Carter Caves State Park
What better activity in the world to do on a rainy day than to play like one is with Jules Verne and making a journey to the center of the earth? And so it was for Bill and I. We have been planning for months to enjoy day trips to some of the fine state parks in Eastern Kentucky, and we were not about to let rain ruin this plan for us today. Caving suddenly became a viable option for us.
After a fine leisurely time with three hospitable women in Central Park for a spontaneous rain-free picnic, we headed west about forty miles to Carter Caves State Park in a dense rain which started up just after we left Ashland. We arrived in the state park during a lull in the downpour, which allowed us to have a pleasant short hike through some really picturesque woods and rock formations while waiting for a tour of one of the twenty caves that have been mapped in the park. I found myself completely present and happy to the experience of being in this park, cloaked in the emerald green of new spring. The extensive rock formations were entrancing and gave me a happy anticipation of the world below ground being just as interesting. Happily, I scampered about taking pictures. With digital cameras one can be completely reckless, no longer confined by the budgetary realities of using film.
The rain gods were good to us once again. The rains held off and did not start up in earnest until just before we entered the caves with two other very pleasant couples. A very enthusiast park ranger led our little group below the surface. I have always been entranced with the happy positive people that work in state and national parks. The ranger was rather gracious and knowledgeable about the caverns in the park. His country good old boy ways made the imagery of rural Kentucky most satisfying. Those working in the visitor center and gift shop reinforced my very positive view of those that get to work in parks. I have always had a sense that those who work in parks know that they have privileged circumstances.
The caverns were well endowed with formations of various kinds -stalactites, stalagmites, soda straws, drapery, bacon, columns, and translucent sheets. The lighting that had been installed in the caverns was such that I was able to get a very nice set of photos without using flash. The lighting was understated and added just enough color to accent what naturally was to be found in the mineral formations. There were no red, blue, green, or yellow flood lamps. It actually may be that I now have enough images from my assorted journeys to put together a cave lecture. Perhaps one of the best things about travel is to think about how the experience can be shared with others. I have been told more than once, “I would rather see the world through your eyes than through my own.” While wandering through the chambers of the Cater Caverns I was thinking about how I would show these to others that don’t have the good fortune of crawling around underground in the cool dark chambers, millions of years in the making.
It also occurred to me that I could make several nice additions to my Appalachian Paradise lecture with the pictures I took above ground. My head has been in a very good space today, even though in the blackness of the subterranean world.
We came above ground and our little temporary community of seven dispersed to four different cars and we each headed back to our own lives. One of the great intrigues of travel is the intersection of lives that take place in the most unlikely of places.
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