The All State

Media Credit: Jenny Wallace A tent, seen here through the grill grate of a campfire site, can be borrowed from APSU for students who don't wat to purchase one. [Click to enlarge]

A group of students from Austin Peay State University set out for Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky Fri, Oct. 5, as part of the Foy Fitness and Recreation Center's new Adventure Recreation program.

Upon arriving at the Mammoth Cave Campground, the group pitched their tents and settled down for a meal of spaghetti and garlic bread cooked on a portable propane stove. A couple of students accidentally forgot their eating utensils, so having a spaghetti supper was particularly interesting for those forgetful few.

The next morning, the group embarked on the three hour, three mile long Violet City Lantern Tour of Mammoth Cave.

Of the ten tours offered at Mammoth Cave, the Violet City Lantern Tour is perhaps the most unique for its theme. During this tour, guests get to carry old blue kerosene lanterns to light their way, re-creating how tours were conducted in the late 1800s.

Some of the sights seen by guests are prehistoric Native American mining sites, saltpeter mines and the remnants of an underground hospital once used to treat tuberculosis patients. The tour is also one of two tours labeled as being difficult.

Trails of all levels of difficulty are scattered throughout the park, giving visitors many options for exploration. There are signs posted along many of the trails, so there is little fear of getting lost.

The camping trip to Mammoth Cave is one of several trips being offered this fall by the adventure recreation program. Jasin Wills, coordinator of informal and adventure recreation, is the person in charge of organizing the outdoor activities offered by the Foy Center. Wills graduated from Ohio University with a Masters in recreational studies.

When the Foy Center offered him a job as coordinator of adventure recreation, Wills saw a great opportunity to do what he loves.

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