Travel to Mammoth Cave Kentucky

More about our trip to the mountains: From our hotel, I didn't realize how close we were to Mammoth Cave, and I followed the directions to the highway instead of looking at the map, and delayed us an hour because we 

couldn't get turned around on the freeway. Frustrating!  I still had time to 

take the 10:30 am Passage tour down 80 steps, through the original entrance and saw some of the early saltpeter mining operation and the Rotunda Room. I nearly had a heart attack going back up the 80 steps in a hurry as the last person on the tour.   Photography was challenging, no flash or tripods and VERY high speed.

     Steep original entrance

      Rotunda Room.  Underneath is highlighting the historic that was done.

      Years ago, it was this dark in there!

     Going out again.

While waiting for Jim to take the Frozen Niagara tour at 2:30 pm, I took Sarita on the Heritage Trail to see the grave of the freed slave Stephen Bishop who was a tour guide at Mammoth for many years. The grave was almost hidden at the back of the little cemetery and difficult to photograph. The trail also went to sunset point, a pretty view.

     Grasses at Sunset Point

 I took the Frozen Niagara tour at 4:15 pm and took the optional 98 steps round trip to see the Drapery room with stalactites and stalagmites. Mammoth cave has more than 400 miles of passages.

      Volunteer tour guide

     Black and white was better than the orange lights in the cave!

     Frozen Niagara

     Drapery room, looking up.

     That's water at the bottom.

     Leaving

      A Service dog had to walk across soapy water solution to help curtail the spread of white nose syndrome that harms bats, along with all the people.

      Nice sunset

      Our hotel, Park Mammoth Resort

     Interesting chandelier at the hotel.  Most of the guests were hunters.

     Jim loves rocks!  Big Mikes

      Mikes had a fun house.

     Picnic spot in Tompkinsville City Park, on the way to Townsend, KY and the Great Smoky Mountains.

Bald Eagles

I never get tired of seeing the bald eagles nearby.

#eagle, #bald eagle, #flying, #flight

Hollywood Volunteer Fire Dept Craft Fair

I'll be a vendor Sunday, probably just inside the main entrance from the lobby.  Hope to see some of you there!

St Marys County Camera Club Photo Exhibit

Information about the Camera Club's new local exhibit at the Patuxent River Air Museum

https://www.facebook.com/CalmReflectionsPhotography/posts/10154758283951572

Peaks of Otter Lodge, Bedford, VA

We recently traveled to the mountains and were mostly out of internet range.  Peaks of Otter Lodge was our first stop on the way to the Smoky Mountains.  The leaves were barely turning yet, so we managed to stop again on our return.

     Abbott Lake

     The new boardwalk where I took my favorite Sharp Top photo in 1997.

     The island

     The new bridge

     Fun with chairs

     Umbrella?

     The Milky Way and Sharp Top

Thank you Veterans!

Sarita is very fond of her Navy Veteran Dad!

Bubble Reflections

We played with a toy bubble maker at the beach and got some interesting results. with colored bubbles.  I liked the circles in the water.  Those are clouds reflected in the bubble.