Below the Surface- Mammoth Cave National Park

For my 20-somethingth birthday in September of 2012, we decided to take a little weekend trip down to Cave City, KY.  The main thing on our agenda was visiting Mammoth Cave National Park.  I've come to discover that we didn't take any pictures while we were there, so all I have is my poor memory.

We stayed for two nights at the Baymont Inn & Suites Cave City.  The room was very inexpensive and it was clean, conveniently located, and the staff was friendly.  Other than sleeping and eating the free breakfast, we didn't spend much time at the hotel.  I would recommend the Baymont Inn mainly due to how close it is to the interstate.  

The beginning of September is not a very popular time to visit Cave City, so this may be either a plus or a minus for you, depending how much you like other people.  The bad part is that it seems like most things are kind of shut down and deserted, so it doesn't have the energy that it would in the summer when kids are out of school and families are traveling.  

Barren County (where Cave City is located) is a DRY COUNTY.  This means there are NO BARS (sad face).  Certain areas are considered "Moist," which means you can head on down to the local Applebee's and get a Margarita, but this isn't exactly a thrilling night for most people.  So if you enjoy traveling to places with any type of night life at all, you need to avoid this place like the plague.  Or buy a case of beer and a bottle of whisky before you get there and drink it quietly in your hotel room.

Entrance to the Park
(Photo Courtesy of National Park Service)

Let's get to the best part:  Mammoth Cave National Park.  

Frozen Niagra
(Photo Courtesy of National Park Service)

If you've never been there before, it's a beautiful park with a... well, mammoth-sized cave and a bunch of other decent-sized caves.  We didn't do too much exploration of the park other than going to the cave.  We pre-ordered tickets to go on the Lantern Tour through Mammoth Cave.

If you're really into history and want to experience things like they did long ago, before electricity and the conveniences of modern man, this is the tour for you.  Once you descend the steps and get past the main entrance, the lights go out and you take a walking tour through the cave with only the light from lanterns that the guests carry.  You will learn about early explorations and the weird things that have happened in Mammoth Cave.  

We had a good time, but I would rather go back and take a tour when the lights are on.  It's hard to grasp how large and complicated the cave system is when you're basically in the dark.  There are several different tour options, so if you're going to be in the area for a couple of days, take more than one tour.  

Learn more about the different tours available on Mammoth Cave's Website.

Words of the Wise(ish)
*Take a jacket.  The cave stays at a constant 54 degrees Fahrenheit.
*Wear good walking shoes.  (You're walking quite a distance, and conditions can be slippery or wet depending on which tour you're on.)
*Unfortunately, the America The Beautiful yearly pass for the National Park Service does not cover the fees to take tours.  There are no gates, though, so admission to the park is free and you can enjoy the beauty of the park and take advantage of hiking trails, etc with no charge.
*Be respectful of the park's guidelines regarding white nose syndrome in bats.  They have rules to prevent the spread of this disease, so please pay attention.

The Honeymooners- Dominican Republic

We were married on a super hot and sunny day in May of 2012.  We said our "I do's," shoved cake in each other's faces, and danced the night away.  Immediately after the reception, my niece drove us to the airport where we eventually boarded a 6:00 AM flight heading to our dream honeymoon.

After much deliberation, we decided on staying at the Catalonia Royal Bavaro in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  The main thing that attracted us to this particular resort was that it was adults-only.  Actually, half the resort is adults-only and the other half is for all ages.  When staying at the adults-only side, you have access to BOTH sides, so double the food, double the pools, double the bars!  This was our very first time staying at an all-inclusive resort and we weren't quite sure what we were getting ourselves into at first, but we ended up absolutely loving staying at an all-inclusive.

The Cat Royal had a good variety of food choices and strong drinks.  I didn't know it at the time, but this isn't as common as you would think. The beaches in Punta Cana are really big with lots of palm trees, so if your favorite part of vacation is the beach, this might be the place for you!  A small word of caution, though:  watch for coconuts.  They fall often and could bonk you on the head.

Visit The Catalonia Royal Bavaro website for tons more information and how to book.

There's one major thing that people may love or hate about Punta Cana.  This is the fact that really there's no town or anything around the resorts other than immediately by the airport.  If you're the type of person that likes to get away from the resort to explore and learn about local culture and food, this might not be the destination for you.

However, there are plenty of day trips that you can choose from.  During our stay, we went on the Canopy Adventure Zip Line Tour as well as Adventure Boogies.

This was immediately after we arrived at the resort.
 I still hadn't taken my hair down from the wedding. It was so, so hot that day!  The hairspray mixed negatively with all the sweat and it wasn't sexy.

Canopy Adventure Zip Line Tour
(I don't have any pictures of this activity, unfortunately)

PROS:
*The drivers and staff are so awesome and they make it fun
*I felt like everything was safe and wasn't concerned about things being half-assed
*The jungle was beautiful and the ride there and back was informative and fun

CONS:
*If you're super fit and love exercising on vacation, stop reading here
*I honestly couldn't even enjoy the zip lines themselves because I was so freaking tired from climbing.
*You basically climb a mountain, zip line down a mountain. Climb a mountain, zip line down a mountain. Keep repeating that about 15 times.
*If you are not in great shape, and try to do this after drinking 15 rum punches a day and sitting your butt on a seat in the swim-up bar, YOU WILL NEARLY DIE.  Die, I tell you.


Adventure Boogies

PROS:
*Driving the buggies to Macao Beach (it was SO beautiful).
*They took us down into a cave with this really awesome natural pool that was really deep.  We jumped in and swam for a little bit and it was freezing cold but it felt nice since it was so hot outside.

CONS:
*The buggies go suuuuper slow and you have to stay in a line.  :(
*They will try to sell you a really expensive DVD of pictures they took during the day. We bought this, but you should avoid it. Take your own pictures.

**I would recommend finding a way to skip the buggy tour and just get to Macao Beach.




All in all, I recommend Punta Cana if you're seeking a fun and laid-back all-inclusive destination. 

The Travel Bug

Hey! My name is Tara and I'm addicted to getting away.  When my husband Jay and I started dating back in 2010, he was quickly advised that I need as many adventures and vacations as possible.  Like most people, we have jobs, bills, and obligations, so unfortunately we can't be on a permanent vacation.  So when we get the opportunity, we like to take full advantage of our time away.

I will be sharing with you some of our adventures.  I want to give you honest, first-hand accounts of the good, the bad (can a vacation really be all that bad?), and the breathtaking.  I'll let you in on some advice for traveling to different places and how to get the most fun for the least amount of money.

I had many bodacious adventures when I was single, but everything I'm going to share with you occurred as a couple traveling together, which is vastly different than traveling alone.  You can read more about this difference at The Happy Passport.


 

I hope to keep you informed and at least mildly entertained.   :)