We hit the road early to make our way north and out of Florida. Before leaving we got to experience the “highest point in Florida” which was a hill of 345 feet!!! Although it’s not enough to cause us to be lightheaded, it was a clear indication of how flat Florida really is!
As I saw the “welcome to Alabama” sign ahead, I grabbed Bruce’s hand and said, “OK Babes, this is it!” We crossed over, never looking back, but looking forward in anticipation of our next adventure.
The morning’s freshness added a familiar coolness and sweet smell to the air, making the back road connection to Hwy 65 a pleasant ride. I had no idea how agricultural the northern Florida/southern Alabama area was. Golden fields of wheat and oats carpeted the gentle rolling hills. The quietness abruptly ended as we merged onto the highway pointing north. Semi trucks flying past made for white knuckle driving until I got into the grove of the game and the sway of the trailer in tow.
We made good timing and pulled into an Athens, Alabama’s Cracker Barrel Restaurant parking lot for the night. Bruce ordered dinner while I fed Maizy and tried to reposition things in the trailer to accommodate the three of us to sleep. We had the company of about three other trailers that were spending the night there as well. Somehow there really is comfort in numbers.
As we prepared to leave Monday morning, Bruce made his rounds to check our connections and tires. He called me over to look at a rear trailer tire which had four bulges on the side walls where it appeared that the steel belts were separating at the seams.
Thankfully we found a Good Year dealership right down the street. A serviceman came out to inspect the tires, made a call to his boss and then informed us that it was normal and not under warranty.
I looked into his eyes and asked him if he would feel comfortable driving all the way to California with the tires? He retreated and came out with the store manager who looked at the tires and said nothing.
With no agreement to replace the tires, Bruce asked if the two of them could stand while we took a picture of them to send to our daughters so that they would know who was responsible should anything happen to their parents during their drive to California. With that the manager went back into the store and ordered the tires to be replaced!!!
While the serviceman checked the tires again he pointed out that all of the tires needed high pressure stems to avoid blow outs. Thank God that all of this happened when it did.
The ride north was outstanding and the 200 miles flew by. Crossing into Tennessee and then Kentucky. I saw my first real plantation with slave cabins made from hand hew logs. The Jack Daniels distillery and historic sites like, the home of Davie Crocket, the Red River Valley (a song that I learned as a child), and Kentucky Downs beckoned us to detour, but we passed. It was a revelation how many famous places and faces are from Kentucky…not to mention Kentucky blue grass and Kentucky Blue Grass music! Entertainers and journalist like Diane Sawyer, Muhammad Ali, and the Judd’s, Johnny Depp, George Clooney and many more come from the state.
We arrived in Cave City, Kentucky by 3pm and were able to catch the last tour of nearby Mammoth Caves, given by a National Park Ranger. There were only three of us on the tour, so we had an excellent “extended tour.” Ironically the other person on the tour was from Sacramento, California!!
Our geology lesson was both interesting and informative. Salt Peter was mined out of the main cave during the Civil War and as recent as the 1930’s church services were held in one of the sections of the cave. As the story goes, people would come in with kerosene lanterns, which were collected as they arrived and were seated for the service. The pastor took his spot up on a limestone outcropping and had a captive audience since no one could see there way out without their lantern! The smoke markings are still above his pulpit! I can imagine that there weren’t any nodding heads during the service with an air temperature of 54 degrees!
The main rotunda of the cave was pretty impressive and almost looked like a ceiling that would be found in a state capitol building…including the crown molding. Because the cave is out of limestone, the stalactites and stalagmites have worn off, so it lacks the textural and visual interest of other US caves.
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