Greetings From Mammoth Caves National Park

Posted on Travel

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One of the places I really wanted to visit this year, besides the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, was Mammoth Caves National Park. Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system in the world, with more than 400 miles of mapped passageways under the hills of Kentucky. It’s still being mapped, so expect that number to get bigger over time.

A stone sign reads Mammoth Cave National Park Visitor Center with the National Park Service logo on the right, set against a backdrop of green trees and blue sky.

The cave was formed over millions of years as water slowly wore away the limestone underground. Today, the park is famous for its huge cave rooms, underground rivers, and unusual cave animals. It’s hard to describe how big and quiet the cave feels until you see it for yourself. Unfortunately, we didn’t sign up for tickets ahead of time. The only part of the cave that still had availability was the Frozen Niagara section. It was pretty spectacular, though.

That’s not what I wanted to tell you about, though. When we walked in, we discovered they were having a quilt show! It was restricted to employees and their families only, so the quilts had no central theme. Some were antiques and some were art quilts. Some were hung very high, and some were in a gallery hallway. I was impressed at the respect given to the quilt show. Quilters always love quilt shows, but this one was displayed to the general public. They were surprisingly appreciative and I heard several very kind comments on their beauty and craftmanship.

Here are a few of the pictures I took.

A quilted wall hanging features a vintage-style poster for Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky, showing illuminated cave columns and the caption World’s Longest Cave System above the cave entrance.
This was a panel that was available many years ago.
A tall, textured cave formation lit by warm yellow lighting rises from the cave floor to the ceiling, surrounded by rough, rocky walls inside a cavern.
This is my picture of the Frozen Niagara. Is that what is depicted in the panel?
A framed textile artwork features a circular quilt with a central figure outlined in black and a red patch on the chest, surrounded by a star pattern in earthy tones of brown, orange, and green, displayed on a white background.
This represents the brave explorers who found and mapped the cave originally.
A bright hallway with stone walls, wooden benches, and colorful patchwork quilts hanging from the wooden-beamed ceiling. Large windows line the left side, and signs point to restrooms in the back.
The entryway to the ticketing area
A woman stands in line inside a bank or office with stone walls and a wooden ceiling. Colorful quilts with geometric and heart patterns hang above the service counters. Two digital screens display information.
This is the ticketing area
Two quilts are displayed side by side: one with a geometric red, white, and blue pattern, and the other resembling the American flag with stripes and a blue field of stars. Small placards are placed below each quilt.
The one on the left is a Quilt of Valor.

I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. It’s really the same thing as a wine tasting tour, but many places gave you a tour through their distillery. That was pretty interesting! They all had tasting rooms for a price, except for Buffalo Trace which was extremely generous to their visitors. Can you guess where we spent the most money?

Two wooden rocking chairs with black frames sit on a stone patio beside a large wooden barrel, in front of windows reflecting trees and sky.
The porch at Woodward Reserve.
A large, rectangular brick building with a metal roof and small windows sits on a grassy slope, surrounded by dense green trees under a cloudy sky.
I believe this is a mash barn.
A light-colored dog stands on a covered porch, looking out through a white railing toward a parking lot and buildings under a partly cloudy sky. A hanging plant and potted plant are also visible.
Our dog Gypsy was the unofficial greeter at Four Roses. She got lots of pets from people going in, and even more from people going out.
A large black-and-white log cabin with a wraparound porch is surrounded by manicured lawns, shrubs, and landscaped garden beds, set against a backdrop of green trees under a cloudy sky.
The cafeteria at Buffalo Trace. Newly opened, it was spectacular.
The entrance of a Buc-ee’s convenience store with its large red logo and beaver mascot above the doors. Several cars are parked in front, and a few people are near the entrance under a cloudy sky.
A little local color
A white pickup truck is parked across two handicap spaces in front of a Waffle House restaurant with a yellow sign and red awning. Trees are visible behind the building.
They were open, so you know the weather was good.

Another place I want to tell you about is the Ark Experience. Not at all what I expected. But I will save that for another post.

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