Drove 7 hours mostly on backroads. Went through Cumberland Gap, so was able to recon a planned trip there to do some hiking.
Arrived about 4:00. Set up my tent and checked out the lodge and visitors center before hiking out to Sunrise Point to check out the sunset. As the sun set, you could see bats flying around overhead.
It was a great time of year to be here. The weather was great and the leaves were changing. There were very few people here during the week. The only downside, was that all the cave tours were not offered.
Had bought a sub sandwich before entering the park, and ate that for dinner. Just relaxed in my camp chair and read my book before going to bed early.
It only got down to 55 degrees at night, which was perfect for sleeping. Used my new foam mattress for the first time and it was very comfortable. Stayed warm with just a blanket.
Woke up in the morning and made granola cereal for breakfast. Had time to do a little more reading before heading to the visitor center for my 9:45 cave tour. Did the Grand Avenue tour, which is the longest tour they offer at four hours and over 4 miles of distance.
The tour ended at 1:30, and I went to one of the restaurants in the lodge to eat lunch. It was a big lunch, and I wished that I didn’t eat so much.
After lunch, I went back to camp and got ready for a bike ride on the bike trail. It was 70 degrees and sunny, so perfect weather for a bike ride. The trail was gravel and a little rough. It was also covered by fallen leaves, which made it difficult to see obstacles. There were several short, steep climbs, even though it was originally a railroad trail. After eight miles, I got to the outskirts of the park and took a picture of the entrance sign.
I wasn’t a big fan of the trail, so I biked the road back to my campsite. The road was a nice surface and there weren’t many cars. It was eight miles back, for a total of 16 miles in about an hour and 15 minutes.
I was sweaty, so after putting my bike gear away, and buying a bag of ice for my cooler, I went to the bathhouse and took a shower.
Felt good to be clean. I chilled out at my campsite, read, and took in the sunset. At about 7:00, I wasn’t really hungry, but the lodge restaurant closed at 8:00, so I went back to the lodge and had a salad with fresh fruit to tide me over to the morning.
Slept great at night. It only got down to 65 degrees. I really like my new foam mattress.
Woke up in the morning, made breakfast and tore down camp. I had time to do some more reading before heading to the visitor center for my 8:45 tour.
This tour was focused more on the geology of the cave, but was disappointed by how general it was. Still, it was a good tour. Got to crack a few jokes….
This tour was just over two hours. When I finished, I got in my car and drove the rest of the way to Madison to my brother’s house.