Hidden River Cave

During the drive from Kentucky back to Tennessee we visited a small town called Horse Cave, Kentucky. While walking on Main Street we stumbled across the Kentucky Repertoire Theater and a bookstore called "Two Bears and a Dog." After meeting the owners, we realized the significance of the name. (They have the largest selection of cook books in the state of Kentucky- gotta love it!)

South-central Kentucky is known as "cave country" because it is home to over 500 miles of mapped cave passages! We signed up for a tour of this "hidden river," an underground river which used to supply the town of Horse Cave with water and electric power with the help of a sophisticated hydroelectric system developed in the 1890s.

We signed up for a tour with a young man named Joe, who pretty much ran the cave. This guy did everything- ran the gift shop, sold the admission tickets, organized the halloween festivities, AND we later found out that he is in the process of establishing Kentucky's first Bat Rehabilitation Center. He was quick to admit that he is obsessed with bats. (Yes, he was even wearing a bat t-shirt.) Joe was a great tour guide, but most of the factoids he shared with us have escaped from my brain. (Still recovering from honors exams, OK!)

The entrance to the cave.

The cave was set up for a halloween event and I couldn't resist the opportunity to test out the props!

The view as we descended the stairs.

We spotted a baby owl who likes to hang out in the cave and greet tour groups.

Reminds me of Aladdin.

Venturing further into the cave.

A creepy crawly cave dweller. (Mom, I tried to take him home as a souvenir!)

The view, while climbing back up the stairs.

We made it!

And now, a bit of King Arthur Tour News:

Our production coordinator has left the tour for another job opportunity, so today we welcomed Jason as our new production coordinator extraordinaire! Jason just graduated from Western Connecticut State University and these days he can be spotted sporting a beanie and a beard while telling elementary school teachers wassup. Jason is actually Zach's childhood buddy: they grew up in Connecticut and became friends through the boyscouts, through which they have won many a crosscut saw contest.

Yes, kind reader, this means that I am the only lady on the King Arthur Tour! I couldn't help laughing at this sign, which reminded me that from now on it's just….

The Full Kentucky

I did not have any expectations of what Kentucky would be like. To be honest, I barely knew anything about Kentucky before we ventured there last weekend. After spending only four days in the Bluegrass State, I will admit that I still do not know all that much about Kentucky. However, I do know that Kentucky is by far the most incredible place we have visited so far.

The five hour drive from Tennessee to Kentucky was tiring, but upon our arrival we witnessed this magnificent sunset.


The next day, around dusk, Zach, Craig and I took a ride in the van to find something for dinner. We found ourselves on a backroad and passed numerous houses, barns and pastures sprinkled with cows. After spending so much time in Louisiana and Mississippi we became accustomed to the flat terrain, so the rolling hills in Kentucky were a welcomed change. The three of us were ooing and aahing as the sun began to set over this incredible landscape. I think it was fate that I did not have my camera with me during this scenic drive. Otherwise, I probably would have missed the moment when the largest and most regal looking cow I have ever seen, turned her head to look at me and winked. No joke. As the van rolled past this majestic looking cow, I turned around to look at her through the rear view mirror but the orange light of the sunset blocked my view. Moments later, I thought to myself "It's strange that we haven't seen any other cars on this road." And then, twenty feet in front of us, we saw a cowboy on a large chocolate colored horse trotting towards us. The cowboy was wearing a white t-shirt and faded jeans and for several seconds I was convinced that he was movie star. As we slowly rolled by in our Toyota Sienna, feeling incredibly envious of his sweet ride, the cowboy tipped his hat and said in a calm voice, "Well hello there. How are ya'll doing?" We were speechless. Is this real life? When I finally accepted the fact that I was not dreaming, I realized that Kentucky is simply a magical place.

On Saturday we went to Green River Lake State Park. The lake is a manmade reservoir and the water was so clear, clean and gator-free! These photos really do not do this place justice, but they will give you an idea of how neat this hike was.

The view from the bridge overlooking Green River Lake.

The view on the other side! We hiked to that small peninsula on the right.

Thinking about jumping in the water…

We spent hours hiking around the lake and jumping off of various cliffs into the water. It was a picture-perfect day, but sadly I do not have any photos of the rest of the hike. I suppose that's what happens when you are having too much fun.

The next day, it was back to show business.

Craig, making new friends.

Me, with some 2nd graders.

During our lunch break we sat on the "front lawn" of the school and enjoyed this beautiful view.

I made sure the cows knew that the hills were alive.

Zach, lounging in the grass.

Who would have guessed that the Maker's Mark distillery was only about a mile away from the elementary school? The guys enjoyed this after-school activity much more than I did.

Zach, dipping his bottle in the red wax.

So, this concludes the story of how we all fell in love with Kentucky. I could bore you with stories about cows winking and rivers flowing with whisky, but you get the idea. When times are tough and the cast is in the middle of a six hour drive we fantasize about abandoning the tour and buying some horses and a dog and living happily ever on a farm in Kentucky. But the show must go on!

Almost Famous

Our shows in Clarksdale, Mississippi were especially memorable. Not only were we greeted by this marquee, but we also found out that Elvis, The King himself, played several shows on this stage in the 1950s!

The school children we bused in from all over the county and the audiences filled the orchestra area. It was very eerie to look out at the empty balcony, knowing that not too long ago it was used to segregate audiences.

Here is a view of the stage from the balcony.


After our brief stay in Clarksdale, Mississippi (we are scheduled to return on our way back to Louisiana from Kentucky), we drove to Tennessee. We experienced some true southern hospitality in Covington, Tennessee. We performed at Austin Peay Elementary School on both Thursday and Friday. These students are incredibly bright and some of them knew the answer to the riddle that is supposed to stump the audience. The riddle is: What has 100 legs but cannot stand, a long neck with no head, and eases the maid's life? Usually one brave little kid will shout out a suggestion and within seconds hundreds of kids will echo him or her. Some popular suggestions have been centipedes, trees, and giraffes, which are all very silly if you really think about it. However, my favorite proposal was made a few weeks ago when a roar of little voices shouted "ZOMBIES!" Have you ever seen a zombie with 100 legs, a long neck, and no head? What are these children watching on TV?! However, the kids at Austin Peay didn't miss a beat and were all screaming the correct answer,"A BROOM," within seconds.



On Friday evening, the King Arthur cast set out to find a local restaurant that was highly recommended by several locals. Moments after we were seated at Marlo's Down Under, the owner rushed over to our table accompanied by a young boy. "Are you the cast of King Arthur?" he asked. He nudged the boy next to him and explained that his son, Marlo, had recognized us! Ron, the owner, started introducing us to his daughter, our waitress, and his son-in-law, the head chef. We took photos with Marlo and he asked us for our autographs! Ron ordered us some appetizers and truly made us feel at home.




Not only did we have a great meal, but we had a wonderful time having some one-on-one time with a Marlo. After dinner, Ron encouraged us to attend Covington's Heritage Festival the next day and kindly gave us permission to park in his lot.

The Covington Heritage Festival was a great place to spend a sunny Saturday afternoon. The highlight of the experience was the opportunity to milk a goat. The owner of the goat totally pegged me as a yankee, when I tried to converse with the goat.


Her name was Sky! Her cheese was delicious!

After making a little bit of a scene over at the goat milking station, a young girl came up to me and said "Hey! You were in the King Arthur play!" The feeling of being a local celebrity will never get old.

Here are some more photos from the Heritage Festival:



I tried to buy a bowl delicious looking "Buckarroo Stew," but the man in the overalls said "Oh, I have something special for you: dancing lessons. I only know how to dance one way, slow and close." I wracked my brain for a suitable response, but then this man realized that I was being watched by a 6'6" bearded man and asked, "is that your husband?" I quickly nodded "yes" he told Zach in his southern drawl "you gotcha self a pretty one" and I was able to escape with my soup….thank goodness.

I fulfilled my wifely duties by talking Zach out of buying this jacket.


And this is just silly.
We bumped into Ron, Marlo and their family several times throughout the day. It was nice to feel sort of like a local, even for a few hours. Adventures await in Kentucky!