Squire Boone Caverns in Mauckport Indiana

We visited Squire Boone Caverns in Mauckport Indiana after seeing Marengo Cave.  They are less than an hour drive apart.  For the record, Indiana Caverns is very close to this area too.  Squire Boone Caverns ended up being the third of four caves we saw while on the Indiana Cave Trail.

Of the caves we saw, the facilities at this one were the most rustic.  The gift shop/ticket area was in an older cabin.  The cave itself is part of a pioneer village.  On the day we went, the other buildings were not open.

We went inside of the ticket office to buy our tickets. 

Unfortunately, the next tour was a little over an hour away.  That was fine though, it gave us some time to at least peek in the windows of the buildings.  There is a very relaxing little pond nearby too.  We went there and watched some fish.

There was a goat and pig in a fenced in area too.  I love goats, and I felt a bit honored when this horned guy took a small bite out of a paper sack I was holding.  Nothing was damaged.

We did meet for our tour, and several other people had come around to join us.  We had a nice little group for our time in the cave.

As we walked to the entrance we saw zip liners over head.  That seems to be a popular thing in this area.

Our guide walked us to a interestingly constructed door for getting into the cave.  A door, with a bat wing on it, was the entrance to the cave.

I would call this cave a very exciting cave for a smaller one.  There is a lot going on here.  A lot of motion.  A lot of water runs through here.  They do use some beautiful blue lighting to enhance it, but it is really cool to see.

So there are some great little waterfalls.  There is also a waterfall you get to walk over (there is a bridge over it) that is very interesting.

There are holes and small bodies of water.  Our guide pointed out how it is hard to tell some holes from the reflective pools of water.

Towards the end of our tour, we came to a coffin containing the remains of Squire Boone.  He had been buried on the property until 1973.  He was brought in to inside of the cave to protect his remains from relic hunters.

Our guide told us about Squire and his brother Daniel.  It was interesting hearing a little bit about the discoverer of the cave, and it was interesting getting to see his now final resting place. 

Going into the cave required going down a spiral staircase.  Well, going out required a similar spiral staircase going up.  I think I counted around 70 steps.  This was a bit of a "don't look down situation".

They did not do any sort of souvenir photo here.

This was another fun cave to visit on the Indiana Cave Trail!

Marengo Cave in Marengo Indiana

Marengo Cave in Marengo Indiana ended up being the second (of four) caves that we visited recently on the Indiana Cave Trail.  All of these caves are pretty much in the southern part of the state and they are very accessible from Kentucky.

We started out driving around 7 in the morning to make it to Marengo by the time they opened at 9.

We got there right as they opened, and a few other small groups were hanging out, getting ready to buy tickets. 


At Marengo Cave, they do have two different tours that you can take.  The main one is the Dripstone Trail Tour.  This one is a mile, and is about an hour long.  The other tour is the Crystal Palace Tour.  This one takes 40 minutes and is shorter.

They have a combo ticket for both.  We had a $2 coupon too (most of the caves have coupons for the other caves on the trail).  So, the combo ticket actually isn't much more than the Dripstone ticket.  If you like spending time in caves, you might as well do both.


I could think of reasons to just do one of the tours though.  I think either tour would be fine for an older person, or for someone not wanting to do too strenuous of a cave tour.

After we bought our tickets, we looked around the well maintained and stocked gift shop.  Like other caves, they had several cool relics on display in cases.  I love seeing the old souvenirs that were sold in the early days of the show cave's existence.  I also like seeing relics discovered in or around the cave.  I was most impressed with some print blocks used in printing postcards.

We had a great, energetic young guide (and I did not catch her name) for our Dripstone tour, which started around 9:30.  We left from the gift shop, then made our way through a brief trail in a wooded area.  After a few minutes, we made our way to the cave entrance, which we passed on our way to the ticket/gift shop area earlier.

We were shown many formations, and we were told about the basics that you get on any cave tour (the differences between stalactites and stalagmites, total darkness, etc)

We were told about the discovery of Marengo Cave.  Two young siblings basically found it on a neighbors property in 1883.  After telling the neighbor about it (they were going to keep it a secret, but that didn't last long) the neighbor opened it up almost immediately for tours.

At the beginning of our tour, our guide pointed out a white crystal like formation on the ceiling.  It is rare, and they have placed a see through covering over it.

I would say the cave itself  is a bit more cramped than other caves.  It is closed in at places.  It is not a terribly claustrophobic type situation, but you feel like the formations are closer to you than at other caves.

One very memorable area is the Penny Ceiling room.  Mud is on the ceiling, and you are encouraged to throw pennies up, as they may stick.  You could see where many were indeed sticking.  Our guide told us that they do clean them off, and donate them to charity.

Another interesting story about Marengo involves a robbery!  A former employee literally came in and robbed a tour ironically under the penny ceiling.  This happened in the early 80s and the criminal was caught.

They do take a souvenir photo at one point, in front of a formation that looks like an elephant, or a mummy, depending on how you look at it.

As our first trip through the cave ended, another guide came down to start the other tour.  We, along with several others from our tour, were able to simply jump onto this tour without leaving the cave.  It seemed that they kind of time this out with their tours.

Physically, there was no overlap between the two tours.  You were getting to see an entirely different section on each of the tours.  They still covered the cave tour basics (total darkness, stalactites and stalagmites....  you get it).  They also took another souvenir photo in this section too.



After spending nearly 2 hours underground, our tours were over, and we made our way back to the gift shop.

I did pick up my usual patch, postcards, hiking stick medallion, etc.  AND, the cave photos were a very reasonable $10 each, or both for $17.  We bought both of ours, and again, I am glad to see so many caves doing these photos actually INSIDE of the cave!  Also, $10 is very reasonable for a nice souvenir photo.

Next, we walked through a nature trail by the building, and we found the original sink hole entrance where the two children first peeked into the cave.  It is a short walk, and a nice marker notes the area.

After our tours we enjoyed a picnic lunch at one of the picnic tables on the property, next to a very big wind chime.  It was relaxing.

As we visit various caves on our trips, I am really realizing that each one is truly unique.  They all have their own distinct features...  and personalities.

Vincennes, Indiana

"The Old Northwest's most historic grounds.  In the year 1702, Francois Morgan de Vincenne, an officer in the service of the King of France, built a fort here on the very spot where the Clark Memorial and the historic old cathedral stand.  This Old North-west was under French rule until the treaty of Paris in 1763, which ended the French and Indian War and gave control to the British until 1779, when it was captured by Clark and his little army.  Vincennes offers many of the historic showplaces of the nation.".  There is no date on this postcard.

The Red Roaster Coffee and Eatery in Madison Indiana

We did find the very cool coffee shop, the Red Roaster in Madison Indiana.

We didn't have as much time to hang out in Madison as I would have liked, but we were able to stop here for a bit.

They had good coffee, friendly staff, and just a nice vibe.


I love their cool logo too!

Madison Indiana

A friend has raved to me about Madison Indiana for years and I finally got around to going there the other day as we explored some of the southern part of Indiana.  He told me it was cool.  He described it as kind of Mayberryish.

Well, I see why he likes it so much, but I think his description is a little off.

I was trying to describe it for another friend when we got back.  It is way to big to be a Mayberry kind of town.  BUT, it has the things you love about a small town...

Madison is like several small towns all put together.  There are a lot of nice little towns with a block or two of cool shops, and some historic spots to see.  Well, think that... but bigger in Madison.

AND the buildings are all so perfect.  Nice old storefronts kept up nicely.

We stopped here for just a couple of hours but I want to get back very soon.  I need to spend a lot more time exploring here!

Scoops Ice Cream Shop- Madison Indiana

We stopped by Scoops in Madison.  I feel too guilty to say much about this place.  I know there is something in the Bible about NOT eating such rich treats.  I am in trouble.

Seriously though, we love this place.  I got a Sunday, and they just kept putting stuff (and lots of it) on my Sunday.  The staff was fast and friendly.  We had 4 scoops between us, one in a waffle bowl... and it was less than $10.  We were happy.

Battle of Corydon Park, Corydon Indiana

We stopped by the Battle of Corydon Park in southern Indiana.

This is a small park with some markers, and a cabin that could be put to better use in general.

I am glad that the area keeps this place up so nicely.  There are markers about the battle, but I sure would love to see more of a museum set up in that small cabin.  Right now there is just space and some flyers.  They DO offer a flyer on the battle.

One person visiting told us that this battle was the northern most battle of the Civil War.  I know there is some dispute to that, (Gettysburg comes to mind, and even some others involving John Hunt Morgan elsewhere) but it is generally very northern battle.

William Henry Harrison Log Cabin- Corydon, Indiana

I am going to say that the highlight of our visit to Corydon Indiana was the William Henry Harrison Log Cabin. 

First off, this is one of the RARE places where you can visit a home once owned by a President for FREE.  If you love visiting places associated with Presidents, you should go here for that reason alone.  AND, with an admission fee of FREE, it is a good value.

BUT, there are just a bunch of cool things to see here in a small space!

Many cool small local items are displayed.  I enjoyed seeing items from a store that used to be in town.

There is an amazing corner cabinet made by Squire Boone on display too- and it is signed by him on the inside!


AND, they have a small display on James Best from the Dukes of Hazzard (and Corydon) too.

Oddly, I think a lot of people have James Best stories.  I remember seeing him at the Everly Brothers Homecoming years ago in Muhlenberg County Kentucky.

Well, the guy running the Log Cabin site knew Mr. Best from his Corydon days.  He was friendly enough with him that he got to go out to California and see some taping of the Dukes of Hazzard!

If you don't want to see relics and hear stories relating to President Harrison, Squire Boone, and Roscoe P. Coltrane, there is something wrong with you.

Obviously, the William Henry Harrison Log Cabin gets my highest recommendation.

Point Blank Brewing Company- Corydon Indiana

We have a rule of thumb for lunch when visiting new places these days- Go with the breweries.

That rule served us well while in Corydon.  We stopped by Point Blank Brewing Company in Corydon and we had a great meal.

The inside is a bit bland....    And that's not a criticism, just an observation.  There isn't a lot of décor on the walls.  A classic painting of a man praying seemed a little out of place.  I think they are going for a "we have good food and no gimmicks" kind of feel.  It works.

There was a very local vibe here too.  The waitress seemed to know a lot of the other customers.

I ordered a Reuben sandwich that simply had a ton of meat on it.  It may have been the thickest Reuben I have ever had.


I was able to substitute a salad for the fries, and expected a small, wimpy side salad.  They brought out a nice, very fresh salad that could have been a meal on its own!

My wife had a half pound burger that she enjoyed.  We both had tea (fresh and brewed right) and our bill, not including tip, was around $20!

Our waitress was great too.  Our glasses were filled when they got low, and she politely provided me with a to go tea when I asked.