Anyone have any ideas as where to stay while visiting Mammoth Cave and the Corvette museum in Kentucky? We are looking for a nice hotel(kid friendly) for one night, while we visit both places. Any other good tourist ideas for this area of Kentucky would be appreciated also. Thanks!

Dear Ruth,
On our last family visit to this area we chose to stay in one of only two remaining "tepee" motels in the USA. It was well worth the experience of staying in a vintage 1950's motel in Cave City, KY. Granted, it is old and no pool, but the kids enjoyed the playground and we enjoyed the experience. Range of $45-$60 for our family of four. Not many units so call ahead. The chamber of commerence for Cave City will have the name as well as the name of more modern hotels along the interstate.
By the way, our kids enjoyed the mining fun around Mammoth Cave. I also recommend that you visit the President Abe Lincoln birthplace while in the area. A little further is Harrodsburg and the Daniel Boone theater/play is terrific! I highly recommend it it. My entire family loved it! Thd fort and it's history are interesting also. If you go, stay at Shaker Village. Pricey, but well worth the extra dollars. Great short vacation of 3-5 days. Good luck and have a fun time.

I would also recommend the tepees. It's called Wigwam Village, and the phone number is 270-773-3381. For lots of info go to www.mammothcave.com.

Just returned from the area. We stayed two nights in Bowling Green, about 30 min. drive south, at the Hampton Inn. Very clean, friendly, good continental breakfast. The outdoor pool wasn't open yet. We had a discounted rate, about $60/night for 2. LOTS of restaurants (it's a college town), but no cheap tourist-trap shops lining the streets. There are other caves in the town which locals recommended, but we didn't have time to explore them. Mammoth Cave National Park has a more formal dining room (besides the coffee shop) which serves WONDERFUL shrimp. Although the room looks "formal", informal dress and families were welcomed , and there was waiting in lines to be seated there either. It's probably more pricey -- we split one meal with it's sidedishes and were satisfied (and saved money).

Just returned from the area. We stayed two nights in Bowling Green, about 30 min. drive south, at the Hampton Inn. Very clean, friendly, good continental breakfast. The outdoor pool wasn't open yet. We had a discounted rate, about $60/night for 2. LOTS of restaurants (it's a college town), but no cheap tourist-trap shops lining the streets. There are other caves in the town which locals recommended, but we didn't have time to explore them. Mammoth Cave National Park has a more formal dining room (besides the coffee shop) which serves WONDERFUL shrimp. Although the room looks "formal", informal dress and families were welcomed , and there was waiting in lines to be seated there either. It's probably more pricey -- we split one meal with it's sidedishes and were satisfied (and saved money).

I live in Bowling Green. We are about 30 minutes south of Mammoth Cave. The Corvette museum is located in Bowling Green. The accomadations around Mammoth Cave are not very nice. The lodge at Mammoth Cave is nice and clean, but vey old.

Bowling Green has several nice Hotels. They are all located at Exit 22 off of I-65. There are several hotels at Exit 28, which is the exit for the Corvette Museum. DO NOT stay at any of these hotels. The best hotels in order are:
1. University Plaza(about 2 miles west of I-65 on Scottsvile Road which is the road at Exit 22) 2. Marriott Courtyard(right across the street from the Plaza) 3. Hampton Inn (1 block west of I-65) 4. Drury Inn (1 block west of I-65).

The Plaza is by far the nicest and the other three are about the same. The Plaza and Courtyard would probably be safer, since they are farther from the interstate and are located next to a very nice residential neighborhood. All of them have interior corridors.

Please e-mail me if you have any other questions.

There was a mention of Abe Lincoln's bithplace to visit. Not a bad idea, but about 5 miles north of his birthplace is his boyhood home which tourist don't know exist. It's quite nice for a picnic.