Travel: Dinosaur World (Part 1)

Dinosaur World! You see this on the side of the highway and OF COURSE you have to go!

Cave City is full of delightful, fun spectacles in the middle of nowhere America. We already checked out the Wigwam Village and a cave, so after the sun came out the next morning, Maz and I explored this great roadside attraction.

Dinosaur World is simple: over 150 replicas of various extinct reptiles spread out over 20 acres of land.

Simple...but SO MUCH FUN! After paying an admission fee, you're set loose to follow a trail around the grounds. There's a dinosaur or two every few feet with a small placard displaying information about the species. 

The temperature was hovering just above freezing and we were on a strict travel schedule so we couldn't spend too much time standing still. It took us about an hour to cover the entire space, but I could see spending a few more hours there if you had smaller kids. There's a playground that could keep little ones entertained for awhile.

We had to pose with the large Photosaurus! We got a couple of honks from the highway, too.

As long as you don't take your dinosaurs too seriously, you and your family could have a nice afternoon at Dinosaur World! 

Travel: Wigwam Village #2

By now you should be familiar with my fondness for weird roadside attractions. While planning my annual roadtrip to Michigan to visit family, I knew that I wanted to stop mid-way for a rest (my younger days of driving 14 hours straight through are officially over!). So I fiddled around on Roadside America and discovered that the Wigwam Village #2 wasn't too far from my route. 

I have to add that I'd seen where Kaylah of The Dainty Squid has stayed at all three Wigwam Villages. I'm pretty sure this is how I discovered the awesomeness of these unique attractions.

I mean, how could you pass up staying in one of these?!?

From their website: Wigwam Village Inn #2 is the most unique motel in all of Kentucky. It celebrated 60 years of colorful history in 1997, and staying there will be an experience you will never forget.

We spent the previous day driving through nasty rain so I was glad to see a bright sun and clear skies the next morning. 

From Wikipedia: The diameter at the base of each tipi is 14 feet (4.3 m), and they are 32 feet (9.8 m) in height. Behind the main room of each unit is a small bathroom with sink, toilet, and shower. In 2008, the rooms contain the original restored hickory furniture and a window-mounted air conditioner. There are no telephones to maintain the original atmosphere of the motel, but the rooms do have cable TV and internet access.

Wigwam Village #2 is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Thank goodness for the wi-fi! I could not figure out how to get the cable tv working, so we at least had the internet to keep us entertained. The room itself was very drafty, especially around the door and window AC unit. It was an extremely windy night due to a cold front barreling through. There was a small space heater in the wigwam that kept us at a comfortable temperature. That thing was a champ!

Staying in Cave City was a treat! We visited Onyx Cave for a short, inexpensive tour. Our tour guide was obviously excited about the cave and science in general, which makes an already interesting experience ten times better. Dinner at El Mazatlan was HUGE and very satisfying after a solid 7 hours driving. 

After telling my husband of all the fun things we did (and all the fun things still left to do!) we decided that we should definitely try to go back to Cave City, Kentucky.

& I have to tell you about our visit to Dino World!