Mammoth Cave to be Featured in Documentary

MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky. (AP) - Mammoth Cave will be coming to a television near you soon.

A 60-minute, high-definition film, "Mammoth Cave: A Way to Wonder," produced in conjunction with the national PBS Ken Burns film "The National Parks: America's Best Idea," is set to debut next month on public television.

The Glasgow Daily Times reported that the film is scheduled for statewide release on Oct. 4.

The film's roots started with Mammoth Cave officials after they learned that Burns' six-hours series on the national park system featured on a small amount of information about Mammoth Cave. Theydiscussed the idea with WKYU-PBS and decided to work together on the project. ....

Mammoth Cave Film to Hit TV Soon

Mammoth Cave will be coming to a television near you soon.

A 60-minute high-definition film "Mammoth Cave - A Way to Wonder" produced in conjunction with the national PBS

Kentucky's Mammoth Cave featured in documentary

Mammoth cave movie debuts at library
By GINA KINSLOW
Glasgow Daily Times

A preview of a documentary about Mammoth Cave National Park will be shown Thursday at the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library.

The 60-minute high-definition film, “Mammoth Cave: A Way to Wonder,” was done by Western Kentucky University’s public television service, WKYU-PBS, and is being produced in conjunction with the national PBS Ken Burns film “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

The film is not scheduled to be released statewide until Oct. 4, but when library officials learned about the film they offered to allow WKYU-PBS to give everyone a preview of it at the library.< ....

Mammoth Cave getting cleanup
Debris from ice storm will be removed because of federal stimulus dollars

By ROBYN L. MINOR, The Daily News, 

Thanks to federal stimulus money, a crew of six people will be clearing the roadsides of Mammoth Cave National Park for the next six months.

The work, funded with $569,000 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, will help remove remaining debris from the January ice storm, according to Steve Kovar, facilities manager for the park.

A seventh person will be added to the crew in the coming weeks.

“It was more than our regular park staff could handle, in addition to their normal duties,” park Superintendent Patrick Reed said. “This Recovery Act crew will make a big difference in the park’s appearance.”

Reed said it is necessary to rid the park of the ....

Mammoth cave movie debuts at library
By GINA KINSLOW
Glasgow Daily Times

A preview of a documentary about Mammoth Cave National Park will be shown Thursday at the Mary Wood Weldon Memorial Library.

The 60-minute high-definition film, “Mammoth Cave: A Way to Wonder,” was done by Western Kentucky University’s public television service, WKYU-PBS, and is being produced in conjunction with the national PBS Ken Burns film “The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.”

The film is not scheduled to be released statewide until Oct. 4, but when library officials learned about the film they offered to allow WKYU-PBS to give everyone a preview of it at the library.< ....

Mammoth Cave: Weird stories of fish, TB, mummies and more

by Jamie Rhein

Mammoth Cave in Kentucky is the largest known cave system in the world and one of the United States' oldest tourist attractions. Because of its unusual geological characteristics, the cave has been a backdrop for downright odd aspects of human endeavors. Even nature has tossed in some weirdness for good measure.

The first time I visited Mammoth Cave National Park was as a child. What I remember most are the odd tales told by the tour guide. Of course, the vastness of the various chambers and the narrow squeezes of passageways between them did add a mysterious awe to my experience but the guide's stories are what have resonated.

When I revisited Mammoth Cave as an adult years later, the weird details I remembered were still part ....

WEG games to highlight Kentucky Experience
by Linda B. Blackford

As Lexington prepares for the two-week extravaganza known as the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, state officials want to make sure the rest of Kentucky is part of the party, too.

To that end, they plan to set up a 25,000 foot, three-part pavilion at the Kentucky Horse Park for the Games called The Kentucky Experience.

One one side, visitors can sip bourbon; on the other, they can explore a virtual Mammoth Cave; and straight ahead, they can listen to pure Kentucky bluegrass.

"It is all about Kentucky, and we are anxious to educated our visitors about what there is to see and do in Kentucky," said Cheryl Hatcher, chief marketing officer for the Kentucky Department of Travel.

Three temporary structures will be grouped around a courtyard. The exhibits space will feature the state's nine tourism regions, with comprehensive ....

Mammoth Homecoming
National park hosts gathering for hundreds of former residents of the area, once known as Northtown
by Jim Gaines

Leroy Buckingham shuttles between Louisville and Glasgow now, but he still calls Northtown home.

His relatives were farmers in the small community now displaced by Mammoth Cave National Park, he said. On Saturday he came back for his first visit in recent years, bringing his wife, Virginia, and daughter Belinda to the park visitors center and amphitheater for a homecoming.

Among the several hundred in attendance, Buckingham saw perhaps a dozen he knew from many years ago. A few gathered around to chat, as many others listened to bluegrass music or picnicked.

“It’s great. It just needs to get bigger,” he said.

Buckingham said his family had deep connections with the cave system, long before the area was designated a national park.

Summertime Family Fun: Three Great Outdoor Excursions
by Skila Brown

So it’s summer. And that means you want to get those kids outside. But you want to do it in a way that is fun and relaxing without putting your family in danger of heatstroke. Oh, and cheap, too. Sounds impossible? Here are three fun activities you can do this summer that measure up on all accounts.

Caving

It’s hard to find a better summer vacation than crawling in a cave – easy on the wallet, good exercise, fun for all ages, and cool temperatures to boot.

Phil Roberts is a tour guide at Colossal Cave Mountain Park in Tucson, Arizona. He says caving is completely safe for families of all ages. “But,” Roberts warns, “Parents should realize before they come that there’s going to be a lot of walking.” If your children aren’t old enough to handle that, it may not be the time ....

Exactly What is a 'Staycation'?
by Beth Swan Wilson

Since the fall of the economy, someone out there somewhere has coined the term staycation. People seem to have an idea that getting away from their immediate surroundings is the only way to take a much needed break. People want the break that they deserve whether or not money is tight. So the word staycation gives us what we want. Our brain can wrap around this word. We can take a vacation while staying close to home and not spending an absurd amount of money.

So now the real question would be, where to go. It is always nice to have vacations that are tropical in nature or packed with culture from different regions, but local trips are not only appropriately minded for this economy but can be enjoyed just as much as any other vacation.

Kentucky caving is an adventure for even the most non-caving personality type. Indiana also has very interesting areas rich in history ....

Park Offers Lots to Do Above and Below Ground
by Barbara Rowley/Family Fun magazine

Each year, Mammoth Cave National Park offers hands-on, accessible and free activities tailored to every age, but only about a half-million people come to enjoy them. (By comparison, nearly 5 million visit the Grand Canyon.) And though it’s famous for its 365 miles of caverns and passageways — the longest cave system in the world — Mammoth has much more to offer. Families can hike, bike and ride horses through lush old-growth forest and canoe and fish along 30 miles of rivers.

Inside the cave itself, eerie limestone formations with names like "cave bacon" drape next to drooping stalactites and jutting stalagmites. Enormous cave "rooms," some so large they were used as banquet halls in the early 1900s, lead deep underground, where local American Indian tribes mined for gypsum thousands of years ago.

Marengo and Mammoth Caves: Best Places for Summer, Family, and Affordable Fun
by Vanessa Rochea

National Parks, National Landmarks and Caves National Parks and National landmarks are often overlooked as a great places to go for family, summer and affordable fun. All national parks and national landmarks deserve honorable mention. History can be learned from each of them. Most importantly, they are affordable and fun!

Caves are wonderful national parks and/or landmarks. They are also a great way to learn history and enjoy family at the same time. I couldn't pick just one so here's to a double dose of caves: Marengo Cave and Mammoth Cave!

Mammoth Cave National Park located in Mammoth Cave, Kentucky can be explored around its 365 miles. Visitors to Mammoth Cave National Park can learn about animals such as: amphibians, birds, fish, crustaceans, mammals, and more. Explorers will learn about the many historical people of Ma ....

Mammoth Cave National Park: This Kentucky gem is an all-in-one family vacation spot.
by Barbara Rowley

Each year, Mammoth Cave National Park offers hands-on, accessible, and many free activities tailored to every age, but only about a half million people come to enjoy them. (By comparison, nearly five million visit the Grand Canyon.) And though it's famous for its 365 miles of caverns and passageways - the longest cave system in the world - Mammoth has much more to offer. Families can hike, bike, and ride horses through lush old-growth forest and canoe and fish along 30 miles of rivers.

Inside the cave itself, eerie limestone formations with names like "cave bacon" drape next to drooping stalactites and jutting stalagmites. Enormous cave "rooms," some so large they were used as banquet halls in the early 1900s, lead deep underground, where local Native American tribes mined for gypsum thousands of years ago.
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Still Traveling: Need a cooling-off period? Refreshing destinations nearby
by Keith Still

The heat from this past week must be getting to me. I’m actually hoping Seattle lives up to its cool, rainy stereotype when we head out there later this summer. I’ll explore the city in the drizzle; I’ll hike the nearby mountains and forests in a rain slicker – as long as the temps don’t exceed 75 degrees.

I am a Georgia native. I should be accustomed to the heat and humidity of our great state. In the years that I lived away from here, I would dream of Faulknerian heat and dripping humidity settling over the Georgia red clay. But these past few days have killed any romantic feelings I may have harbored for the charms of our home state’s sticky, energy-draining heat. With our long summer just beginning, I know it’s only going to get worse. Is it too late to plan a trip to the Arctic Circle? I hear Baker ....

An Adventure of Enormous Proportions
by Becca Owsley

Want to take a trip but don’t want to stray too far from home? Go Day-trippin’ with us as we present a new feature series. We’ll take you out of the county to places you might not have heard of otherwise, that are far enough away to feel like a mini-getaway, without the overnight stay.

CAVE CITY — Just south of Hardin County on Interstate 65, motorists may not know a hidden world of prehistoric adventure awaits them in the woods of Cave City. There, prehistoric creatures come to life in the imaginations of park dwellers.

Dinosaur World, located at Exit 53, has more than 100 life-size exhibits and other activities for the dinosaur enthusiast. Entering the property provides a bit of a “Jurassic Park” feel with its stone-looking entrance.

The park’s organizers try to add new features each year; woolly mammo ....

Summer Months to Feature Fee-free Weekends at National Parks
by Staff Editor

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – This summer Forever Resorts is celebrating America’s national parks with freebies and fun for nature lovers during the National Park Service’s Fee-Free Weekends.

The National Park Service (www.nps.gov) announced Fee-Free Weekends in various park destinations during June, July and August, saving visitors $3 to $25 in park admission costs. (The waiver does not include other fees affiliated with camping, reservations, tours and use of concessions.) Fee-Free Weekend dates include June 20-21, July 18-19 and August 15-16.

During Fee-Free weekends, Forever Resorts invites park visitors to experience a FREE ride aboard a luxury houseboat at marina locations across the Southwest. Rides will be given from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays during Fee-Free Weekends, departing from Antelope Point Marina on ....

Celebrate Earth Day with these Extreme Record Holding Locations in North America
by Stephanie Jolly

Since it's inception, Earth Day has been celebrated as a day to bring awareness of the global environment and the natural splendor of the planet. Rather than spending merely a single day appreciating the great outdoors, why not plan a trip to one of these extreme wonders located across North America?

Longest Cave System in North America - With over 360 miles of cave system, the Mammoth Cave outside Cave City,  Kentucky is also the world's largest explored cave system and an International Biosphere Reserve.  Park visitors can experience the underground marvel of stalactities, stalamites and intricate gypsum features that have formed of millions of years on one of the several ranger led cave tours. ....

Keys to Booking Your National Park Vacation
by Kurt Repanshek

Making a lodging reservation at a national park these days is almost child's play. A few clicks on your keyboard and you're booked and your credit card charged. But there are some tips and tricks to keep in mind when making your plans that could save you a bit down the road.

First and foremost, unless you're joining a tour group, make your lodging reservations directly with the concessionaire, whether that's ARAMARK, Delaware North, Forever Resorts, Glacier Park, Inc., Guest Services, Inc., or Xanterra Parks and Resorts (See below for a list of parks they operate in). Third-party reservation services can help you land a room, but they also assess a fee, that's often non-refundable, for that service, something you don't encounter when dealing directly with a lodging concessionaire.

Another suggestion: While the state of the economy is expected to ....

Every summer I remember riding through Kentucky on the way to my grandparents home in Mississippi and begging to stop at Mammoth Cave. I thought it would be be mysterious and exciting to visit a cave. We never had time to stop. Flash forward 35 years and it’s time to plan an activity for spring break. We didn’t have time to go too far away and it didn’t take long for Mammoth Cave to pop into my head. Just under 4 hours from our home, it would be just right…a day down and a day back. Plus our seven year old son thought it sounded very cool. We checked out a video from our library on Mammoth Cave. After watching it and consulting the park’s site, we decided to take the Frozen Niagra tour. Considered an introductory tour, the Frozen Niagra is one of the most “decorated” areas of the cave. We boarded a bus which took us to the Frozen Niagra entrance which was created in 1924. This entrance isn’t too glamorous. You actually go through a st ....

A Wild Cave Experience
by David Noyes
PDF version available online

It was a cold February morning in 1925 when all hope of rescue was finally lost. Thousands of people had gathered and millions more followed the drama on radio and in newsprint. After seventeen days locked in a rock vise fifty-five feet below ground, Floyd Collins was dead. It was a story I found hard to forget as guide Johnny Merideth described our next challenge at the harmless-sounding No-Name Pass. “You will start with a hands-and-knees crawl,” he explained as my heart started to pound, “then down on your bellies for a few hundred feet as the ....