Big Rock

After our flying visit to the Mammoth cave area, we headed back north west to Daniel Boone Forest. (I'd sack the travel agent for bad planning but that would be me!)

We had a lovely two nights at Big Rock Cabin which is the real deal. Very reasonably priced, it was simply beautiful ... more
On the Saturday we drove an hour to Lexington to the Kentucky Horse Park and spent a sore but enjoyable afternoon there ~ the kids had been saving to go on a horse ride so mother was coaxed along too! Beanie was in her element. more horsie photos!

Daniel Boone Forest is very pretty and yesterday we visited the red river gorge before a very long drive to where we are currently staying. Hubby decided upon a scenic route (we really hadn't a clue where we were going - wasn't even on the sat nav) which, admittedly was very pretty but added quite a while onto the drive. Just as we hit the major highways, we experienced real torrential rain and fork lightening which was rather spectacular but slowed things up somewhat. I'd hoped to get to church down here but it just wasn't possible.

I guess we wouldn't have seen these fellas on the highway (yes it was a gravel road!)

Which brings me to today which was truly amazing. We visited the Cherokee reservation doing both the Museum of the Cherokee and the Oconoluftee Indian Village. I will write more next chance I get about these wonderful, gentle people and post some photos of our visit (each one has to be resized which is time consuming) Another travel tale! (album added)

Best get some shut eye before heading off to Chattanooga tomorrow. It really has been an education. Whether chatting to Silas, the elderly man in the Daniel Boone forest trading post who told the kids all about his family and their experience of the civil war, who had tears in his eyes when he said goodbye to us, or the elderly Cherokee gentleman who signed their guides today and told them of his reconciliation tour to Ireland two years ago. It is a moving and humbling experience to share.