This is a .9 mile tunnel under the Cumberland Gap. It was finished in 1996 and the above ground has been restored as best as possible to the landscape of the 1880s. We spent a night at a nearby NP campground in Virginia. This photo is taken from the Tennessee side of the tunnel. The tunnel emerges into Kentucky.
Our primary goal in Kentucky was Mammoth Cave NP. We arrived on a Friday afternoon and booked a campsite for 3 nights and 2 cave tours. 
Our camp was nice with plenty of space around us, but it turned out to be a Boy Scout special event weekend. Lots of rambunctious kids, especially Friday night. 
Kentucky is known for sink holes. They are spots where rain drains underground. Over millions of years those rains have created many caves including Mammoth the longest cave in the world as so far measured and mapped. We took a walk through the ficinity of the visitor center. There were large old trees and interesting gauges grown into them. 
The gauges are for measuring river level of the nearby Green River. 
Bark graffiti 
This little locomotive used to haul visitors to the cave. 
We were part of an "intimate" tour group of 120! This is the group coming out. The cave was fun to see but another time I would try for a tour with less capacity. 
WoodSongs is a radio show I listen to on Saturdays on High Plains Public Radio out of Amarillo TX. They tape the show in Lexington KY each Monday evening in front of a live audience. We timed our stay at Mammoth to work out with going to Lexington for Monday's show. It was fun to see it live. The guest performers included Emi Sunshine; she is a 10 year old YouTube sensation. With a little googling you can find Wood Songs and Emi if you are so inclined. In visiting with the woman who was seated by me I learned that Kentucky is known for a special style of country ham. When they lived in other parts of the country or world before retiring back in Kentucky, they would stock up on ham when they visited home. There are no rv parks in Lexington so we parked free at a Walmart. Fast forward to breakfast the next morning- thanks to trip advisor we found a local diner and I found country ham on the menu. Wow, I loved it! I asked the diner proprietor what kind of ham it was. It was Penn's Ham. With a little internet search I found the Penn's Ham business was located in the general direction we were headed. 
So we stocked up on ham and bacon. Plus we had at great drive through beautiful countryside. I did not take many photos I just enjoyed the views.
The gauges are for measuring river level of the nearby Green River. Bark graffiti This little locomotive used to haul visitors to the cave. We were part of an "intimate" tour group of 120! This is the group coming out. The cave was fun to see but another time I would try for a tour with less capacity. At the Visitor center there was a Kentucky travel info desk with a friendly helpful volunteer. She told us about the "Bourbon Trail" - where you can visit various distilleries. We were not too excited about that; then she mentioned some monks who make bourbon fudge and Dan was all over that! 
Trust me it is good stuff. 
She also told us about an Amish grocery store we would pass by. We replenished the pantry there including fresh baked bread and Amish farmers cheese.
Trust me it is good stuff. She also told us about an Amish grocery store we would pass by. We replenished the pantry there including fresh baked bread and Amish farmers cheese. WoodSongs is a radio show I listen to on Saturdays on High Plains Public Radio out of Amarillo TX. They tape the show in Lexington KY each Monday evening in front of a live audience. We timed our stay at Mammoth to work out with going to Lexington for Monday's show. It was fun to see it live. The guest performers included Emi Sunshine; she is a 10 year old YouTube sensation. With a little googling you can find Wood Songs and Emi if you are so inclined. In visiting with the woman who was seated by me I learned that Kentucky is known for a special style of country ham. When they lived in other parts of the country or world before retiring back in Kentucky, they would stock up on ham when they visited home. There are no rv parks in Lexington so we parked free at a Walmart. Fast forward to breakfast the next morning- thanks to trip advisor we found a local diner and I found country ham on the menu. Wow, I loved it! I asked the diner proprietor what kind of ham it was. It was Penn's Ham. With a little internet search I found the Penn's Ham business was located in the general direction we were headed. So we stocked up on ham and bacon. Plus we had at great drive through beautiful countryside. I did not take many photos I just enjoyed the views. Traveling south from Campbellsville, where Penn's is, we crossed the Cumberland Gap Parkway where we passed on the way to Mammoth Cave three days before. Hence, the title of this post. A Kentucky Loop.
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