Spring Break is officially over and it was back to work for me today. I think inside my head I was worse than my 8 year old, wanting to get back into bed and forget about school. It was nice to see the kids though, and one of my sweetest was celebrating his birthday, so there was a lot to smile about. Also, after school we had a staff meeting and in planning April and May it hit me just how close we are to the end of school! So my attitude is a little better here, 12 hours later.
We have lived overseas for about half of Emily's life. She's been to more places in Asia than in the US. So we decided to take a road trip last week. A couple of years ago we bought the Passport to Your National Parks, and it's still got very few stamps in it. So we brought it along and hit a couple of neat spots.
Day 1: This was when we did the bulk of our driving to get into Kentucky. We left Northern Virginia in the morning, headed out I-66 to I-81. We spent the night in Lexington, KY at a WONDERFUL Embassy Suites. B and E took a swim in the morning, and we had yummy omelets at the buffet for breakfast.
Day 2: After our morning cavorting at the Embassy Suites, we got on the road. We drove out to Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace, stopping on the way at Lincoln's Boyhood Home (scroll down on that last link). On the long drive we had talked about what E already knew about Lincoln. Also, B had bought her some books on Lincoln, so she did a little research. At each stop, she narrated a little about the place as I videotaped, and I hope to edit it into a little documentary about our trip. Next year is the Lincoln Bicentennial, and there will be some neat events tied to that. E enjoyed both stops, and seeing the size of the cabins he lived in with his family was an eye-opener. We stopped in downtown Hodgenville and went to the town's little $3 Lincoln Museum. It was almost worth the money, but it consists of several life-size "diorama's" if you will, of Lincoln at different stages in his life. Lincoln as a boy in the cabin, Lincoln in the White House, etc. The mannequins in the museum FREAKED Em OUT! She cried until we took her out. I will admit they were a little creepy, but her reaction was almost comical.
After a lunch break at the largest fast food chain (I refuse to mention them and possibly advertise for them) where E slipped on a wet floor flat onto her back (another story for another time) and no-one checked to see if she was ok (grrrr), we drove on to Mammoth Cave National Park. We got there at about 4:15pm, and there was a tour with space at 4:45, so we decided to jump right in and start our visit there. We took the Mammoth Passage Tour from the Historic Entrance, right under the Visitor's Center. It was a pretty easy tour, just over an hour. E was a little nervous for the first 10 minutes or so, until her eyes got adjusted to the dark. This was a very dry end of the caves. That night we stayed at the Mammoth Cave Hotel. It was adequate, but definitely no-frills. And I believe the two beds in the room were fulls, not even queens, so we were VERY cozy. They also have cottages in season, and they may be more roomy. Their restaurant served a tasty dinner, and the cafe made an EXCELLENT breakfast with great service.
Day 3: We had an 8:45 reservation for the Frozen Niagara Tour. This was at the OTHER end of the caves, and we boarded a bus for the 15 minute drive over there. Again, our tour guide was great (though Ty, from the Mammoth Passage Tour was WAY cuter). ;o) This end of the cave still had much water running through it, and therefore had more of what you expect to see in a cave, like stalactites and stalagmites. Again it was a little over an hour. We saw a small bat on the tour, cave crickets, and a beetle or two. Also, on this tour, once we were well into the cave the guide turned off the lights to allow you to experience complete darkness. She warned us well in advance, and made sure children were ready. It was VERY cool.
We got on the road just after lunchtime. We made a spur-of-the-moment decision to change our plans. We had planned to head to the Smokies in Tennessee next, but decided to turn back towards home and see something along the way. We decided to head towards Cumberland Gap. We got as far as Corbin, KY and stopped for the night at a Hampton Inn with a heated pool and spa. We headed up the street to the Colonel Sanders Museum and Cafe to see where Harlan Sanders developed his recipe for Kentucky Fried Chicken. It was a cute little stop, only worth it because we were up the street anyways.
Day 4: After breakfast, we drove the last hour over to Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Finally, at the age of #*$^, I finally mastered the difference between Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. Daniel Boone is featured here at Cumberland Gap, and we learned about his expedition to lead a group through that gap, making it the first gateway to the west. We watched the movie in the Visitor's Center, which was in a great, new theater. The content was mildly disturbing to E, as it shows how Daniel Boone loses two sons in his endeavor. There is a little spot where kids can try on colonial clothing, and a shop that offers juried handicrafts that are all made in the Appalachian region. There were some STUNNING pieces in there.
After we spent a little time at the Visitor's Center, we decided to drive up to the Pinnacle. This was a 10 minute drive up Cumberland Mountain, full of twists and turns and switchbacks. The view was amazing, despite the overcast weather we had. E was tickled on the way up to straddle the line between Kentucky and Virginia. She wanted to stand on the spot where KY, VA and Tenn touched, but it was on the side of the mountain, and not reachable. She settled for action photos of her vaulting the state line. :o) It had to be 10ยบ colder at the pinnacle, so we didn't linger. At the bottom of the hill E felt sick, so we ended up pulled over to rest a bit.
We decided to head on to see Monticello on the way home, and just managed to drive to Charlottesville, VA before E needed to be in bed. We stayed at our family favorite, a Residence Inn. The suites there allow us to put Em to bed, and still stay up and do things like watch people mangle Beatles songs on American Idol. ;o)
Day 5: Chagrined that the pool at the hotel was outdoors, and tired from so much driving, this was not E's finest hour. But we relaxed at Panera for breakfast (we could have indulged in the free breakfast at the Residence Inn, but I craved a mocha), and her cocoa and bagel cheered her.
We headed to Monticello. B has been talking of taking me to see Monticello for more than a dozen years, and it's never happened. The tour was very cool. We've been to Mount Vernon several times, and you only get to step in the doorway of most rooms before plexiglass barriers prevent you from going further. Our tour led us through the rooms, so close to Jefferson's artifacts that you could reach out and touch them. B kept E's interest by having her look out for the many inventions Jefferson had throughout the house, and she was fascinated by the clock in the front foyer, the dumbwaiter to the wine cellar, and the double action doors, among other things. I want very much to go back in the summer. Jefferson was a gardener, and the gardens on the grounds were just starting to sprout. I expect they will be glorious later this season. At the gift shop, my bag-a-holic self bought a tote that has "I simply cannot live without books. -Jefferson to John Adams" on the side. It's my new library tote.
Just before we got back on the road home, we stopped off at nearby Michie Tavern for lunch. We loaded our trenchers with delicious fried chicken, BBQ sandwiches, and tasty sides. E was not keen on the offerings, but she had "end of the road" crankiness, so we ignored her. ;o) The remainder of the drive home was uneventful, and we got home by mid-afternoon with time to get the laundry started.
If you are still reading, WOW.
In closing, I would highly recommend any of these stops for families with a 7+ crowd. And while we were lucky to have dry weather most of the time, it was gray and cold most of the week, so making the trip in spring or fall might be more desirable. Summer in KY is HOT, don't say I didn't warn ya!
Are you a coupon fanatic like I am? Every year I buy the Entertainment Book for about $25 and it pays for itself in about a week. The $20 in coupons to Safeway alone nearly cover it! Turns out this year I can buy it for the same price I usually do, and half the money goes to Emily's school.
