Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes (Part 2)

Nestled just northeast of Bowling Green on 1-65 lies Smiths Grove.  This small, quiet town hides a treasure trove of goodies and a great deal of memories for me.  I spent a great many days riding my bicycle or rollerskating along the sidewalks.  I may have been born in Bowling Green, but Smiths Grove captured my heart. 

Smiths Grove is a fantastic place for antique shopping.    As a young child, I would pass the windows of the shops and think of all the junk lining the stores.  As I got older, I began to look at that junk as treasure.  I would create stories about who had owned a certain item.  The Fenton lamp that once resided in the home of a wealthy duchess, the wagon that was lovingly cared for by a child, or the washboard that was used by a mother to prepare her children's clothes for school.  There are several stores that house these treasures in Smiths Grove.

Smiths Grove is also home to the Victorian House Bed and Breakfast. I didn't really think about what the purpose of a B&B was when I was a child.  This was just another one of my imaginary places.  Once I read Great Expectations, the house had almost a menacing presence.  I remember wondering if the house had its own Pip and Estella inside, with Miss Havisham still there in her wedding dress with the molding food on the table.  In reality, the house has been restored and is considered the best B&B in Warren County.  

Kentucky is also home to the Mammoth Cave system.  It has certainly earned its name, as it is the longest cave system in the WORLD at 367 miles (591 km) in length - and that is just what has been mapped.  It is three times longer than its closest competitor, a cave system in Russia that measures only 143 miles (230 km) long.  Looking at pictures of the entrance every school child in my hometown entered in Cave City reminds me why I love this cave system.  

I am claustrophobic.  I will not even get on an elevator if there are too many people sardined in with me.  I have been known to take 10-12 flights of stairs to avoid them.  To get to Ruby Falls in Chattanooga, visitors must ride an elevator 260 feet down to the cave shaft.  For me, it feels like a ride down into the bowels of the earth, from which I might never return.  With Mammoth Cave, there are stairs.  The descent into the caves is gradual, which allows for people like me to adjust to the hike through the cave.  For me, that makes the wonders so much more enjoyable.  I am able to see the formations and watch what the gradual dripping of water underground has created, as opposed to thinking the ceiling of the cave is slowly closing in on me.  

Caves, Lakes, & Corvettes wouldn't be complete without mentioning the Lakes.  Near Scottsville, you will find Barren River Lake, home to fishing, boating, and swimming.  More childhood memories swap me as I think back on times spent on the banks of the Lake.  It is one of the few lakes that I have swum in.  Lazy summer days slide into quiet, breezy nights. Time becomes of no consequence as relaxation takes over and the worries of the world are washed away in the waves.  

For those wishing to catch a glimpse of how life might have been a century ago, Scottsville is also home to a Mennonite community.  The "plain people" are friendly and welcoming.  Visitors can watch molasses being made and purchase fresh produce and handmade goods from the community.  


I am so reluctant to leave this region.  I miss home.  My house may not be there, but my home is in Kentucky.  This is the connection I was seeking, the reminder I needed of why there should be pride in my voice when I say I am FROM Kentucky.  There is beauty in home, peace in home, love in home.  And while the reluctance remains, it is time to say a "See You Later" to my home region.  After all, it's home.  It will never be good-bye.


The next stop is the Southern Lakes & Rivers, where I fell in love and found lifelong friendship.