Return to Carter Caves

Even Hollywood isn't brash enough to release a sequel in four days, but after our Monday night stay at Carter Caves (see preceding blog), we were set on spending another night there on the way home. So, just a couple of hours after departing from Charlie and Liz's, we wound our way back to the Lodge, restaurant, trails, and caverns that had captured our hearts.

We weren't going to have much time, but after a serendipitous conversation with a helpful ranger, we learned of some shortcuts to some of the park's highlights. In a park with some 7 mile and 10 mile hikes, we needed something we could squeeze before and after dinner. And I mean dinner in the restaurant, not on the trail!

First stop, Fern Bridge.

Even knowing the short cut there was a steep descent.

And yes, we would have to come back the same way.

Fern Bridge was a stunning display of God's power revealed in His creation.

A different perspective.

Fern Bridge from the other side.

Amazing how ancient rushing rivers could carve these twisting formations.

The man-made bridge wasn't as exciting as God's, but it was helpful. And yes, ferns were all over the place.

After a delicious supper at the lodge restaurant, we had enough daylight for a short hike on The Rockhouse Trail. The ranger had told us about more spectacular sights. This picture doesn't begin to portray the steep dropoff just a few steps off the trail. But Liz wasn't with us and Judy and I were extra cautious.

In this picture we're looking back at the cliff we were on top of in the previous photo. Whew!

This is a typical overhanging ledge we followed for quite a distance.

This is the formation called The Rockhouse which gives the trail its name.

A young tree is no match for a gargantuan boulder. So it takes a detour.

This wasn't as hard as it looks (the rock, I mean).

Now, this was a little harder (metamorphic, I believe).

Does this look like a secret door. Such as in The Hobbit?

Speaking of The Hobbit, I recall an early chapter when it was so dark Gandalf was afraid his thirteen dwarves and Bilbo would miss the hidden path to the enchanted valley of Rivendell.

Something similar almost happened to me and Judy. Darkness was descending rapidly as we hurriedly retraced our footsteps back to the lodge. Or so we thought. We were on a path, just not the right one. The clearly marked path had continued upward where we were supposed to turn left under a rock face. Even though all trails were coded with different colored markings, those don't do you a lot of good when it's too dark to see the markings! Fortunately, we discovered our error in time to backtrack and find the proper turn. We were back at the lodge in minutes.

If you're ever traveling through that part of Kentucky, no matter what your destination, we recommend you set aside a little time for this little park that has a little bit of everything. And that, my friends, concludes my four blog posts about Louisville. I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour.