Along the same theme of exploring in your own backyard, here is another little trip that I had taken by myself. The day didn’t start out by myself, as I enjoyed a 15 mile run with some friends in Mt. Horeb on the Military Ridge State Trail. One gets hungry after a 15 mile run, so we ate together at the Skål Public House which was just around the corner from our start/finish line. After a tasty Avocado Toasted Cheezer sandwich, I departed from my friends and decided to explore the Mt. Horeb area a little more. Might as well since I was already there.
Mt. Horeb is a cute little Norwegian themed town known for its many varieties of trolls decorating the landscape. But, Mt. Horeb is not actually a Norwegian name. The town was named by an Englishman, George Wright, in 1861, who sought guidance from the bible.
One of my “been wanting to go in stops” was back around the corner to the Grumpy Troll Brew Pub. All I wanted was a pint glass with the Grumpy Troll logo. If you are looking for a nice cold beer, Grumpy Troll is the place. Pint glass in hand and off to mu car I go for my next stop, Cave of the Mounds, which was only a 10- minute drive from the main streets of Mt. Horeb.
Every time I went to the Military Ridge State Trail to run, I always passed the signs for the Cave of the Mounds, but never stopped. I thought, today is the day. I had brought a change of clothes, so stop on in at the caves.
Cave of the Mounds is a National Natural Landmark that is privately owned and operated after its discovery in 1939. Blasting for a limestone quarry had revealed a deeper opening into the earth. Blasting stopped and tours started, in a matter of about a year. The cave has been an educational playground ever since. You may think, don’t all caves look the same? In concept yes, but when you walk around all the formations, each cave system is so very unique. This cave had some “bacon” and a six foot fossil of a giant cephalopod (relative to the squid). Pretty amazing to see!
If you are looking for something to do when it is hot outside, I highly recommend the Cave of the Mounds, which stays a constant 50F. While the cave tour is the most popular attraction and well worth a few hours spent, there are a few more activities outside for the whole family like mineral sleuthing and fossil digs. As the cave staff says, “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time.” That is exactly what I did.
Go where you want, when you want, for as long as you want:
Alli L
For all the photos, go to @TheSoloTraveler50 on Facebook