It was day one in Red River Gorge. We had gotten there earlier than expected, so we started checking out all the overlooks and arches on our list. Which left us a little time for some others.

As we were driving along the scenic highway, we saw a sign for Chimney Top Overlook. But as we approached the turn-off, we both looked at each other. The thought process was the same. “There’s no way we’re taking our car down a dirt road.

To be fair, we do take pride in keeping our car clean. And neither of us was especially excited about intentionally coating it in dirt if we didn’t have to.

So, we skipped the dirt road and continued along the scenic, paved highway.

Besides, we had what we had heard was the Gorge’s best Mexican food to look forward to. And if you know us, you know we looooove Mexican food.

Day two felt different.

The weather had warmed up, we had settled into the pace of the Gorge a little more, and somewhere along the way, we stopped worrying so much about the car staying perfectly clean.

So, we circled back to the Chimney Top Rock Overlook. Three miles of dirt road. We paused for a moment but then went for it. The chances of us coming back were slim, so we might as well go for it while we’re here.

Then it was Creation Falls. Another trailhead at the end of a three-mile dirt road. Of course, at this point, we had already made a mess of the car. So we chuckled to each other and just went for it.

And honestly?

Those roads led to some of our favorite overlooks and trailheads on the trip.

One of the things we had been looking forward to was driving through Nada Tunnel with the top down. But with the cooler temperatures from the day before, we never got the chance.

After all the dirt roads, and given the absolutely gorgeous day that it was, we decided it was finally time for the top-down drive through Nada Tunnel.

There was just one problem.

The car looked like we had driven it through a quarry.

That’s when we remembered the spring.

The day before, when we first drove through the tunnel, we had passed a small roadside spring near the tunnel that we recognized from one of the YouTube videos we watched while planning the trip.

So naturally, instead of just accepting the dirt and moving on like normal people…

…we pulled over and decided to wash the car.

It was completely ridiculous.

And we both knew it.

But neither of us could bring ourselves to drop the top with all that dirt and dust coating it.

Trip after trip, we carried cold water from the spring over to the car, splashing dirt off the roof, doors, windshield, and wheels while people drove by staring at us like we had lost our minds.

And honestly, we may have.

But somewhere in the middle of it all, we started laughing.

Not because the idea made sense.

But because it didn’t.

We were standing there, rinsing road dust off the car with ice-cold spring water in the middle of Red River Gorge, and somehow, it felt exactly like where we were supposed to be.

Relaxed. Unhurried. Just enjoying the moment for what it was.

It was about halfway through day two, and the Gorge had already started doing what we had come for it to do.

It wasn’t spotless when we decided we were done.

Honestly, it probably never really had a chance to be.

But it was clean enough.

So, we dropped the top and headed back through Nada Tunnel.

Cool air.
The echo inside the tunnel.
Sunshine waiting on the other side.

There’s nothing quite like wind therapy in The Gorge on a sunny day.

And somewhere in the midst of it all, we started to feel like ourselves again.

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