Post by Sharon Faulkner on Mar 22, 2006 9:05:59 GMT -5
Spring break offers time to explore
March 20, 2006
Everything from caves to zoo within 2-hour drive of Nashville
By VIVI HOANG
Staff Writer
Those precious, school-free days of spring are upon many of us.
You don't have to go far to enjoy them. For the family who's decided to stick around for spring break, there's plenty to do within a two-hour drive from here. The weeklong vacation is a chance to rest and get caught up, so a big trip out of town can be too much, said Alan Coverstone, who teaches at Montgomery Bell Academy.
But he still wants to do things with his family. A daytrip makes perfect sense. He and his wife plan on going spelunking with their sons, ages 4 and 7, and another family at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. The cave, less than 100 miles northeast of Nashville, offers a variety of tours for exploring its depths.
"We just thought it'd be fun for us," said Coverstone, whose children attend Hull-Jackson Elementary Montessori Magnet School. "We've heard good things from people."
<snip>
Some other nearby attractions to consider:
Commune with nature
• If you've never tried canoeing before, give it a go with the Outdoor Chattanooga OutVenture staff, which is offering a three-hour lesson and canoe trip on North Chickamauga Creek.
For $10, you get equipment rental and a guide. Canoe trips, which have a six-person minimum and 12-person maximum, leave from Greenway Farm in Chattanooga. They're available 3 p.m. today; 2 p.m. Sunday; 3 p.m. March 31; 10 a.m. April 8; and 1 p.m. April 12.
Call Philip Grymes at 1-423-842-6629 or e-mail him at philip@
outdoorchattanooga.com. For other ways to enjoy the fresh air near Chattanooga, go online to www.outdoorchattanooga.com.
• Let your kids explore their inner biologist with free activities at the Warner Park Nature Center, 7311 Highway 100, that run Tuesday through Friday.
The park is offering programs, most of them geared toward children, on amphibians and reptiles, as well as arts and crafts and a hike. For more details and to register, call 352-6299 or e-mail wpnc@nashville.gov.
Go dark
• Lookout Mountain's Ruby Falls (rubyfalls.com) turns out the lights for special spring break tours by lantern light. Learn about the Chattanooga cave's folklore, history and geology.
The tours, which last two to three hours, are Mondays through Wednesdays through April 12. The daytime tour begins at 9:30 a.m. and costs $20. The nighttime tour is $25 and starts at 7:30 p.m.
Call 1-423-821-2544, ext. 124, to make reservations. Tours are limited to 15 people. The falls are open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
The normal tours to see the 145-foot, underground waterfall are about an hour and a half and cost $13.95, $6.95 for children ages 3 through 12.
• If you haven't ventured into the world's longest recorded cave system, head on up to Mammoth Cave National Park (nps.gov/maca) in Mammoth Cave, Ky. More than 360 miles of these natural catacombs have been explored and mapped.
There are more than a dozen different guided tours available. Call 1-270-758-2180 for details and reservations, which are recommended. A self-guided tour costs $4 or $2.50 for kids. If you're not into caving, there's plenty of opportunities topside to hike, canoe, fish, picnic and horseback ride. •
www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060320/ENTERTAINMENT07/603200309/1004/MTCN0303
March 20, 2006
Everything from caves to zoo within 2-hour drive of Nashville
By VIVI HOANG
Staff Writer
Those precious, school-free days of spring are upon many of us.
You don't have to go far to enjoy them. For the family who's decided to stick around for spring break, there's plenty to do within a two-hour drive from here. The weeklong vacation is a chance to rest and get caught up, so a big trip out of town can be too much, said Alan Coverstone, who teaches at Montgomery Bell Academy.
But he still wants to do things with his family. A daytrip makes perfect sense. He and his wife plan on going spelunking with their sons, ages 4 and 7, and another family at Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. The cave, less than 100 miles northeast of Nashville, offers a variety of tours for exploring its depths.
"We just thought it'd be fun for us," said Coverstone, whose children attend Hull-Jackson Elementary Montessori Magnet School. "We've heard good things from people."
<snip>
Some other nearby attractions to consider:
Commune with nature
• If you've never tried canoeing before, give it a go with the Outdoor Chattanooga OutVenture staff, which is offering a three-hour lesson and canoe trip on North Chickamauga Creek.
For $10, you get equipment rental and a guide. Canoe trips, which have a six-person minimum and 12-person maximum, leave from Greenway Farm in Chattanooga. They're available 3 p.m. today; 2 p.m. Sunday; 3 p.m. March 31; 10 a.m. April 8; and 1 p.m. April 12.
Call Philip Grymes at 1-423-842-6629 or e-mail him at philip@
outdoorchattanooga.com. For other ways to enjoy the fresh air near Chattanooga, go online to www.outdoorchattanooga.com.
• Let your kids explore their inner biologist with free activities at the Warner Park Nature Center, 7311 Highway 100, that run Tuesday through Friday.
The park is offering programs, most of them geared toward children, on amphibians and reptiles, as well as arts and crafts and a hike. For more details and to register, call 352-6299 or e-mail wpnc@nashville.gov.
Go dark
• Lookout Mountain's Ruby Falls (rubyfalls.com) turns out the lights for special spring break tours by lantern light. Learn about the Chattanooga cave's folklore, history and geology.
The tours, which last two to three hours, are Mondays through Wednesdays through April 12. The daytime tour begins at 9:30 a.m. and costs $20. The nighttime tour is $25 and starts at 7:30 p.m.
Call 1-423-821-2544, ext. 124, to make reservations. Tours are limited to 15 people. The falls are open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
The normal tours to see the 145-foot, underground waterfall are about an hour and a half and cost $13.95, $6.95 for children ages 3 through 12.
• If you haven't ventured into the world's longest recorded cave system, head on up to Mammoth Cave National Park (nps.gov/maca) in Mammoth Cave, Ky. More than 360 miles of these natural catacombs have been explored and mapped.
There are more than a dozen different guided tours available. Call 1-270-758-2180 for details and reservations, which are recommended. A self-guided tour costs $4 or $2.50 for kids. If you're not into caving, there's plenty of opportunities topside to hike, canoe, fish, picnic and horseback ride. •
www.rctimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060320/ENTERTAINMENT07/603200309/1004/MTCN0303