Our May 2014 roadtrip across the United States included a trip through Kentucky. When I was deciding our route from Nashville, TN to Louisville, Kentucky I realized we would pass right by Mammoth Cave National Park! I never dreamed I would visit this place so I was super excited to explore a new area.
My daughter and I read through the Mammoth Cave National Park website and realized we had time to take one of the cave tours.There were a lot to choose from! We decided on the Domes and Dripstones tour and reserved our tickets before we even left home. We have explored many caves before so we wanted to experience a different kind of cave. Boy we were excited!
Mammoth Cave National Park has the world’s largest known cave system in the world so there is perfect cave experience for everyone.
We arrived a little early at the national park which was in a beautifully green area of Kentucky. We went into the visitor’s center and read a little about the park and what to expect. We asked at the information desk about hiking trails and we were directed to try the Green River Bluffs Trail(you can see the many trails right around the visitor’s center HERE). This was a wonderful way to get out into the forest and see so many pretty wildflowers and views.
It was a little warm and humid but it felt good to be out of the car and hiking along the trail.
I remember commenting to my daughter that I wish I could hike on a trail like this one every single day.
There were places you could see that there were openings into caves below the trail which after we took the tour with the guide and learned about the geology of this area we understood more about the caves. I highly recommend taking a guided tour on your visit to Mammoth Cave National Park.
On this trail you are high above the Green River (which isn’t green at all). The river is part of what creates the caves in this area….water, rock, and time. We stood here at this spot for a few minutes and listened to the sounds of the birds in the trees. There is nothing like hearing birdsong while out on a hike….it is like the music or soundtrack to the day. I would dearly love to come back to this park and stay at a campground, taking time to learn more about this beautiful habitat.
We ate our picnic lunch and then waited for our tour to begin. It starts with a bus ride up to the cave entrance and along the way the tour guide (who is a park ranger) tells you all about the countryside and the geology that created the cave system. It was just enough to make things interesting. We had a rather small tour group of around 30 people which I was told is not even close to their 100+ tours normally experienced during the summer months. You might check the description for the touryou are interested in taking and reading the tour group size before choosing your trip.
The cave entrance for the Domes and Dripstones tour is actually a door at the bottom of an outdoor staircase. Not at all what we were expecting!
The door keeps critters and random people out of the cave so the ecosystem stays intact. After you enter the cave, there is a vertical staircase that you descend and it is very close and tight. We had the added experience of the lights going out about half way through the descent. It was pitch black and if someone hadn’t turned on their cell phone light, I probably would have started to panic. All was well when the guide reached the switch at the bottom and illuminated the way once again.
I don’t have any photos of the trip but I will describe a few of the outstanding features we enjoyed.
The first part of the cave tour is in a dry cave, like jumbled slabs of rocks really. It is cool and with the lights on quite pleasant.
The cave is inhabited by cave creatures like cave crickets and bats. We saw both during our tour. Believe it or not, the crickets creeped my out more than the bats hanging from the ceiling.
The second part of the cave has water and you can hear it running and dripping as you walk along. The formations are beautiful and it was truly an enjoyable experience.
If I ever went back to Mammoth Cave National Park, I would choose another tour to experience a different part of the cave.
It was a fun experience and if you ever find yourself in this part of the world, make time to stop and take your own cave adventure!
There are miles of bike trails within the national park and if I ever get there again you know I am going to be pedaling around to see what I can see.
There is no entrance fee to this national park but there are fees for cave tours.
The day we were there the park was full of grade school children. The park ranger said that they normally attend the morning tours so if you want it to be a little less hectic, choose an afternoon tour if school is in session.
There was a restaurant and gift shop at the Visitor’s Center.
Just a sidenote: We really enjoyed the Kentucky Bourbon Trail experience, visiting just one of the distilleries along our trip route. After a long day of driving, hiking, exploring, and learning, we enjoyed a little Kentucky bourbon with the friends we were staying with. What a great day! You can visit and taste at a number of distilleries in Kentucky. We visited Wild Turkey! (Our friends shared their Jim Beam.)
You can read more of my national park tips in these entries:
Grand Canyon National Park is a place that should be on everyone’s bucket list! There is no way to completely understand the majesty and splendor of this unique place without visiting it in person. I have made two trips to the Grand Canyon in my lifetime, one in the winter and one more recently in the spring.
My daughter and I were on a roadtrip across the United States and we chose to make an afternoon/evening visit to experience the canyon and surroundings together. We visited the South Rim but someday we hope to experience the North Rim. We were on our way from Las Vegas, Nevada to Flagstaff, Arizona and the national park is sort of an in-between spot. It would be easy to do a half day in the park from either place.
We knew we had limited time so we went right to the trail upon arrival. We parked our car and were able to walk the short distance to the trailhead of Bright Angel Trail. This is a trail that can take you all the way to the bottom of the canyon and to the Colorado River. We, of course, didn’t have time for that particular adventure since they recommend that you do not try to hike down and up on the same day. You can spend the night down in the canyon at Phantom Ranch (see the national park website for more information and options). If you have four hours or less in the park, you can view this video to get some more ideas for experiencing the Grand Canyon in a short time: Grand Canyon with less than 4 hours.
There were so many things to look at as you hike down the trail and at this time of year there weren’t many people on the trail. The air was warm but not uncomfortable, even hiking in the middle of the afternoon. My daughter and I had fun taking lots of photos and chatting with other hikers when we stopped for water breaks.
If you are interested in geology and learning more about the rocks of the area there are several informative signs and I saw lots of interesting books in the Visitor’s Center book store.
I was hiking in my regular hiking shoes but my daughter was wearing her Nike shoes…both worked great for this particular trail.
Another view from the trail as we hiked…no bad photos in this national park!
I was surprised by the number of birds we encountered on our hike and then as we later walked along the rim of the canyon on the Rim Trail. We utilized the free shuttle bus system within the park to get from one side to the other easily. This is a great feature since parking can be a pain. You can read more about the shuttle here: Grand Canyon Shuttle System.
This part of the park was a little more crowded since it is near the parking area, the Visitor’s Center, and the shuttle bus stop.
The most amazing time of day was at sunset. We stood at the lookout spot near Bright Angel Lodge and silently watched as the sun sunk down in the west and the light changed the canyon to pink, lavender, and a deep purple. Neither of us wanted to leave…we made a promise to come back some day and spend much more time exploring this awesome place on earth.
Just a random post with some First Day of June Photos for you to enjoy!
We have had a mystery plant growing along the fence line. It turns out it is a delphinium, growing this year instead of last year when I planted the seeds. I always love a good mystery plant and this one is gorgeous. I wonder what happened to the rest of the seeds from the packet…maybe they will grow next year.
Our hydrangeas are starting to bloom along the side of the house, shaded in the afternoon they just keep coming back year after year. I love a no nonsense plant that will just really take care of itself but provide copious amounts of flowers to cut and enjoy on the kitchen table. I love the shade of purple they are this year.
Many of the day lilies are already showing their blazing colors…it is so early for them to be in bloom but I will not complain.
Just another day lily…
I am hoping this is an apple year after our disappointing harvest last year. We have lots of granny smith apples growing in the backyard sunshine…dreaming a crisp tart apple come autumn!
We finally spotted an ant colony along our walking trail. I used my shoe to scoot the big rock off the top of the hole and about a million ants came scurrying out. They were rather large ants that had displaced a lot of soil to make their living quarters. It was a little late to include in last month’s Ant Study but it was still fascinating to watch them.
Here is a better image to see how much dirt/gravel they have moved out around the hole. I took a little video to give an idea of how many ants were running around the hole.
I am so looking forward to the month of June and it warmer weather and long hours of daylight. I have so much gardening to catch up on but it is a labor of love.
This month I am sharing tips and ideas for a national park trip to Crater Lake National Parkin the state of Oregon. Our family has visited this awesome place two times…both during the month of July. One time there was so much snow that we couldn’t do all we had planned but the second time it was perfect. Lesson learned? Check ahead of time on the national park website to see the current conditions...including road conditions.
On the way there we stayed in Ashland, Oregon(around 90 minutes) but Medford, Oregon (less than 90 minutes) is a little closer if you are looking to stay in a bigger city near Crater Lake National Park.
This is one amazing place! The first thing you notice is the color of the water…Crater Lake Blue! The reflections will blow you away no matter the time of day. You can’t stop looking at the view.
You can drive all the way around the lake easily in a day since it is just around 29 miles. Our family completed the drive but not without stopping for a few photos along the way. We also stopped at the Visitor Centerwhich was informative and included a movie. (Don’t forget to get your National Park Passport Book stamped before you leave!)
We took the Crater Lake Boat Tour and it was worth the hike down to the shore to catch the boat (a little more than a mile each way). Our kids loved this boat ride and it was fun to see all the different rock formations from lake level. The guide was knowledgeable about the area’s history and geology so we soaked it all in. Yes, the water really is that color blue!
Here is a photo from lake level where there was a waterfall coming into the lake. The tour was an hour and a half and you really did get a great look at this amazing lake from a viewpoint that was spectacular.
The “Phantom Ship”
Crater Lake is known for its amazing clarity – the official website states that the water is so clear that you can see to a depth of 120 feet. The lake itself is 1,943 feet deep, the deepest lake in the U.S. and one of the deepest in the world. Truly a unique place!
We also enjoyed the wildflowers at Crater Lake National Park. There are several easy hiking trails that you can take around the rim of the lake and this one at Castle Crest Wildflower Trail is one of the prettiest we enjoyed during our stay. It is super easy with beautiful views of the area.
Amazingly beautiful flowers to enjoy!
We stayed outside of the national park (about a ten minute drive) at the Crater Lake Resort. This place was perfect for a family with active boys! We actually rented two cabins for our big family but with the reasonable price it was a great choice. I can tell you that it is exactly as depicted on the website and we would stay there again in a heartbeat.
Nothing fancy but clean and comfortable…including a full kitchen which helps save on your vacation food costs.
There were canoes and rowboats to use at the resort and that kept my men occupied while I did a little journal work.
There was a rec room and bikes to borrow too. This place was terrific.
This is a national park that you can take a day to visit, seeing the highlights and making memories that will last.
Other Things You Might Like to Know
$10 entrance fee per car
Mazama Village has a gas station
There are a number of park brochures you can download ahead of time: Park Brochures.
You can read more of my national park tips in these entries:
I know that this has been a month of transition here on the Handbook of Nature Study. Please be aware that I have heard and tried to respond to every email and comment from readers, keeping up has been a big job but I value your thoughts and hope to clear up any questions you have as time goes by. The core of this blog is the Outdoor Hour Challenge and that will remain the core for the next few years as we finish up our work in the Handbook of Nature Study. There will be lots of new challenges starting this coming September (posted to the Ultimate Naturalist Library during August 2014.)
Today is the last chance to use the discount code for $10 off the Ultimate Naturalist Library.
Discount code: APRIL10
Keep sending in your nature study blog entries for the carnival! It is always such a joy for me to read and then share with everyone else the ideas and experiences that each contributing family has during their month of nature study activity with the Outdoor Hour Challenge.
Here are our family’s entries just in case you missed them this month:
Photo Credit: Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey
Spring Bird Observations
Janet from Pursuing Joy in the Journey would love for you to see their Spring Birds at a local pond there in the UK. What a beautiful place to take some time to observe the springtime birds. She also submits there Garden Birds entry along with some images of their nature journals. Excellent!
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordish’s shares their Spring Bird entry with you. They observed an early spring Red-Wing Blackbird and then created some journal entries.
Barbara from The Schoolhouse on the Prairie has submitted their Birds in Our Backyard postwith the carnival. You are going to LOVE their bird drawings this month!
Photo Credit-Lisa at Pilgrims at Tinker Creek
Spring Wildflowers and Dandelions
Alex from Life on a Canadian Island has a wonderful entry for you to enjoy: Signs of Spring – Crocus. She has some beautiful images and a few thoughts from the Handbook of Nature Study.
Michelle from Following Footprints shares their Outdoor Hours in April entrywith the carnival. They studied dandelions, took a nature walk, and found some turtles. make sure to see their nature journal entries!
Lisa from Pilgrims at Tinker Creek would love for you to take a look at their Dandelions entry. This entry will make you feel the spring time goodness with its dandelions and violets. They also have some wonderful nature journal examples.
Photo Credit: Shirley at Under An English Sky
Spring Cattail Observations
Shirley from Under an English Sky has started a year-long study of cattails. See their entry for a great start to their observations: OHC Spring Cattail.
Window Nature Study – April: Alex shares the next installment of her monthly window nature study…showing a bit of a sign of spring!
Kerry from Keeping Up With The Kordish’s has submitted their Nature Study April entrywith the carnival. They have had a snowy month still but they did manage to fit in some outdoor time. Take a look at her awesome images.
Nature Notebook April 2014:Carol from Journey and Destination shares their natural surroundings with some fantastic images from their nature walks.
Outdoor Hour Challenge #1- A Springtime Walk: Heather shares their “signs of spring” which look more like “signs of winter”. Hopefully they will see warmer temperatures and far less snow this month!
Don’t forget to share your blog entries with the Outdoor Hour Challenge Blog Carnival. All entries done in May are eligible for the next edition. The deadline for entries is 5/30/14 and you can send them directly to me: harmonyfinearts@yahoo.com or submit them at the blog carnival site (link on the sidebar of my blog).
You may wish to start a new year-long study this spring using some of the ideas above. If you have a continuing year-long nature study project, don’t forget to put it on your calendar or you may forget to make your spring observations.
Would you be able to offer any tips on how a family just starting out doing it should approach it? Or maybe what inspires you and how you make it work with your family?
Nature study is something that started rather slowly in our family. We had always been outdoor sorts of people but the desire to learn more deeply and routinely about the things around us spurred me as a mother and home teacher to schedule time each week to focus on something of interest to my children.
At first, I would send the boys outside to find something to draw in their nature journal. They would obediently pop out into the backyard and find a little something to sketch and label. It was a good start but this kind of “nature study” didn’t reach their hearts.
We gave up on the nature journal idea for at time and with some pushing from the ideas of Charlotte Mason we began spending more time together in the backyard and hiking on local trails each week. I found that just immersing ourselves in the outdoor life helped grow the seeds of nature study more than anything else.
As we began noting changes in our backyard and along our favorite walking trails, the boys became more interested in coming home to look up and identify things like mushrooms, birds, and trees. I think their eyes needed to be able to see things before nature study meant much to them. I became more passionate about nature study and purchased the Handbook of Nature Study so I could use it in our studies. I was totally and completely overwhelmed by the book and actually gave it away.
The nature journal came back after a period of time when the boys realized they could journal things that interested them, in a way that meant something to them. For our family, notebooking pages helped us over the hump. Not needing to feel overwhelmed by a blank page was a relief to them.I was happy they were keeping a record of their observations and discoveries.
Eventually I found a copy of the Handbook of Nature Study again and I was determined to use it with my family. It was from that process that this blog was born. I stopped trying to use the HNS as a field guide and began using it more as a teacher’s guide like it was intended to be. It helped make nature come alive for our family. We used the suggestions in the lessons in that book as the basis for our exploring creation in our backyard and neighborhood.
I always suggest that families start with the first ten Outdoor Hour Challenges, making sure to read the pages in the introduction of the Handbook of Nature Study as suggested in each challenge. Anna Botsford Comstock’s words there are what created in me a better method of teaching “nature study”. She showed me the simple way to offer nature learning opportunities to my children. She really did become my mentor.
Just get started even if you just work through the first five challenges. After completing those challenges, you will start to see the pattern that I use here on the blog and with my family to create a nature study atmosphere.
Over time, our family developed a way of life that encourages nature study every day. There are field guides in various places around the house like bird books near the window where we hang our birdfeeder. We regularly take walks together. I still keep a nature journal but my children have not kept up that habit as young adults. They prefer to take photos and then share them on Instagram and on Facebook. It warms my heart to see my children still taking time to notice the natural treasures that come their way like sunsets, wildflowers, butterflies, birds, and rocks.
This is what I encourage you to remember if nothing else:
Nurture a love of the outdoors and the interesting things you find there with your children as they are growing up. Train their eyes to see what is there in front of them….stop and look and listen. These are skills that will make them happier people and better students in all areas.
1. Visit two new national parks – My husband and I are anxious to travel to at least two new parks this year as part of my nature study goals. I have a few in mind so we share see how that works out: Great Basin National Park, Pinnacles National Park, Zion National Park, Olympia National Park. We are not sure which direction we will be heading for our annual big camping trip…east, southwest, or northwest.
2. Three new birds – Identify and journal three new birds. I am determined to make a goal I can keep this year.
3. Rock challenge from 2013 – Continue working through the list of rocks from 2013, hopefully completing at least three new rocks.
4. Take three new hikes – at least one new local hike and two additional hikes
5. Visit a new nature center.
6. Monthly nature photo challenge – I am going to take a nature photo a week. (I will be sharing my printable list of topics soon.) I am then going to choose one photo from each month for a 2015 family calendar.
7. Camping in all four seasons – This is a new goal that my husband and I are going to attempt to start in Spring 2014 and finishing up in at the end of the year. We have never camped during the winter season before so we have been reading up on all the how-to’s.
As I related in my Nature Study Goal 2013 recap from last week, I am learning to set goals but also grab opportunities that come up during the year. Following interest is a major part of my keeping nature study fresh and new as we encounter things along the way. I hope that you can set even just one nature study related goal for 2014. If you would like to share, leave me a comment with a link or just share your thoughts if you feel motivated.
Outdoor Hour Challenge Extraordinary in the Ordinary – December Edition
Find the Extraordinary in the OrdinaryI challenge you to find five ordinary things in your backyard or in your everyday life that you can study and learn something more about. Find something extraordinary in something you have come to think of as ordinary and usual, so usual that you may not even notice it anymore.
You may remember that we have done this challenge in the past two times. Please be inspired by both of these entries to complete your own extraordinary nature walk this month with your children.
Getting Started Suggestion:
If you already own the Getting Started ebook, complete Outdoor Hour Challenge #8. Take along a magnifying lens on your Extraordinary in the Ordinary walk. Find something to examine more closely…even ice, frost, water from a puddle, the bark of a tree, or snow. Find something to be amazed by and then complete the notebooking page in the ebook.
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