This was a lark, a tune-up, a one-off. Knowing we had a long weekend from school and a massive roadtrip to the Dakotas as soon as summer arrived, we took the opportunity to do a practice roadtrip to a park we had yet to visit. For something we were calling a lark, Allison did a surprising amount of research, sorting through cave tours, hikes, and distilleries to figure out how to make it all work.

Additional motivation may or may not have been the chance to visit Lexington, the home of Old School Coffee and Spalding’s Donuts. And perhaps some distilleries. Mammoth Cave seemed like a secondary purpose, a park we needed to check off the list. Reader, this is not how it ended up.

Leaving Dexter early, we had a plan: six hours to Lexington, with stops at Buffalo Trace and Castle & Key distilleries. Distilleries with a six-year-old? Yes. It’s fine. We were more interested in the grounds and gift shops than tours and tastings.

Our first stop was Buffalo Trace, named for the paths (traces) worn through Kentucky by roaming bison, including the Great Buffalo Trace near present-day Frankfort. Read the trip report, learn something new. After acquiring a stuffed buffalo for Warren and a few bottles for us, we headed to the playground to burn off some road-trip energy. Warren made quick work of the climbing ropes before launching himself off the bottom of the slide, laughing wildly as he discovered the ground approaching faster than expected.

Energy burned and boxes in hand, we headed to Castle & Key, the former Colonel E. H. Taylor Jr. Distillery. The rain, which had been on and off all day, decided to be on again. Undeterred, we explored the grounds, which had immaculate vibes: rain-soaked greenery, the river, and decaying industrial buildings interspersed with beautifully restored architecture. I could’ve spent hours photographing the place, but Lexington, dinner, and rest were calling.

With rain in the forecast—and actual rain—we adjusted our plans from hiking above ground to the Domes & Dripstones tour at Mammoth Cave. We had not planned on two tours, but opted in because it doesn’t rain in caves.

First, however, potentially the most important stop of the trip: Old School Coffee in Lexington, Spalding’s Donuts (seriously, the best donuts), and a strawberry smoothie for Warren. We discovered Old School Coffee on a previous trip to Great Smoky Mountains National Park and have been looking for excuses to return ever since. Coffees in cupholders, we headed to Wild Turkey Distillery, where I wanted to photograph the bridges over the river. One giant turkey selfie and 58 bridge photos later, we were off to Lincoln’s birthplace and boyhood home. Both offered interesting history, with the rain adding to the atmosphere.

By the time we reached Mammoth Cave, the rain had intensified. The three-minute walk from the visitor center to the bus pavilion left us soaked. Warren, irrationally excited about the bus ride to the cave entrance, didn’t seem to mind.

The descent into Domes & Dripstones felt like stepping into the cave you imagine in your head: steep stairs, tight passages, damp rock, and darkness. Claustrophobic. There was something slightly unnerving about descending deeper into the earth, surrounded by rock with only artificial light to guide the way. This was a cave. The tour wound through passages and larger chambers, with the ranger stopping periodically to explain the geology and answer questions. At one point, Warren chimed in with, “Did sharks live in these caves?” Reader, not exactly, but shark fossils have actually been found in Mammoth Cave, left behind when Kentucky was covered by an ancient sea. Six-year-old curiosity, unexpectedly rewarded.

The tour ended at Frozen Niagara, a massive formation of flowstone and dripstone that looked exactly like its name suggests. After hundreds of stairs, narrow passages, and an afternoon underground, we emerged with a new appreciation for just how closely reality could match our imagination of a cave.

Exhausted, we found dinner and passed out.

Grabbing coffee in Glasgow, we headed to breakfast to wait out the rain. The plan for the day was a hike on the Cedar Sink Trail, followed by the Historic Tour at Mammoth Cave. By the time we reached Cedar Sink, the rain had cleared enough for us to explore the lush, green forest without getting soaked. Working our way through the dense woods (and more stairs), we watched a brown river disappear into the earth. The damp greenery, limestone rocks, and disappearing water made for a surprisingly pleasant hike, a different experience from our usual pursuit of peaks and overlooks.

Having watched a river disappear into the earth, we figured we might as well follow. The National Park Service, thankfully, provided a less aquatic route. Domes & Dripstones was what I expected a cave to be. The Historic Tour was something else entirely. The scale of the enormous underground chambers was almost impossible to comprehend. Standing there, surrounded by rock, knowing how far underground we were, it was hard to believe that spaces this large existed beneath the forest we’d been walking through. A few cave crickets made their appearance during the ranger Q & A. 

We were toward the back of the tour group, which meant constant movement to try to keep pace (pro tip: we suggest being near the front). Warren had no trouble with Fat Man’s Misery and Tall Man’s Misery and took off ahead. Rather than slowing him down so we could go through together, I followed to keep an eye on him, leaving Allison behind and understandably frustrated that we’d missed experiencing it as a family. Not my finest split-second decision.

Emerging from the cave, we wiped our feet on the mat – save the bats – and returned to our car in search of dinner.

Our last day was not a slow one. If you’ve followed us at all, you know we don’t slow down well. Our only commitment was Lexington that evening, so we planned a few hikes and a visit to Maker’s Mark grounds to bookend the trip with distilleries. The weather had finally cleared – or so we thought – and we started with the Sand Cave trail; an easy boardwalk through the forest to Sand Cave, where Floyd Collins became trapped in 1925 setting off a national media frenzy and a rescue effort that ultimately failed. 

The next hike was a combination of the Green River Bluffs and River Styx trails, forming a loop that ended back at the visitor center. We started out dry, walking through more dense, lush, green with surprisingly minimal bugs. We reached the overlook of the swollen, brown Green River, had a few skittles, and continued on. Sensing our dryness, the weather decided to remind us of what being wet was like, and began raining. We extracted raincoats from backpacks and continued on, the rain making the rocks slick and Warren taking a fall or two but soldiering on.

We reached the River Styx boardwalk and walked to see where the river emerged from Mammoth Cave, swirling shades of green and blue. Not content to take pictures from the boardwalk, I decided to get a closer look via the social trails. Reader, this proved to be a back rattling decision. One step onto a slight, very muddy incline and I fell backwards like they do in the movies, smacking my back and head on the bank. Popping up, I assessed the damage in order of importance. Camera: a little muddy, otherwise fine. Ego: quite bruised. Clothes: quite muddy. Back and head: still attached. In retrospect, the boardwalk was there for a reason. 

At that point, our adventure in the park was officially done and we made our way back uphill to the parking lot. Our final stop before Lexington was the grounds at Maker’s Mark- a national historic landmark, immaculately curated with an absolutely delicious restaurant on site. A must stop if you’re in the area.

Uneventful, but this entry is here because our day and drive started at Old School Coffee in Lexington. Coffee in hand, we made the drive back home, feeling both more and less prepared for the upcoming swing through the Dakotas.

Mammoth Cave was so much more than we expected. The sheer scale of the underground chambers was mind-bending, but combining the cave tours with the lush forests, disappearing rivers, and limestone landscape above ground made the experience even better. 

We came for a tune-up before the Dakotas, a few distilleries, and a national park checkbox. We left with muddy clothes, a bruised ego, a stuffed buffalo, and a newfound appreciation for what was hiding beneath Kentucky.

Take multiple tours, hike above ground, and give the park more time than you think it needs.

Not bad for a lark.