Cumberland Gap National Historical Park Sign — Attraction in Middlesborough

My wife and teenage daughter were furious with me! We drove several hours up from Middle Georgia just go to the park. Personally, I thought it was marvelous Historical Park and shouldn’t be missed whether going N. or S. on I-75. It should be noted that Middlesbrough, KY, on its border with TN is built in an ancient crater of a meteorite or small asteroid that hit there millions of years ago.

My wife and daughter are neither interested in history or the geologic significance of the area. Let me preface this with the fact I didn’t lie to my wife and daughter. In fact, they lied to themselves by allowing their imaginations run wild and expectations raised by no one but themselves.

It started innocently enough when I had a map of that area up on my large-screen TV looking for POIs. I said I was favoring a trip to the Cumberland Gap. She asked where it was and I told her the Gap is among the largest and most visited gaps in N. America.

After my daughter shared the plan with my wife, my wife why I’d suddenly decided to go to the Gap. I explained that I’d wanted to go for years, but doubted they’d want to drive that far. My wife sort of smirked and asked why, all of a sudden, I wanted to go to a gap. By then I was feeling confident and said, “I wanted y’all to understand there’d be a lot of walking.” I heard my daughter whisper to her mom, “That’s shop ‘til we drop. He has no idea what he’s giving us.”

My wife asked if there were sales there and I replied, none I’ve seen advertised, but perhaps check with locals upon arrival.

When we were close I had them wait until we went through the tunnel from Harrogate, TN to Middlesbrough. We had nice lodging in town and when we’d unpacked and settled, they asked to see the Gap. I told them they could easily see it from the hotel room and I showed them the Gap. Confused, I promised I’d drive them over to it early the next morning. True to my word, I took them. We went back to the other side, saw the signs and I explained that the Gap was easier to go to if they hiked up the old road that was used before the tunnel was completed.

A while later, winded and starting to dehydrate, we reached the top. They asked the obvious question almost in unison, “So, where’s this big Gap you told us about?” I carefully explained that we were right in the middle of the Gap. I gestured back over Harrogate, but that’s all I recall until I woke up in a hospital several days later. I had a bracelet on my wrist that read “John Doe.” I had no wallet, no phone, no car keys and no recollection of the previous 6 days. I guess, as the old TV ad said, I’d “Fall in to the Gap.” There is a Go Fund Me to pay for bus tickets back to Milledgeville, GA as soon as I’m...

Great park for hiking and learning the history of Daniel Boone blazing the trail into Kentucky thru...

A relaxing and informative ride from Cumberland to Frostburg and return. Historical information and...