Home to Kentucky

We left home on Tuesday, June 12th at about 7:30 am with 95, 246 miles on the Impala and headed for Kentucky.  For those who haven't heard, the Impala has finally been transformed into a push car like I always envisioned! Now we just need a dragster...

Unfortunately, the push board deflects air from the radiator and makes the car run a little hot so we had to take it off for traveling, but it will still be on for the shows.  After a short stop at Bobby Lightbown's in Friendsville, we continued on through West Virginia until we arrived Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.  After about 510 miles, that left us approximately 200 miles from Bowling Green, KY where the National Hot Rod Association's 10th Annual Hot Rod Reunion would be taking place.  

Jody's 55 Chevy, Jody, Dad, and Bobby outside of Bobby's shop.

We got up the next morning and continued on toward Bowling Green, with a stop planned for Mammoth Caves on the way.  We made a stop there around 10:30 am (time change) only to find out that the next Frozen Niagara tour that we would be able to go on wasn't until 4:45 pm.  We decided to head to Bowling Green (another 30 miles from Mammoth Caves) for lunch and to check in to the hotel and unload a little before going back up to the cave.  We stopped at this really crazy junk shop on the way back to the cave that was filled with all kinds of old stuff.  It looked like something out of Hoarders crossed with American Pickers and all overpriced.

Almost forgot! There's a castle in Kentucky! It's near Lexington, where a lot of the horse country is.

The junk shop near Mammoth Caves.

Some other interesting sites along the way...very 1950's "attractions." 

Mammoth Caves was pretty cool.  It's the largest cave system in the world.  It has 396 miles of documented passages with more still forming and likely more undocumented.  The cave is 379 feet deep and has at least 5 levels of passages.  Some of the lower levels contain rivers that are still forming new passages.  Despite being the largest cave system in the world, only about 1/8th of a mile contains formations (stalagmites, stalactites, etc.).  This is because most of the cave is dry and it takes water to make these formations.  There is a part of the cave called Thorpe's Pit because of an explorer that found it and fell in it.  He did survive though.

Our first National Park stop!

The '62 at its first (of hopefully many) National Park!

We decided to take an easier tour that showcased these formations, including Frozen Niagara.  Next time though, I would like to do one of the more challenging caving tours or go down to the level of the river.

Some of the formations in Mammoth Caves.

Frozen Niagara

Frozen Niagara

Thursday was the first day of the NHRA show at Beech Bend Raceway and Park.  We had the car judged first thing so we'll find out tomorrow if we got anything!

Having the car judged at the NHRA show.