Mammoth Caves

On Saturday, we stopped at Mammoth Cave National Park on our way home from Tennessee. Mammoth Cave is located in Kentucky off I-65. It is halfway between Nashville, TN & Louisville, KY (about 85 miles from each). Hubby & I have been before but this was the first time for the kids.

 The Visitor Center is where you can go to sign up for cave tours. We ended up taking 2 tours, The Mammoth Passage Tour & New Passage Tour.

 Here are the Kids & Hubby waiting to go on the Mammoth Passage Tour.

There is an outside trail down to the opening of the cave. Going down is the easy part! 

This is the actual entrance to the cave. You have to go down 80 steps & then back up them at the end! 

The Mammoth Passage takes you into the main natural entrance of the cave. This cave is a limestone cave.

 These are the actual remains of a saltpeter operation in the cave for the War of 1812.

 This picture is a little dark but it is of the flat roof of the cave. It is a big slab of limestone. It is quite beautiful. The cave is so large that even the flash wouldn't let me capture a good picture.

This is one of the cave walls. They restrict you to certain areas in the cave to try & preserve the cave for future generations.

 Here we are back at the natural entrance of the cave. The Mammoth Passage tour is only 1 1/4 hrs long & about 3/4 a mile of walking. You go 160 feet below ground. This tour is rated easy.

 Here's a beautiful waterfall you see as you walk between the cave entrance & the visitor center.

We were waiting for the 2nd tour to begin so thought we'd get a picture. I never can get all 3 smiling at the same time. David was being a goof!

The 2nd Tour we took was the New Entrance Tour. This tour is moderate difficulty & takes 2 hrs. It's 3/4 mile long & you descend 250 feet below ground. The initial drop is 280 stairs down (500 total on this tour)! It is narrow & steep.  The entrance has an airlock chamber. 

 Looking down one of the side shafts. Originally they would descend these shafts on ropes. I think the steps are much better!

Here I am looking down beside the stairs. You can't tell it, but there are 3 flights of stairs below us! The Cave wall is beautiful here.

This is another shaft down. These shafts were naturally made. There are 4 shafts you have to descend to get to the bottom. Then you walk for awhile. There are 2 places you sit & rest on this tour. At one of those places, they turn off all the lights in the cave so you can experience pitch darkness! This did not bother the kids at all!

 After all this walking, the Frozen Niagara is your reward! You can just take the Frozen Niagara tour is you can't handle the steps. It only has 12 stairs with optional 98.

 The stalagmites & stalagmites are beautiful. They glistened from the water slowly dripping down them. My camera does not do it justice! 

 I laughed when I pulled this up on the computer. This is in the Frozen Niagara. Looks like I told them they'd have to stay there! 

The patterns, colors & textures of these Flowstone is beautiful. This is only a small section. It stretches up several stories & inspires awe at the creation of our Mighty God!

 The kids liked this formation. They said it looked like a monster's mouth!

 This area was fenced off. I took this between the fence posts. More of God's beautiful creation!

 More Flowstone.

 Beautiful! Every turn you made in this part of the cave made you eww & aah!

I thought this looked like ice on the edge of a building.

Here some new formations are beginning. The tour guide said the cave is constantly changing.

Here Jessica is showing you the stuffed bunny & bag of rocks she got at the gift shop.

Jamie got 2 stuffed bats at the gift shop. 

David got a canteen & a rubber knife & case.

As we were leaving the park, we saw these 2 deer. In the park we saw over 20 deer and about a dozen wild turkeys. These 2 were just a yard from the road. I could almost have petted them.

Fort Defiance Field Trip

Today we went to Fort Defiance near downtown Clarksville. Only a small part of this fort is still in existence. The rest of it is now a neighborhood. A recently built interpretive center is also on this site. 

 The interpretive center sign. They love the metal figures at these civil war battlefields.

 Fort Defience was one of 3 forts in Clarksville.

Fort Clark, Fort Terry & Fort Sevier (Defiance) were built to protect Clarksville.

 Fort Defiance was originally called Fort Sevier. Then called Fort Bruce by the Union army & finally Fort Defiance. Only a small part of the original fort is still in existence.

 The Cumberland River made Clarksville a vital city in the Civil War effort.

Part of the earthen wall of Fort Defiance. 

 Hubby & David walking into the fort. This location was chosen because it is high on a hill overlooking the valley & the river.

 Here are the deep trenches inside of the fort that were built so the soldiers could carry munitions to the cannons without fear of being shot by the enemy.

 This fort was not contructed in the standard matter. Also the hill was too steep to shoot down at the river.

 The Union army brought their gunboats down the river & into Clarksville. The people of Clarksville surrendered to the Union without a shot being fired. The Confederate Army came in & recaptured Clarksville only to loose it again to the Union army. The people of Clarksville seemed to be reluctant to enter the war. They leaned toward the Confederate side but always took the path of least resistance.

This is a view from the river. Fort Defiance is located atop the hill on the right in the background. 

Stones River National Battlefield Visit

Today we journeyed down to Murfreesboro, TN to the Stones River Battlefield. This battle started on December 31, 1862. This battle of all the major battles of the civil war had the largest percentage of casualties on both sides. 

 Kids in front of the Stones River National Battlefield Visitor's Center

 Overview of the Battle & battlefield

 Casualties for both sides were very very high in this battle.

Sheridan saved the day because he anticipated an early morning confederate attack. Even though the line was pushed back, they bought time for other Union troops to move in to position & hold Nashville Road

This field was the site of many deaths. It was a very bloody battle.

 The Union soldiers were penned down in this area. They continued to fight & gave the Union army 2 hours to get in place.

 The area show in the 2 pictures above was called the Slaughter Pen. Many of the soldiers were from Chicago & had seen the huge slaughter houses there. They likened the carnage here to those slaughter houses.

 Here is another crucial battle line drone by the Union soldiers to keep the Confederates from getting to Nashville road & cutting off the Union from their supply positions in Nashville.

 Here Jamie & David are pretending to be Union soldiers that are fighting off the Confederates.

 Jessica is crouching down to escape the gunfire of the Confederates that is whizzing over her head.

 It is amazing to me that these earthworks have survived 150 years!

This trenches were all that stood between these soldiers & their deaths. 

 I just love this pic. They were discussing the battle.

This is the Hazen Brigade Monument & cemetery area. 

This is the oldest surviving Civil war monument that is still standing in its original location. It was erected in 1863, less than a year after the battle. 

 The final battle at Stones River was McFadden Farm on the banks of Stones River.

This is the Artillery Monument. The kids are taking pictures of it.

 The plaque on the Artillery monument. What must it have been like for the Confederates to cross the river & see 58 cannons at the top of the hill!

They are checking out one of the canons that guarded the ridge above Stones River.

Don F Pratt Museum Visit

Today we went to the Don F Pratt Museum. This museum is located on the grounds of Fort Campbell. This museum was established in 1956 as a museum for the 101st Airborne Division. The museum covers the history of the 101st Airborne Division or the "Screaming Eagles" from it's creation in 1942 until the present time.

 Order Creating the 101st Airborne Division

 101st during WWII

Ft. Campbell was a POW camp during WWII. 

 Military Jeep 

 Photos of soldiers during the Vietnam War

 Listings of all the units assigned to the 101st Airborne in Vietnam

 David liked this display of Vietnam Era Weapons.

 Communications during Vietnam

 Display dedicated to the Medical Corps!

 We found the statistics interesting. Amazing how many lives were saved just by having helicopters available.

 Outside the museum was a park with several memorials for division that served out of Fort Campbell.

 Hubby & kids looking into a helicopter.

 Sign in the window of the helicopter above.

The Chinook Helicopter. 

Info on the Chinook. Wonder if my dad rode in this one or one similar to it when he was in Vietnam??

We had a great time at the museum. It was neat to learn all about the 101st Airborne Division. I found the Vietnam Era stuff very fascinating since my dad served in Vietnam. I don't think the kids were as fascinated as I was. They just thought it was cool to be on a real military base. I am very thankful for all the men & women who have served our country & who still are!