by April and Sunny
follow Sunny on Twitter @sunnylooksleaps
Take a full moon on a clear night and a waterfall in Corbin, Kentucky and you will get a rare natural phenomenon known as a moonbow. One of only two places in the world to view a moonbow on a monthly basis, Cumberland Falls is the most recent state park visited by the Looks and Leaps family. Take into account that we were also going to be there on the night of a blue moon (the second full moon of a calendar month) and you have some serious moonbow madness going on!
Here is a sample of our itenerary for an adventurous day for multiple generations, including two kids under 10, that started with a 7am roadtrip and ended with a midnight viewing of a lunar rainbow.
The Falls During the Day: A short (but steep) hike from the Cumberland Falls lodge will take you to the Falls viewing area. Several lookout points let you view the Falls from different angles and levels. The views make for fantastic photo ops once you are done marveling at the site of the Falls, and it is spectacular to watch the rushing water and the rafters’ attempt to get as close as they can to the base of the falls. Check out this throwback photo from the Looks and Leaps sisters’ first trip to the falls!
Look but don’t Leap at the Cumberland Falls 80s style!
Hiking and Other Activities: The kids enjoy the randomness of the hikes – noticing the large rocks, stopping to peek in a cave and reading the detailed instructions of what to do when you see a bear. They also tried out the gem mining attraction, shuffle board, and of course the pool. Nothing attracts the two Looks and Leaps kids like a pool and this pool had low dives. I didn’t count, but I am pretty sure they each jumped 100 times or so.
Moonbow Dance: In an attempt to get the kids to stay awake long enough to see the moonbow, we decided to check out the moonbow dance. The dance was held in a pavilion complete with DJ and line dance instructor. The kids liked learning the King Tut Dance and Snake Dance. They danced to familiar favorites like the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle, but really loved cutting loose with their own dance moves. Mom brought J and MJ some glow in the dark accessories that made them the most popular kids at the dance. Between making new friends, dancing, and catching fireflies, the evening hours passed quickly and it was nearly time to head to the Falls to see the moonbow!
Moonbow Viewing: Checking out the Falls at night is a totally different experience then a day trek. Since we visited in the summer and the viewing conditions were predicted as nearly perfect, there were large crowds. The parking lot was completely full, and Dad dropped us off near the Falls while he tracked down a parking spot. The energy from the crowd adds to the excitement, but I can imagine being near the Falls at night without the crowds must be serene and maybe a bit eerie. The moonbow was bright enough to plainly see even for the kids, and it arced over the top of the Falls. Trying to capture it with a keepsake picture is not so easy. Mobile phone cameras were useless with or without a flash. Dad brought a nicer camera and a tripod and was able to get the elusive shot. It should be noted that the higher the moon rises in the sky, the brighter the moonbow will appear. We were there around midnight, but prime viewing would have been another hour or so later. Still, the moonbow was visible and the kids were able to see it before they crashed for the night!
The moonbow appears white in person, but a camera will pick up the faint colors.