of tours in mammoth, you could spend a couple days on tours if you wanted too.
A nicer cave is Diamond Caverns which is just outside of Mammoth park.
Thanks.
oops; I sent this page via email to the Idaho Roadrunners I ride with- oops is because I somehow thought you got to actually ride thru 365 of cave. I got all excited about that and now i feel a bit daft;
That’s OK, I oops all the time.
My wife and I love to visit caves. We’ve done caves from Virginia to New Mexico and Mammouth is one of our two favorites, the other being Carlsbad. Caution, don’t do the historic tour if you are afraid of heights. To exit the cave requires the climbing of a three or four story open staircase. I thought that I would have to leave my wife there as she wanted no part of that staircase.
Richard, have you been to Grand Caverns in Grottoes Va? If not, it might be your next favorite.
That’s absolutely the best cave in Virginia.
you should see the “new” section.
I was born and raised in Virginia. The first cave that I visited was Luray Caverns. I don’t remember Grand Caverns, but at my age, there’s a lot that I don’t remember…
http://www.ci.grottoes.va.us/v.php?pg=15
Makes Luray look like a tourist trap.
You might want to check out the roadside art in Mt. Vernon
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/22239
maybe a view of the Washington Monument replica just a few hundred feet away,
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/22240
or The Uniroyal Girl
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6341
maybe Big John in Carmi
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3871
maybe the golf ball water tower in Rend Lake
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9427
Really, check out the roadsideamerica.com website. I planned, and did, a three day drive from Daytona Beach, Florida to Springfield, Missouri around the places on this website and had a blast! I saw Patsy Cline’s plane crash site, the Minnie Pearl statue in downtown Centerville, and a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tennessee. It is fun.
But no matter what, stay safe in your travels.
I am extremely envious and you had better blog it.
Lots of good ideas. Wish we could hit ‘em all, but not likely. Thanks you.
Moonlite BBQ and the Corvette Museum are both great choices. As you’re traveling down from Owensboro and cross The Western Ky Pwky, you’ll be close to Muhlenberg County as mentioned in the John Prine song Paradise. My darling companion’s family is from up in the Livermore, Rumsey, Calhoun area outside of Owensboro and I’m from Central Ky myself.
Thanks Rev.
Just a heads up. The county that mammoth Caves is in is a dry county. May want to venture out a bit for your evening meal if drinks are to be on the menu. Otherwise, have fun!
Excellent suggestion. Thanks!
Try Patti’s 1880′s settlement for dinner in grand rivers Ky.to eat and see,also try Triple E’s in Mt.vernon to eat at.and if you have time ,check out the murals on the floodwalls in downtown Paducah and recomend C.C. Coens to eat In Metropolis see the superman statue for hokay ,also the fort is cool.also has the casino with hotel.not much in the line of good eats.If you change your plans a little and take US 60 west from Paducah to Cario IL.then RTE 3 north to 127 north thru Illinois wine trai.would be a good ride
Been to Patties Settlement before and to the Superman Statue in Metropolis. But the other stuff is new. Thanks for the tips.
Both the Mammoth Cave and the Corvette Museum are worth the trip.
Have fun!
I recommend the giant Superman statue in Metropolis, IL
Check out Revy, he may be following you.
There is an auto ferry on the Green River in the National Park, and from your route I believe you will be crossing it coming into the visitor center area from the west (if not, look it up. It is near the visitors center, short, free and interesting to go over). If you hike, it is a pretty nice walk from the ferry parking to the spot where Echo river empties from the cave into the Green River. At the park, if you can’t visit too many areas, try to go on the “Frozen Niagara” tour. Most of the cave is dry and lacks the cave features you see in some other caves, but the frozen Niagara is a wet section with great formations. If you can try two sections, the “Historic” section goes in through the natural entrance, passes through several levels, and has some very interesting and large rooms. The Lantern tour is interesting, but maybe more enjoyable after you have seen some other sections.
Jonco was reluctant about exploring all 365 miles of Mammoth but the others begged him to do it. He eventually caved.
In Evansville you might like Zeldas Rubdown Room. Then again, maybe not.
Along with the Superman statue in Metropolis, the Superman Museum has some great stuff as well…including an original George Reeve Superman suit from the TV show, and a piece of the green crystal that created the Fortress of Solitude in the 1979 movie! Worth a visit for sure!
YEAH I would love to do that I always wanted to go to Carlsbad oh well I will add that to the list of things to do
Meramec Caverns is just outside St. Louis for those spelunkers heading this way in a couple of weeks.
Looks like you have your trip all planned, but next time try the blue highways. Get off the interstates and ride the secondary roads. It’s a lot more interesting, and for a biker I’m sure it’s a lot less nerve wracking. Those semis roaring past must shake you up.
We do like riding the side roads a lot better, but Charlotte is large enough the semi’s don’t bother me much. Sometimes we have to take the interstate to get to a place where we can have more time to ride the side roads in that area. We only have so much time allotted for the trip.
I have “done the caves” at mammoth a half dozen times. Wow!
Note that there are a half dozen different cave tours that you can do. From well-lit, to spelunking (crawling through tight tunnels ending up covered in mud), to the torch tour. On one tour you have to squeeze through a passage, which is way cool.
What you will likely discover is that the tour you want to go on is either sold out or the next one is several hours away. Get on their web site (I assume they have one), and you can reserve a spot on the tour that sounds fun to you. So you don’t have to wait a half dozen hours for the tour to begin.
And my favorite is the torch tour. There is a near-bottomless pit. And the guide throws a burning torch into the pit. Absolutely COOL. They must send someone down on a rope to retrieve the torches.
Lots of rock shops nearby, where you can buy geodes, crystals, and the like.
I recommend The National Quilt Museum in Paducah, Kentucky. It showcases examples of beautiful historical and modern examples. Well worth the stop. Here is a link to their website. http://www.quiltmuseum.org/
Don’t Speed in or near Owensboro KY. its home to MPH Industries…a Speed Radar co and they are alwsays giving the PD’s toys to test,,, But do stop at the Moonlight BBQ in Owensboro..best priced “BBQ Booofay” you’d every want to see.. try the booogooo stew!