RATtreks

Cumberland Falls, Fried Chicken, and Dinosaurs

Happy Thanksgiving !  ~ This year I took a road trip to spend turkey day with some family / friends in the Cincinnati area. There is nothing like being with the ones you love and seeing friends you have not seen in a long time. There is also nothing like having the opportunity to go see some nice sites and waterfalls along the way. On the way home we took a side trip over to Cumberland Falls State Park to see Cumberland Falls located in the Daniel Boone National Forest just outside of Corbin, Kentucky.

Cumberland Falls

These falls are 125 feet across and 68 feet high and is sometimes called the ‘Niagra of the South’ , Little Niagra’, or Moonbow Falls’. Famous for its ‘moonbow‘ caused by the mist rising from the largest waterfall in Kentucky, creates a unique natural phenomenon that is not visible anywhere else in the Western Hemisphere on a predictable schedule during a time period around the Full Moon. The Falls are situated in such an odd way facing north and flowing north, as to reflect the light of the Moon to make a rainbow like arch, an optical phenomenon called a “moonbow“. The Moonbow can be seen here on clear, strongly moonlit nights. This waterfall is one of a few locations in the world where you can find a moonbow or as other’s have called it, night rainbow, a moon rainbow or lunar rainbow.

Cumberland Falls

There was a lot of water on that day so it was an awesome site and made for a few usable pics despite the sun being very bright. It also solved a mystery for me as for several years now I have been remembering a place my dad took me to as a child but could not remember the name or location. I only had a few mental memory-graphs of what the place looked like. As soon as I drove into the parking lot and seen it and the flat rocks along the sides of the Cumberland River, I knew this was the place ! I can’t wait to tell my dad and ask him why I never seen any pictures of that trip (as he took pictures of everything back then as I do now) !

Cumberland Falls

On the way to the falls we stopped at the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken, home of Colonel Sanders and the first restaurant / motel where everything except the motel has been kept in its original condition since 1940. They still serve chicken there on the original style tables and chairs right inside the museum. It was very interesting.

Kentucky Fried Chicken Birthplace sign

On Saturday we took a tour of the Gray Fossil Site which is 20 minutes from my house. It has been there since a highway project discovered the hundreds of ancient bones and fossils in 2000. It was fascinating to see just how many creatures are in the ground there from what they thought was a large watering hole/pit which they believe trapped them.  Many Tapirs and  prehistoric rhino`s, alligators, and all kinds of critters are there. They have a very modern lab and storage facility which has a lot of fun things to see and do. They even let you dry sift some dirt and rocks and see the wet sifting area as well. It was very educational and I do recommend it for anyone especially kids.

Prehistoric Skull