Kentucky Road Trip Series
Kentucky, a state filled with caves and corvettes. This beautiful state was the whole reason why we chose to go on this road trip. In part 1 we visited Alum Hollow and Green Mountain in Alabama. After a quick drive through Tennessee, we arrived in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
We spent a total of 3 nights exploring the major sights around Bowling Green. In this post I’ll cover our experiences at Mammoth Cave, the National Corvette Museum, Aviation Heritage Park, Lost River Cave, and Hidden River Cave.
Mammoth Cave National Park
Mammoth Cave National Park is located about 45 minutes north of Bowling Green. There is no entrance fee to the park and it is open 24 hours a day. The Visitor Center’s hours vary with the seasons. But it is generally open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Even though entrance to the park is free there are fees to go on the cave tours. Prices vary with the season and tour type.
Cave tour
We visited Mammoth Cave in the Fall of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic. Because of the pandemic, there was only 1 cave tour, the Extended Historic Tour, and it was self-guided. Our tour was 1 1/2 hours long and 2 miles roundtrip. About 50 people were allowed on the tour and masks were required.
Having visited the cave years ago and during Covid-19, I can honestly say that you will have a much better experience if you wait until the cave tours are once again guided. Even with rangers positioned throughout the tour route, I felt like the experience was a huge letdown. We had much better experiences on our later cave tours.
Heritage Trail
After a picnic lunch, we hiked the Heritage Trail. The trail begins and ends at the Hotel. It is a 0.8-mile boardwalk and cement loop. From the raised boardwalk you can see down to the Historic Cave opening. There is also an overlook at Sunset Point, which is about the halfway point. There are a couple of trails that come off of the Heritage Trail if you are looking for a longer, more strenuous hike.
Sand Cave Trail
Sand Cave Trail was the other trail that we explored at Mammoth Cave National Park. This trail is only 0.2 miles and is out and back. It is a boardwalk that is handicap and stroller-friendly. The trail has an interesting history that is told on kiosks along the boardwalk. Our kids found it very fascinating.
National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green
The following day we visited the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. It is open 7 days a week from 8 am to 5 pm. They are closed on major holidays. Admission is $15 for adults, $13 for seniors, $10 for youth ages 5-12, and free for kids 4 and under. Active military get free admission. You may purchase your tickets from their website, but you don’t save any money in doing so. Entry is not timed, either.
Because of the pandemic, face masks were required and they encouraged one-way traffic through the museum. In order to enjoy the touch screens, each person is given a finger glove when entering the museum. Also, no food or drink, water included, is allowed inside of the museum.
The museum includes a theater (I highly recommend watching the short film), a nostalgia area, Kid Zone, history of Corvette racing, performance area, design and engineering, preservation, enthusiast, cave-in area, Skydome and Hall of Fame, special cars and exhibits, and the Corvette store. Our family spent a lot of time in the cave-in area. It was interesting and a bit scary at the same time.
It is recommended that you allow at least 2 hours to tour the museum. That is exactly how long it took our family. If you have Corvette lovers, you’ll probably need more time.
Aviation Heritage Park, Bowling Green
Next, we visited Aviation Heritage Park. This little park is open during daylight hours and is completely free. There are no facilities or water. Aviation Heritage Park tells the stories of regional aviators with displays of aircraft similar to the ones they actually flew.
The park is home to 8 different aircraft including an F-111 Aardvark, Sikorsky SH-3H Sea King, Piper J-3 Cub, UH-1 Huey, Phantom 550, NASA T-38 Talon, Lockheed Shooting Star, and a Grumman Panther F9F. This is a great park to visit if you have an aircraft enthusiast. We spent about 20 minutes wandering the park.
Next to the Aviation Heritage Park is Basil Griffin Park. Here you will find picnic tables, playgrounds, ball fields, and restrooms. There were also tons of ducks, geese, and swans around the lakefront. It’s a great park for a picnic and to let the kids run around.
Lost River Cave, Bowling Green
To finish up our day we visited Lost River Cave for a cave boat tour. Lost River Cave is a 100% non-profit organization that has 2.5 miles of trails, a butterfly habitat, a playscape, geocaching, zip lines, and of course a boat tour. The visitor center and gift shop are open daily from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Boat tour times vary with the season and weather conditions.
The boat tour admission price is $19.95 for adults, $16.95 for youth ages 4-12, and $5.95 for kids 3 and under. It is highly recommended that you reserve your tickets online. Tours do sell out. Our tour was in fact full.
Because of the pandemic masks are required in all common areas and tours are operating at a reduced capacity. Each tour begins with a 20 minute guided walk along the water’s edge. Then you arrive at the cave’s entrance and board the boat for a 25-minute ride through the cave. You will have to duck your head as you ride into and out of the cave. Floatation devices are provided for everyone. Children must wear theirs while adults sit on theirs.
Hidden River Cave, Horse Cave
A short distance outside of Bowling Green we visited Hidden River Cave. This cave and museum are located in historic downtown Horse Cave, Kentucky. This tour takes you through one of Kentucky’s largest and most scenic historic cave entrances. You also get to walk across the longest underground suspension bridge in the world.
Cave tours begin at 8:00am every day with the last tour scheduled for 5:00 pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For the rest of the year, the last tour is at 3:00 pm. Tours are $22 for adults, $12 for children ages 6 to 14, and free for children 5 and under. Your tour includes admission to the American Cave Museum. Each tour is about 45-60 minutes long and is scheduled on arrival. Entry and exit from the cave require about 230 wet steps. It is not handicap accessible.
American Cave Museum
The American Cave Museum has two levels of exhibits to help you discover the history and science of America’s natural caverns. There are exhibits on karst geology, groundwater quality, the history of caving, archeology, cave wildlife, and cave formation. We found some of the exhibits a bit dated and there weren’t many that were interactive. Our kids went through it pretty quickly.
Bowling Green hotel
We stayed 3 nights at the Home2 Suites Bowling Green. This property looked fairly new and modern. Because of the pandemic, they did not have coffee in the lobby and breakfast was grab-in-go style. Since things are ever-changing, your experience may not be the same as ours.
We had a nice studio suite on the 4th floor. We loved having a kitchen. This location is very close to lots of restaurants, shopping, and attractions. It was an easy drive to all of the above-mentioned attractions. I highly recommend this Home2 Suites.
Further Reading
- Alum Hollow & Green Mountain Nature Trails, Kentucky Roadtrip Part 1
- 2 Days at the Ark Encounter & Creation Museum
- 4 Family Hikes in Hocking Hills State Park
- 7 Family Hikes in Kentucky’s Big South Fork
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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own. I was not compensated for this post. The Covid-19 pandemic is ever-changing the travel industry. Our experience may not be the same as your experience. Double-check hours and closures before traveling.
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