May 14 – Monday

Elkhorn Campground, Frankfort, KY.  We left Mammoth Cave around 10:00.  We stopped at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Site, so I can have my Passport Book stamped.  When we got there, we discovered that we are now in the Eastern Daylight Savings time.  It was interesting to learn that Abraham Lincoln was born at one spot and lived there for 2 years until his father lost a land ownership dispute.  The family then move about ten miles away to Knob Creek where Ale spent his early years.  Again, his father was involved in a land ownership dispute.  The family then left Kentucky for good.  We visited both the birthplace and his early year’s site.  Our route then took us pasted the Kentucky Railroad Museum.  We stopped because I had been at several other state railroad museums.  But the place was closed on Monday.  The part we saw was a disappointment.  There were old engines and cars that were in a terrible state of deterioration.

Lincoln’s Memorial at his birthplace.

The spring at Lincoln birthplace.

Lincoln worked this field as a youth.

May 13 – Sunday

Mammoth Cave Campgrounds, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY.  We went to the 10:00 tour which was Grand Avenue Tour.  It was a four mile, four and a half hour hike up and down hills.  Most of the tour was down winding passages with interspersed large rooms.  We saw gypsum formation, some water falls (it rained last night so the water falls were larger than normal), and towards the end, we came onto the normal stalactites and stalagmites and the frozen Niagara.  It was a strenuous hike due to the changes in elevations.  We were worn out by the time we got done and the rest of the day was spent resting.  I tried to set up my portable satellite receiver, but I believe I could not find a spot with a good view of the southern sky.

 

May 12 – Saturday

Mammoth Cave Campgrounds, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY.  We took our time getting ready for our 9:30 tour.  This was the historical tour and went into the original opening.  On this tour, we began the same route as last night’s tour, but this time we could see the entire room.  But then we turned off to another corridor which lead to the Fat Man’s Misery and some areas where I almost had to waddle through the path because of the low ceiling.  After the tour, we rested and then left for Bowling Green for a Catholic Service since we had a tour on Sunday morning.  Then we asked for a catfish restaurant, but when we finally found it, it was closed for the day.  We then found a cafeteria close by and then when to a grocery store.  We finally went back to the RV and bed.

Giant’s Coffin.

Martha on the tour.

May 11 – Friday

Mammoth Cave Campgrounds, Mammoth Cave National Park, KY.  Martha wanted to clean the RV before we packed up to leave.  So it was close to 12:00 before we left.  The trip was confusing because it had us drive almost into Tennessee (Bowling Green, KY) before we headed northeast again.  When we got to the national park, it seemed that we drove forever before we finally found the campground.  Fortunately, the campground was nearly empty, so we got a good spot.  The visitor’s center was close, so we walked over to get information on the cave tours.  The one I wanted was filled already for Saturday, so we signed up for Sunday’s tour.  They had an evening lantern tour that evening, so we also signed up for that tour.  And finally, we signed up for the historical tour for Saturday morning.  We had enough time to go back to the RV, eat supper, and get ready for the tour.  We took the car back to the visitor’s Center for the 6:00 tour.  There we were give old fashion oil lanterns (one per couple).  That was the only light we had on the trip.  We entered in the original opening and walked down.  Of course, we could not see the entire rooms when we got to the large rooms, but we did see the nitrate mining areas and walked back for about 2 miles.  We also walked up a different corridor than normal and saw the wedding altar.  Because we were in trees, we did not get TV.

Martha on the Lantern Tour.

May 10 – Thursday

Kentucky Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville, KY.  We left the park and drove to the Land Between the Lakes.  When we first got there, we saw a sign for a scenic drive, so we took it.  But it was not much.  Then we came upon the north welcome center, so we stopped and got information on trails to hike,  They recommended the Woodland nature Station and the trails there.  We decide to hike the Honkers trail around the Honkers Land (named because of the geese that landed there.  It was a 4.2 mile trip and took us 2 hours and 56 minutes.  We then decided to drive to the Barkley Dam (on the Cumberland River).  But first we stopped at the canal that links the two lakes.  We could not get close to the dam (security), but we did see it from a distance.  There was a tug with coal barges waiting to lock up into the lake, but it took too long, so we did not wait.  Then we drove back to the campground, but first stopped at a viewpoint for the Kentucky Dam (on the Tennessee River).  It was a short distance from the campground.

The Kentucky Dam.

May 9 – Wednesday

Kentucky Dam Village State Park, Gilbertsville, KY.  Since we got to bed early, we were up early and left the RV Park just before 9:00.  We had a little problem getting to I-64 to get out of St. Louis, but were soon out in the country.  The wind was behind us, so it was an easier drive then the last few days.  We had to stop in Mount Vernon, IL. for groceries on the way.  The state park was just a few miles off the interstate, but we had a little problem finding the campgrounds.  It was almost empty.  The sites are short and the utilities are back pretty far, but we were allowed to drive on the grass.  However, it site is not level and my front wheels are off the ground and the step is quite a ways down.  If the RV’s steps worked, we still would have needed the step stool to get down easy.  For some reason, I was tired and we did almost nothing the rest of the night.

The high step into the RV.  The front wheels were off the ground forcing the high step.

May 8 – Tuesday

St. Louis RV Park, St. Louis, MO. We left for the Missouri Botanical Garden around 9:30.  They have Climatron which contains unusual plants that are not native to Missouri.  In fact, the plants are from a warmer climate.  Then we went for a guided tour.  Unfortunately, the tour guide did not have a strong voice and after a short time, we were the only ones on the tour.  Then we headed for a café for lunch.  They compose almost everything – plates, utensils, plastic drink cups.  Then we saw some of the garden that was not on the tour.  We finally left the garden at 2:30 and went to the St. Louis Arch around 3:00.  There was no line, so we were soon at the top.  It was a weird trip up the side of the arch.  You hang from a wire in a five man pod as it travels up inside the arch.  It was also weird at the top.  When we got down, we saw a movie on the building of the arch.  Then we walked down to the Mississippi River so we could put our hands in the Mississippi water.  Then we went to a local restaurant, the Spaghetti Factory.  We finally got back to the RV around 7:00.  We were so worn out that we were in bed by 9:00.

Unusual Flower.

This is part of the China display,  The dragon was made of different pieces of china.

The dragon that was at the entrance of the garden.

Mississippi Rive from the top of the arch.

Martha looking out the window at the top of the arch.

Look up at the arch from the bottom.