Great Smoky Mountain National Park

I’ve wanted to visit this park for some time now. Maybe not the best timing since it’s the peak of tourist season, but what the heck. I’m here and taking advantage of the beautiful scenery.  Waterfalls abound and so I’ve hiked to Rainbow Falls, Grotto Falls,  Abram Falls and Henwallow Falls in just two days.

Cumberland Falls, KY

It’s been awhile since I’ve had reliable Internet, so just catching up on my blog. After leaving the Red River I headed south to the Cumberland Falls State Park. The major sight here is the Falls with several other fall hikes in the area.   They consider Cumberland Falls the “Niagara of the South. “. They’re quite powerful and a few crazies have actually kayak’ed over them.  When the first explorers discovered the falls while floating down the Cumberland River, abandoned their boat, which actually survived the falls and they were able to continue their journey downstream.

Koomer Ridge Campground, KY

I’ve booked the campsite for four nights to really explore this area. Today I hiked to places like Gray’s Arch,  Double Arch,  Princess Arch and Chimney Rock. I have to say it’s very hot and humid  here, so a few short hikes and short drives in my air conditioned car is the norm for the day.   Plus drinking lots of water with electrolytes.  

Red River Gorge, Daniel Boone National Forest

Im forever drawn to the National parks and forests in this country. So I find myself in another majestic place here in Kentucky. Discovered this is a haven for climbers. There are so many natural arches and bridges here and I’m just scratching the surface of what’s here carved out by time. So my first day of exploration brought me to places called Angel Windows, Whistling Arch, Sky Bridge, Natural Bridge, and Balancing Rock.

Mammoth Cave Grand Avenue

This was the all encompassing four hour tour of Mammoth Caves and covered four miles of the cave open to the public.  It was fast paced and included about 600 stairs, ramps and slot canyons.  It was awe inspiring and worth every minute. There were even two bathroom breaks along the way. Imagine that, bathrooms at 300’ below the surface.  Someone asked what they do with the waste—it gets pumped out to the surface.

Mammoth Cave National Park, KY

This cave system is aptly named, its colossal—over 400 miles of mapped caves and passages. The largest cave system in the world and it continues to bear new discoveries by the Cave Research Foundation which comes here on holidays to explore further, often spending 15 hours to pick up where they left off.  Truly dedicated spelunkers!!!  Having said all that, my first tour of the Historic Entrance was awesome—boggles the mind how theses huge caverns were formed over the millennia. What is conspicuously absent are the stalagmites and stalactites one usually thinks of in caves. That’s because a capstone of sandstone, which erodes  very slowly in water, lays on top of the limestone which is easily dissolved by water which is slightly acidic.  I posted on the Marengo Caves in Indiana which are full of formations because groundwater has found its way through cracks in the surface to enter the cave and form those beautiful formations.

Tipsaw Lake, Hoosier National Forest, IN

After one night in Champaign, IL, I landed at Tipsaw Lake.  It’s been hot, but peaceful here on this pretty lake. I did a 6-mile hike around the lake, then a one-miler at Hemlock Cliffs, with many overhangs and caves.


The next day, I travelled to Marengo Caves National Landmark. I took a tour through the caves, with lots of interesting formations.

Wisconsin State Capital

This is an amazing feat of architecture and history, so I took the time to visit and hack an awesome tour.  

Olbrich Botanical Garden, Madison, WI

I love botanical gardens and couldn’t leave the area without visiting Madison.   This is s remarkable place, with so much to see.  The highlight is the Thai Pavilion, a gift from Thailand to Madison, shipped snd arrived on 9/11 and erected two days later.