Need help in planning vac. including Mammoth Cave

We are planning a trip to the Smokies area in August and are looking for some input in planning. In addition to the smokies, we would like to visit Asheville, NC, Chattanooga, TN, and Mammoth Cave, Kentucky. We would be travelling by car from the southern New Jersey area. I have mapped out the following rough itinerary:

Day 1: Drive to Asheville. Stop at Luray Caverns, VA enroute.

Day 2: Biltmore Estate

Day 3: Chimney Rock Park, then drive to Pigeon Forge

Day 4: Smoky Mountains Nat%26#39;l Park

Day 5: Possible additional time at Nat%26#39;l Park . Also to include Tuckaleechee Caverns, Ripley%26#39;s Aquarium or Ober Gatlinburg

Day 6: Dollywood

Day 7: Drive to Chattanooga. See the Lost Sea in Swiftwater enroute

Day 8: Ruby Falls/Incline Railway; Rock City

Day 9: Tennessee Aquarium, plus any other points of interest in this area.

Day 10: Drive to Mammoth Cave. Possibly see one or two of the private caves in the area (i.e. Diamond Caverns, Cave Museum in Horse Cave)

Day 11: Tour Mammoth Cave

Day 12: Kentucky Down Under

Day 13: Head for home

I am looking for input as to any other points of interest I may have missed. We are a family of three (2 adults %26amp; a 9-year old). We enjoy caves, moderate hikes (no more than 1.5 miles) nature walks, historic homes, museums, and scenic drives.

Please let me know if I have alloted too much/not enough time for any area.

I have posted this in all of the forums in the areas we plan to visit. For experts in this area, I would appreciate any input on suggested tours at Mammoth Cave.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Need help in planning vac. including Mammoth Cave

FYI - In case you don%26#39;t know, if you go to Dollywood after 3pm you get a pass to get in free the next day. I believe that is on the website also.

Day 4 is enough time at Smokey Mountain National Park in my opinion, although you will probably want to return again in your lifetime. There is an Indian village up that way too. You may even have enough time to do something else that evening. I suggest...

If you want to have a nice dinner the Cherokee Grill (I think at light 9 or 10 in Gatlinburg) is good. If you would like an evening of fun you should check out The Dixie Stampede. The food is very good and it will be a lot of fun for you and your child.

There is a place, Forbidden Caverns in Sevierville, Tennessee, a short drive, about 35/40 minutes that is worth seeing and not to expensive to get into. The drive there is pretty too I think.

And, if you do not have your accommodations reserved in Gatlinburg yet, I suggest The Summit of Gatlinburg. There is a pool (indoor and outdoor), hot tub, sauna on the property. They are condos and very inexpensive. The view is A++++++

I have been in this area at least 30 times, so if you have any questions, please reply.

-Abby

Need help in planning vac. including Mammoth Cave

I wouuld suggest you take the Historical Tour of Mammoth Cave. Book ahead online or risk having it sold out. Wear a light jacket and good walking shoes, as the cave is 52 year round.

I would probably skip Kentucky Down Under or try to work it in on day 10 or 11. I%26#39;m speaking from second hand knowledge, but I haven%26#39;t heard great things about it that would warrant an entire day devoted to it. I grew up 30 minutes form there, I know a lot of people that have been there.

A fun lodging option near Mammoth Cave is the Wigwam Village in Cave City. (roadsideamerica.com/attract/KYCAVwigwam.html)

They are actual stand-alone hotel rooms, not tents. They are from the old days of cheesy road side motels. They aren%26#39;t

I would choose to visit Bardstown that last day. Bardstown is about an hour from Mammoth Cave and on your way back north. It has a nice, historic town center with shops, antiques, an old fashioned drug store complete with a soda counter. My Old Kentucky Home, the Stephen Foster Story musical, Maker%26#39;s Mark Distillery tour (15 minutes away in Loretto) are a few of the other attractions. The Jailer%26#39;s Inn (www.jailersinn.com) is truly an old jail that has been converted into a B%26amp;B. What 9 year old wouldn%26#39;t think spending a night in jail is cool? If you didn%26#39;t stay there, I think they offer tours too.

Another option would be to go on to Lexington for horse related activities among other things. Tour a horse farm, go to the Kentucky Horse Park, visit Keeneland... Lexington has a nice children%26#39;s museum as well (www.explorium.com). Lexington is about 2 hours from Mammoth Cave.

You%26#39;ve got a nice, action packed itinerary. Enjoy! Make sure to stop back in and post reviews of the locations you visited.

Your expert has arrived. Check mammoth caves website for information regarding tour information. But for a few suggestions : historic 2 mile 2 hour tour- see learn a lot of very interesting history about the cave. See large passages and little formations.

New entrance: 3/4 mile two hour. See medium size passages and lots of formations at the end.

Grand avenue: 4 miles 4+ hours, you can eat in the cave and it will cover what you see in the new entrance.

Also check and see what tours will be available when you plan to take your visit. Some lantern tours are available and those are very nice. So if I was you, since you seem to like hikes, caves, and outdoors which probably means you can handle long walking etc, I would take the historic and new entrance, historic and grand avenue, or grand avenue alone. However, if you take the grand avenue one day hold off till the next morning for the other tour because you will be tired!! The new entrance, grand avenue, and frozen niagra overlap so only take one of those. And check on the lantern tours. Your child is 9 so he will be fine on most of the tours, grand avenue has an age limit of 6 but im not sure about the lantern tours. Just keep him by your side, no bags are allowed, pictures are but camera cases are not allowed.

Also at mammoth cave there are hikes you can take by yourself or with a ranger all over the park. Also camping is available if you would like ot do that. Check in the visitor center, at the information desk if you have any questions upon arrival. make sure you buy your tickets before you go, or you may be stuck without any tours!

Other caves in the area: diamond caverns and hidden river cave. Google these and you will find their website so check them out. These are my two favorite.

Good luck and have fun in the caves!!!!!!!

Ashley, I%26#39;m afraid Sirtravelplanner%26#39;s family took their trip several months ago.