Ever since I was a little girl, it was always a treat for us to stop in Cave City, Kentucky, and visit the Wigwam Village #2. Even to this day, I have taken many friends to see a real concrete Wigwam Village. It is a piece of Americana of our days past. The days were novelty attractions helped ease roadweary minds.
This past weekend I went to visit my relatives that live near Cave City. We decided to head over to the Wigwam Village, pose for the usual "stand by the office and sign and take a photo." We were also able to grab a geocache nearby & grab the "Cache & Release" travel bug. Then we headed over to Cracker Barrel for a delicious fried chicken meal. Word of advice - the Cracker Barrel in Cave City has one of the best dining experiences that we've discovered anywhere.
A little history lesson - it was built in 1937 as the 2nd Wigwam Village in Kentucky (first being down the road in Horse Cave, Kentucky, but no longer there). It will be 70 years old in 2017. According to their website, "Of the seven original Wigwam Villages, only three remain: #2 in Cave City, Kentucky, #6 in Holbrook, Arizona. and #7 in Riallto, California. Wigwam Village #2 is an impressive sight and is truly a monument to one man’s American dream that came true. The main building, made up of 38 tons of concrete and 13 tons of steel, stands 52 feet high. It originally housed a restaurant and gift shop, but with the completion of Interstate 65 in the mid-60s, the restaurant was closed and this main building now houses a gift shop. Smaller wigwams on either side of the gift shop are public restrooms. Each of the remaining 15 buildings are bedrooms, complete with private bathrooms. Ten of these buildings have one double bed and the other five have 2 double beds. Furnishings in each of the buildings are original from the 1930's and are made of hickory and cane."
Not far from the Wigwam Village is the Dinosaur World and Guntown Mountain in the Sky. Mammoth Cave National Park is nearby as well. To find the Wigwam Village, take I-65 in Kentucky to Exit 53 (Cave City) to KY 90 East, then North on 31W (1.5 miles). The Wigwam Village is to your left. For more information and reservations, head over to
http://www.wigwamvillage.com/.
While out and about Geocaching, I usually have a friendly passenger. When I do remember to have both my camera and him at the same time, I try to make sure to get a few snapshots.
Here is Mr. Gnome at Cumberland Falls State Park not far from Corbin, Kentucky. I've been going to the falls for several years. In fact, growing up it was tradition to do the hike down to the foot of the falls. Then after we climbed up, we would grab an ice cream cone. Guess what - I still do that today!
For my fellow geocachers, there are a few geocaches that you can grab in the area. There is also a virtual geocache near the falls too. Cell phone signal is no count, so be sure to download the info in your GPS or save on your Iphone app BEFORE you go to the falls.
Be on the lookout for future Gnome Chronicles....but my little bearded friend really needs a name! Suggestions?
One neat aspect of geocaching is being able to find historical structures that are still in use. In Kentucky, some small town grocery stores remain vacant, but for many they keep running thanks to generations in the family. One such case is the Greenmount Grocery located not far from London, Kentucky near KY Highway 30. Due to the reconstruction of KY-30, the store is no longer a through path, but a tiny bit off the beaten path. It is well worth driving the less than a tenth of a mile for a delicious treat!
While you're at it, go visit Geocache "Seven Diamonds." It's code number is GC2TK2M.
