Spent the day on two guided hikes in the Cumberland Gap. First, for those not familiar with the area the "Gap" is exactly what it sounds like - a gap in the Cumberland mountains. If you've been paying attention you know it's located near the "tri-state" border between Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia. The Gap became a major migration route for settlers when Daniel Boone marked the Wilderness Trail through the gap in 1775, and over 300,000 settlers would use this route on their journey west.
 |
| The Cumberland Gap |
First we piled in a 4x4 for a 45 minute drive. Then on foot for another 30, until we reached the Hensley Settlement. Established in 1903, it is now a Living History Museum operated by the NPS. It's like stepping back to those "good old days" you might have heard about - you know, no electricity, no indoor plumbing, no doctor. The real DIY days. At its height nearly 100 people called the settlement home, they even built a school. The last resident, Sherman Hensley, reluctantly left his lifelong mountain home in 1951.
 |  |
Later in the day it was tme to go underground in Gap Cave.
 |  |
Had a great day, lots to see/do around the area. I'm pretty sure I'll return.
