Paul and Roxann suggested the Natural Bridge that we visited last week and this visit to Cumberland Falls. Great suggestions! This waterfall is 68 feet tall and 125 feet wide with 3600 cubic-feet of water spilling over the edge. It roars and creates mist and does not dry up in the summer.

On our way here we encountered first responders putting out a car fire on I-75. Hopefully everyone in the car got out and is okay. First we saw black smoke, which then turned to gray, and then to white pretty quickly.

And the weird plant? The forest floor near our campground has many clumps of American Cancer-root or Bear Corn. It looks a bit like corn-on-the-cob. These are now darkening as they dry out. They do not photosynthesize, but rather parasitically feed on Oak tree roots. They grow best in deep, rich soils with thick forest canopies that contain oak trees, and are found in the Eastern US and Canada, with Iowa (but not MN or MO) also marked on the range map. I’ll have to watch for them back home!