Mammoth Cave National Park, KY
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Midwest surprisingly offers us many national parks to visit all year round. One of the national parks near Illinois is the Mammoth Cave National Park in Cave City, Kentucky. We rented a car from Champaign and drove around 5 hours, excluding small stops in Indiana. We had never been to Kentucky before, and we believe that not many international students had been there. Plus, this was the first time we visited a cave in the US, and we start with the world’s longest known cave system!
On the morning of July 20, 2024, we rented a car from Enterprise and began our journey. The first task of the day was to move our belongings to a friend’s apartment, as there was an interim period when we wouldn’t have a place to stay. After taking care of these chores, we officially started our trip with a visit to IKEA in Indiana. We enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the store and treated ourselves to a cheap yet delicious meal at the café.
From there, it took us about two more hours to reach Louisville, Kentucky. Once in town, we headed to the Great Lawn to admire the beautiful bridges connecting Indiana and Kentucky.
For dinner, we walked to a charming spot called Troll Pub Under the Bridge. The highlights of our meal included an incredible beer cheese served with pretzels, honey-sriracha wings, and flavorful ciders.
We ended our day at the Econo Lodge in town. Louisville struck us as a clean and modern city, and we’d love to visit again.
On the second day of our trip, we visited Mammoth Cave, located in Cave City. As always, we snapped some pictures with the national park sign before venturing into the cave.
For anyone planning a trip there, it’s important to note that you’ll need to reserve a tour and time slot in advance. The park offers a variety of tours to choose from, but we opted for the classic option: the Historic Tour.
The cave was surprisingly cold, even in the summer, so it’s a good idea to dress warmly. We entered with our group, led by an enthusiastic guide—an older man with a youthful spirit. He was a master storyteller and seemed to know every inch of the cave.
At one point, he wanted us to experience the total darkness of the cave. He extinguished his torch, and we were instantly plunged into complete darkness. It was an incredible and unforgettable moment.
Unfortunately, our trip ended abruptly as something came up after the cave tour, but we would love to return to the area and explore more someday.
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