Bluegrass to Pennyroyal - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 709

7. Hodgenville
Rte. 31E meanders through deep woods and past the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln,
where a reconstructed log cabin beside rippling Knob Creek marks the site.
AfewmilesfartherthedriveentersthetownofHodgenville,whichcarefullypreserves
the history of Lincoln. A bronze statue overlooks the town square along with a new statue
of Lincoln as a young boy. The Lincoln Museum is brimming with exhibits and memor-
abilia, and on Saturdays a “Lincoln Jamboree” is held at Joel Ray's Restaurant. South of
town, at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Park, you can visit the neoclas-
sic monument of granite and pink marble that enshrines a replica of the original log cabin
in which the great president is said to have been born in 1809.
8. Local Caves
Many of these caves are not part of any public park but are still open for tourism. Visitors
to Hidden River Cave, which recently underwent a complete renovation, have the oppor-
tunity to view its underground stream, waterfalls, and wildlife. Naturalist John Muir noted
that in hot weather “the cold air that issues from its fern-clad lips” could cool everyone in
town. After a tour, visitors are free to roam the American Cave Museum. Both are located
along and under Main Street in Horse Cave.
If you are interested in exploring the outback and seeing unique Australian wildlife,
like the red kangaroo and blue-tongued skink, the nearby Kentucky Caverns in Kentucky
DownUnderisaworthwhileadventure.Otherwise,headtowardDiamondCavernsinPark
City, adjacent to Mammoth Cave National Park, which has been offering tours for nearly
150 years and features thousands of stalactites, stalagmites, and flowstone formations that
decorate its cathedral-like chambers.