All summer Tom has wanted to hike up the White Rocks and Sand Cave trail. Cumberland Gap National Historical Park has over 85 miles of trails, including the 26-mile Ridge Trail which runs the length of the park. The only problem with most of these trails is their change in elevation. After all, we are …
From National Parks
Volunteer Robin Smith, Campground Host
When Tom and I changed sites at the end of June, we did it to make way for Volunteer Robin Smith who was coming in as a campground host. We had heard the name but weren’t sure what kind of person or campground host he would turn out to be. I am happy to report …
Folk Fest at Cumberland Gap
On Saturday, August 12, Tom and I participated in Folk Fest in the town of Cumberland Gap. We were there, along with most of the rangers, to represent the Cumberland Gap National Historical Park. The ironic thing about our representing the park was that no one remembered to bring a sign showing that we were …
Stones River National Battlefield
To finish off the National Park sites close to us, Tom and I stopped by Stones River National Battlefield on our way from Mammoth Cave back to Cumberland Gap. We had been to Stones River National Battlefield before, but we were there before the Passport program started in 1986, so I didn’t have the stamp. …
Mammoth Cave National Park
After our visit to Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace, Tom and I headed south to Mammoth Cave National Park. I had never been there, but Tom said he had been a couple of times. Nevertheless, I had to get the stamp, so I had to go there. We signed up for a Historic Cave Tour as soon …
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park
Tom and I continued our exploration of Kentucky by heading to Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park. Whenever we are working at a National Park site, we try to see all the other National Park sites in the state. It doesn’t always work out, because some of the sites can be pretty far away. But …
Tri-State Outdoor Fest in Cumberland Gap
On July 15, Tom and I worked at the Tri-State Outdoor Fest in Cumberland Gap. I mentioned before that Cumberland Gap is a little town that is trying to be a tourist draw to the area. They host special events several times during the summer, including the Small Farmers Market that I wrote about last …
Millipedes, Apheloria Tigana and Virginiensis
Every morning when I take my walk, I come across one or two yellow and black flat-backed millipedes. I don’t remember ever encountering these arthropods before but I have enjoyed watching them wander across the road. Just in case you aren’t up on your nomenclature, arthropods possess an exoskeleton, a segmented body, and paired jointed appendages. In order to …
Camp Nelson National Monument
In our continuing quest to visit all the National Park sites, Tom and I made a trip to visit Camp Nelson National Monument. Camp Nelson is located in Nicholasville, Kentucky, southwest of Lexington. It took us a couple of hours to drive up to it. The site is one of the newest in the National …
Campground Update
Tom and I moved from our full hook-up site on June 28 to an electric only site. I thought I would give you a campground update on how I feel about living at the Wilderness Road Campground. As I mentioned before, Tom and I usually get a full hook-up site when we work in the …