Restart in a Way
I have been writing this blog using big words and trying to sound professional but it seemed more like a job than a passion. I started dreading all the work it would take to critique it to be the blog I thought people wanted. So today I’m doing a restart! Let’s explore Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park in Hodgenville, KY the way I saw it and the feelings I felt. Are you ready?
The Boyhood Home at Knob Creek
Our first stop was the Boyhood home at Knob Creek, as we pulled into the parking lot we were greeted with the view of the visor center and to the right the replica of the cabin Abraham grew up in. The cabin was built using logs from the original Gollaher cabin, Austin Gollaher was a childhood playmate of Lincoln’s and it is believed that he saved Lincoln from drowning in the nearby Swollen Creek. We got to go inside the cabin and see what life would have been like in the 1800’s. Jax was very impressed with the butter churn. As we exited the cabin Jax had to check out the nearest tree to see if there was ants, he found a carpenter ant.
The Museum
Before we entered the visitor center we struggled with the door, so I’m noting here that if you visit in person the door is a pull door, not a twist. It doesn’t appear that way and the staff made sure to inform us of how wrong we were for not pulling, reminding us several times that people always try twisting the knob. The museum is very informative, we got to see items they used in the 1800s and learned a lot about Lincoln. There are interactive items throughout the museum like the “Grave marker”, “Dutch oven” and “Land Map”. Be sure to get your National Park Passport stamped here or purchase one at the gift shop. Also, you can do the Junior Ranger program, it’s designed for kids however adults can do it too. As we exited the visitor center we headed to the right down to Swollen Creek, and I advised Jax to watch out for venomous snakes. The creek was dry because we are in desperate need of rain however, we did get to see some fossils. We then walked about the farm and read the information signs. We then got back on the road and headed to the Memorial.
Memorial Site and Visitor Center
As we approached the Memorial site we were greeted with the view of the stairs leading up to the memorial. On the right of the memorial building, the visitor center can be found. This was our first stop as Jax was ready to turn in his Junior Ranger book to get his badge. It’s a wooden badge so we made sure to stamp the back along with our National Park passports. We then entered the museum and saw a lot of artifacts including the Lincoln family Bible. Jax enjoyed playing with the Lincoln logs and building houses. Next, we checked out the gift shop where Jax got a wooden cup with a ball toy. I highly recommend trying the cream candy! We exited the building and started the Pathway of a President trail.
Hiking Through History
The Pathway of a President trail was a blessing because I have POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome). I was going to try to temp the stairs to get to the memorial building so I was surprised when the trail came out at the memorial. It is wheelchair accessible so everyone can use it. We used the National Park app and listened to the audio tour as we walked the trails. Pss I didn’t read the caption on the app or I would have known where it led lol. The only animals we saw were a few squirrels but it was still a beautiful walk. Bring mosquito bracelets or some type of insect repellent because the bugs were attacking us during the day! We got to go I the memorial and see the cabin Lincoln grew up in which was pretty awesome! Both the memorial and the cabin are beautiful buildings! Jax enjoyed asking the woman at the memorial questions, she was very nice and was also the same lady who gave him his badge at the visitor center.
We exited the building and took the Boundary Oak trail in the back, this is a nice quiet trail and we felt at peace walking it. It provided shade on a very hot day! We enjoyed seeing the many different types of trees. It’s a very short trail and pretty easy, however, there are some steep hills. It came out at the bottom of the memorial steps and at the start of the Sinking Spring trail (aka stairs). As we went down the stairs we could hear the water trickling down the cliff, it brought a sense of zen as we stood at the hole listening to the water fall. We also walked around the Nancy Lincoln Inn, this was closed off but you can still see it and the cabins from the walkway.
The Ending
We ended the trip with the sight of a Buckeye butterfly, it was awesome to see and the best way to end the trip! Thank you for coming on this adventure with us! If you want to learn more about Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park check out their website here or just in the car and take an adventure! Mammoth Cave National Park is only an hour away so if you go and need more adventure continue on the trip with us! Ready? Set? Let’s go!
