Thinking of taking a trip to see mammouth caves this summer. My children are somewhat young, 9 and 5. Was wondering if they would be able to keep up with all the walking and hiking involved or if I should wait until they are older?
Also, what else is there to do and see within 100 mile radius of this area?
You can go to their website and get an idea of what is involved in the various tours. My thought would be that they will get more out of it if they are a couple of years older but I don't know your kids' interests. As for other entertainment, there is the KY Down Under park (Australian animals, etc) In Bowling Green, there is a park with rides, etc, - Beech Bend. BB also has an RV Park and stock car race track .The Corvette factory is also at BG - has a museum & factory tours. There are other smaller caverns in the area. I'm sure others can add to this list.
A short tour of Mammoth Cave would be more appropriate for your youngsters; I think they'd get more out of it (and remember more) when they're older. The Corvette Museum is really cool but I think uninteresting to kids that young. The factory tour would be better since they'll get to see things in action.
Yes, there is an amusement park at Beech Bend CG but the "campground" is a glorified parking lot. Small sites and hardly any grass - virtually everything is paved. You'll not get a site with shade; those are all taken by long-term campers. Crummy WiFi or none at all. I was not impressed with hookup facilities so if you stay there use a circuit tester before you connect. Sewer fitting was a hole in the ground - no joke.
On the road between I-65 and the park, there is every type of money grabbing entertainment you can think of e.g. bumper cars, mini golf, water slides, etc. etc. I think your children would enjoy one of the shorter cave tours at Mammoth.
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At the junction of I-65 & Mammoth Cave Rd. (Rte 70) there is Dinosaur World, which would be good for kids that age, & across the road is a chair lift up to Gun Town Mountain, an old west type town with Saloon shows, & a shootout in the street.
And, if you don't have a CG picked out yet, there is a Yogi Bear Jellystone Park just up the road, they've always got stuff for kids.
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