Shutterbugs: Brush up Nature Photography at Digital Camera Workshop!
Digital photographers, here’s your chance too sharpen your skills at a nature photography workshop coming to beautiful Lake Barkley State Resort Park on April 17th. Award-winning nature photographer Curt Hart will lead the workshop which begins Saturday at 9a.m. Hart has captured more than 100 species of birds and wildlife with his camera and will share his techniques and expertise with workshop participants during the full-day workshop.
From Lake Barkley State Resort Park:
The program includes classroom instruction, time in the field, critique and editing processes. The fee is $75 and lunch is included. Class size is limited so reserve early for this popular event. Call 1-800-325-1708 to reserve a spot or for more information. This workshop is recommend for DSL camera owners.
The workshop is a perfect excuse to plan a family/friend weekend getaway at Lake Barkley in the heart of far west Kentucky. The park is the largest resort park in Kentucky’s system and the lodge affords a spectacular view of the lake through massive windows. Mid April falls in the thick of spring and is a magical time to be being surrounded by natural beauty and capture the landscape in photos.
Besides the lodge, the park includes cottages, the Windows on the Water Restaurant, a seasonal campground, 18-hole golf course, fitness center with indoor pool, marina, fishing, tennis courts, hiking trails, gift shop, and recreational and nature programming. It’s near Cadiz and the Land Between the Lakes at 3500 State Park Road just off I-24. Exit at Highway 68 and go west toward Cadiz and the park.
For more information contact Nick Edmonds at nick.edmonds@ky.gov or call the lodge at call 1-800-325-1708.
One of the most popular and beautiful Classical ballets of all time, “Swan Lake” – along with its incredible score by Tchaikovsky – have left audiences breathless for years. The costumes, the music, the sets, the performances… in a word, Magical.
The Louisville Ballet will conclude its 2009-10 season with performances of Swan Lake on Friday, April 9 at 8 pm and Saturday, April 10 at 2 pm and 8 pm in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center.
Tickets start as low as $25 and are available at the Kentucky Center.
What a super cool idea for all of you mad hatters! Kentucky Derby hats is one of Kentucky’s most beautiful and popular traditions, dating back over 100 years!
Now, thanks to Dee’s in Louisville, you can wax creative and create your very own, highly unique and original Kentucky Derby hat. By taking a “Derby Hat Decorating Class” at Dee’s Crafts in Louisville, Kentucky, you can ensure that your hat turns out exactly how you want it to.
Dee’s own designers will help participants create awe-inspiring and head-turning hats for Oaks, Derby, Easter, and other special spring occasions.
Apparently these hat decorating classes were so popular last year that the Shelbyville Road store (5045 Shelbyville Road) is holding three classes this month. Future hat designers can choose from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 13th, or 6 to 8 p.m. March 17th or March 24th.
There will be unadorned hats in many shapes and sizes to choose from or you can bring one of your own. The decorations, of course, must be purchased at Dee’s and will include a gorgeous selection of feathers, ribbon, and flowers.
The fee is $20, plus the cost of materials. Class size is limited, so call to register asap. Call (502) 896-6755.
Dee’s is at 5045 Shelbyville Road – Louisville, Kentucky.
Lake Barkley State Resort Park is geared up and ready for Spring. After Old Man Winter’s especially cantankerous mood, aren’t we all?!
Lake Barkely SRP is throwing out the welcome mat to welcome spring’s arrival in southwestern Kentucky with a celebration of nature and nurture for every member of the family on March 19-21.
This celebration is an ideal time for a weekend getaway to enjoy and celebrate one of the most beautiful spectacles in the world: Springtime in Kentucky.
The celebration begins Friday evening (March 19, 2010) at 6:30 with the “owl prowl.” A guide will lead you to prime owl habitats, allowing participants to listen and learn more about these beautiful birds. The hike is $1 per person but children 5 years and younger prowl free.
Saturday marks the official beginning of a full day of spring. Lake Barkley SRP will continue the spring celebration with an 8 a.m. lap swim at the park’s fitness center. At 9 a.m. the park naturalist will lead a leisurely hike in search of the first signs of spring along the ground, in the trees and other surroundings.
The archery range is open from 1 – 2:30 p.m. with an instructor available for beginners.
Learn tips on attracting birds to your own backyard beginning at 3 p.m. and you’ll even learn how to construct your own recycled hummingbird feeder. Birdwatching and recycling are two things near and dear to my own heart – so kudos to Lake Barkley State Resort Park for this activity.
On Sunday morning, you can join the naturalist for a migratory bird hike.
More About Lake Barkley State Resort Park
Lake Barkley State Resort Park is the largest state resort park in Kentucky and visitors will find that there is something for everyone to do and enjoy. The park features a lodge, cottages, the Windows on the Water Restaurant (an exceptional restaurant – click the link for my own review), a seasonal campground, 18-hole golf course, fitness center with indoor pool, marina, fishing, tennis courts, hiking trails, gift shop, and recreational and nature programming. See? Everything you could hope for!
The park is located at 3500 State Park Road in Cadiz. From I-24, take the Highway 68 exit west toward Cadiz.
For more information about the Spring weekend celebration of other amenities at the park, contact Mary at mary.schmidt@ky.gov or Nick at nick.edmonds@ky.gov.
You can call the lodge at call 1-800-325-1708.
The Kentucky State Park System is composed of 52 state parks plus an interstate park shared with Virginia. The Department of Parks, an agency of the Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, operates 17 resort parks with lodges — more than any other state! For more information on Kentucky parks, visit http://www.parks.ky.gov/
Act now for a chance to see Lake Barkley State Resort Park Presents Comedy Dinner Theater Saturday night, February 27. Over 100 tickets have been sold already, so time is of the essence.
Beautiful Lake Barkley State Resort Park will host a dinner theater Saturday night that’ll provide many laughs, great food, and fun memories. The laughs will be courtesy of television and film star Marty Pollio. The comedian has performed on the “Tonight Show” with Johnny Carson and Jay Leno and has appeared on Jerry Lewis Telethons. He has also performed part of his act in the movie “Punchline” with Tom Hanks and Sally Field. Marty had a recurring role on “Night Court” and guest starred on “Empty Nest” and “Blossom”.
The dinner and show is $25 a person for advance reservation until Feb 24. The ticket price will be $30 a person after that date. There is limited seating for this dinner and show, so call now!
Call for more information: 1-800-325-1708
If you’ve never had the privilege of seeing Always, Patsy Cline performed at Badgett Playhouse in Grand Rivers, Kentucky, here’s your chance. Always Patsy Cline returns to the Badgett Playhouse February 26 through March 20.
Always Patsy Cline is an outstanding and very touching story that the talented performers of Grand Rivers Variety turn into an outstanding and very touching show. I strongly urge you to go – more than that, I strongly urge you to fill your car up with others and give them a night they’ll long remember as well. You can read my own personal review of Always Patsy Cline by clicking the link. I wrote this review on July 4, 2008 and titled it “Always Patsy Cline Will Never Be Forgotten!” Two things stand out to me about the title of the review:
- I seldom ever use exclamation points in the title of my articles or posts. I use them freely in my writing (lots, actually!) but hardly ever in titles. I just rarely, rarely, rarely ever do it. However, there’s a big old exclamation mark at the end of this article’s title. I was… as we say in Kentucky… worked up when I wrote it. Great food, great coffee, and/or great entertainment work me up and the exclamation points fly like arrows from an bow.
- I was right. It’s been nearly a year and 7 months and I still recall what a wonderful experience it was. We go to Grand Rivers Variety Shows often enough to know that the music, the costumes, the singing, the dancing, the popcorn, the coffee, the performances…. everything… will surpass our hopes and expectations every single time. Everyone associated with Grand Rivers Variety seems to subscribe to the concept of giving their guests more than they paid for. They do it each and every time and no one ever leaves thinking otherwise. We expected that, but we didn’t expect for the show to be so funny! It’s hilarious – in addition to being very moving. And the singing… exceptional.
Visit Grand Rivers Variety for more information. You can launch your own exclamation points!
Mark your calendars: Pre-historic creatures are set to invade the Louisville Zoo in March 2010.
A new adventure will be stomping into the city of Louisville and heading straight for the Louisville Zoo in March. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, we’re very lucky here in Kentucky for a great number of reasons and one of them is the outstanding Louisville Zoo. There’s always something extra-special going on at this amazing zoo. Just check out what’s coming in a few months!
From the Louisville Zoo:
Precautions are being taken as the Zoo prepares Dinosaurs Alive!, a temporary dwelling for a herd of 16 robotic dinosaurs never before seen at the Zoo—including the giant Brachiosaurus, the menacing Tyrannosaurus rex, the fierce Deinonychus whose name means “Terrible Claw,” and the Cryolophosaurus which is often referred to as the “Elvisaurus” because the large crest atop its skull resembles the iconic hair of Elvis Presley.
Through the magic of incredible, futuristic technology, the mammoth, life-like animatronic creatures that roar, snarl and move will offer a full-blown dino-reality experience to visitors as they travel back in time along a lush, winding pathway where these enormous primeval creatures lurk at every turn. There, guests will encounter adult dinosaurs, youngsters and even a nest with eggs and hatchlings.
The robotic dinosaurs are built on steel frames by Billings Productions of McKinney, Texas, and high-tech electronics and air pistons power the dinosaurs’ menacing claws and gnashing teeth while a booming sound system gives them their distinctive roars and chirps. One of the animatronic creatures can even be operated by visitors using a remote control box.
In addition, kids can excavate dinosaur fossils at a paleontologist dig site using brushes and sifters to search for clues about the lives of dinosaurs.
“Guests of all ages will be transported back in time as the world’s largest and most advanced collection of high-tech, life-size animatronic dinosaurs come to life here in Louisville,” Zoo Director John Walczak said. “This Dinosaur exhibit will be a fun and educational learning adventure for the entire family. We’ve lost many animals from this planet over the course of history, and unfortunately animals are still becoming extinct today. Conservation and preservation are at the heart of the Zoo’s mission and it is our hope that visitors will come away from this exhibit both excited and more aware of the need to conserve animal species living today.”
In a revenue-sharing partnership with Billings Productions, Dinosaurs Alive!, is similar to other new attraction partnerships at the Zoo like Sky Trail High Adventure Course and the 4-D Ride Theater.
Dinosaurs Alive! will open mid to late March and will continue through the end of September. A special attraction fee of $5 applies for non-members in addition to regular Zoo admission and $4 for Louisville Zoo members. Children age 2 and under are free. Groups of 15 or more may call (502) 238-5348 in advance for group discounts.
Shopasaurus—a new gift shop at the exhibit’s exit—will be fully stocked with “dinorrific” toys, games and souvenirs to help visitors take home a reminder of their amazing experience.
***
The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
*** Get up-to-date information about the Zoo’s upcoming Glacier Run exhibit by checking out our new Glacier Run blog. You can also show your love for the Louisville Zoo by becoming a fan on Facebook.
Cold weather need not put a damper on adventures during winter months. Head for the great outdoors and work up some heat and excitement while ATV-ing, caving, hiking, elk viewing, hunting and horseback riding. Kentucky scenery provides a beautiful backdrop for exploring its natural beauty.
The most temperate discoveries are to be made in underground exploration of miles and miles of caves where temperatures remain nearly constant in the mid-50s year-round. Diamond Caverns in Park City has halls lined with cascading calcite and many other visual jewels. Winter tours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. Admission is $16 for adults, $8 for children 4-12, and ages three and under enter free. The caves are closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Call 270-749-2233 or visit www.diamondcaverns.com.
Several Kentucky venues provide the thrill of spotting American Bald Eagles in their natural winter habitat. There are several trips and packages to choose from across the southern parts of the state. The Ballard County Wildlife Management Area in La Center, about 25 miles west of Paducah, has two tours in January that are organized by Kentucky Dam Village State Resort Park (800-325-0146). Or board the yacht CQ Princess to spy majestic birds from the water. Cruises are scheduled at Kentucky Dam Village Jan. 15-17, Lake Barkley State Resort Park Jan. 29-31 (800-325-1708), and Kenlake State Resort Park Feb. 5-7 (800-325-0143). At Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park, you can view the birds from custom barges Jan. 15-16, Jan. 22-23 and Feb. 5-6 (800-325-2282). Tickets cost $20 to $55 per person. Van tours are also offered. More info is available at www.parks.ky.gov.
Gear up and zip off on an off-road ATV for some four-wheel action. Black Mountain Off-Road Adventure Park in Harlan has a year-round schedule but the views are unique during colder months. Make repeat treks with a 30-day permit for $20 or $35 gets you a pass for a full year of roaring action. The park has 7,000 acres and trails that range from easy for beginners to moderate and extreme for the more adventuresome. Find out more by calling 606-573-9156 or visit www.harlancountytrails.com.
Elk viewing is the fastest growing tourism attraction in the nation and the impressive Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area is a spectacular way to view elk and bison in the wild. Drive your own vehicle for a self-guided tour of the prairie lands being restored to their natural state on a 3.5 mile paved loop that’s open dawn to dusk. With leaves gone in winter, spotting these wild animals in an area where they once roamed freely gets a bit easier. You’ll pay $5 per car at LBL’s Golden Pond visitor center or call for information about van tours. You can enter via U.S. 68 from Cadiz on the east or Aurora on the west. Call 270-924-2000 or check out www.lbl.org.
Hike long or short trails and you just may catch native wildlife in their habitat as well as incredible vistas at any number of Kentucky’s more than 50 state parks. Some of the most beautiful scenery in the country is along miles of trails that wind through any part of the state. Venture to Pine Mountain State Resort Park (800-325-1712) in southeastern Kentucky near Cumberland Gap and take your pick as to how far you want to venture and how strenuous you want to be along wooded areas where deer, rabbits, squirrels and many types of birds can be spotted. Kentucky’s 17 resort parks located throughout the state have lodges with stunning views of the natural world and cozy accommodations in lodges and cabins. Lodge dining rooms serve three meals so leave the food prep and clean up to others after a day in the great outdoors. Special activities and programs run through the winter and into early spring. Visit www.parks.ky.gov for a rundown on what’s available at each park and which special room rates apply.
Whether you’re a novice or experienced rider, saddle up and take in winter landscapes from horseback. Holly Creek Farms in Campton (www.hollycreekfarms.com) provides the horse and guidance for trail rides along wooded terrain in the foothills of the Appalachians just off the Daniel Boone Parkway. They also offer guided ATV rides and hiking around the farm. Call to reserve a spot (606-668-3180) and to choose how long you want to sit in the saddle. In the Bluegrass, Big Red Stables near Harrodsburg offers riding on spotted saddle horses or Tennessee walking horses all year round. Riding lessons and trail rides are great winter time adventures. Make it a weekend getaway to nearby Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill or Beaumont Inn in Harrodsburg and kick back in historic surroundings with modern amenities. Group rates at Big Red are available. Make an appointment and check fees by calling 859-734-3118.
Hunters can find plenty of winter time game in portions of the more than 700,000 acre Daniel Boone National Forest where hunting is permitted. For seasons and restrictions, consult www.fs.fed.us/r8/boone/recreation/hunting.shtml or go to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Web site at www.kdfwr.state.ky.us and click on Hunting and Trapping. Licenses may be purchased at the site, too. Regulations in some cases vary by county. Natural Bridge State Resort Park is in the forest and has spectacular overlooks throughout.
Hunting options are available at the John A. Kleber Wildlife Management Area between Owenton and Frankfort, including deer, wild turkey, rabbit, squirrel, raccoon, quail and waterfowl. Hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing are also popular at the 2,600 acre preserve. Call 502-535-6335 or check htttp://fw.ky.gov/kfwis/viewable/kleber_map.pdf for more information.
Brave the elements, get in gear and head outside to generate some heat of your own on winter time adventures. For more ideas about Kentucky’s many outdoor options during the season, visit www.kentuckytourism.com and click on Things to Do, then Great Outdoors.
The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky
The original Waverly Hills Sanatorium was a two-story wooden structure which was opened in 1910.
The larger brick and concrete structure you see today was built in 1926. The hospital has always been dedicated to the treatment of tuberculosis patients, a disease that was fairly common in the early 20th Century.
Reports estimate that as many as 63,000 people have died in this sanatorium. Furthermore, there have been many reports or patients being horribly mistreated. Oh, it gets worse… there were (again reportedly) highly questionable experiments and procedures conducted.
If these occurences don’t set the stage for a haunted location, nothing does!
Get this: Ghost and paranormal experts and investigators who have ventured into Waverly have reported a host of strange paranormal phenomena, including voices of unknown origin, isolated cold spots and unexplained shadows. Screams have been heard echoing in its now abandoned hallways, and fleeting apparitions have been encountered.
Screams, isolated cold spots (indicating a paranormal being….oh, Lord, I’m sleeping with the lights on tonight…), voices of unknown origin, shadows!?!? I could not be more creeped out right now.
Click HERE for more information… if you dare.
The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky
Kentuckians have so much fun with Halloween – no one seems to celebrate the fun of autumn quite like we do.
Below is a news release from Kentucky’s Department of Tourism all about a ghostly tour that’ll have you shaking in your sneakers.
Fall, the best time of year for stories of ghosts and other haunting, is upon us. From now through early November, take a trip to where your spine gets tingled by tales of paranormal activity throughout Kentucky.
A new ghostly tour gets underway this weekend in Newport, where accounts of the city’s racy and mobster past come together to raise your fright quotient. The new “Ghosts and Gangsters Tour,” developed by the group that started the Newport Gangster Tours last spring, is an hour-long exploration of haunted sites in downtown Newport. The tour, which costs $20 per person, starts and ends at The Syndicate night club, whose violent past as a casino and speakeasy during Prohibition has led to tales of haunting by the spirits of slain gangsters. For more information, visit www.newportishaunted.com.
Uncanny sights and sounds are the subject of a jaunt through the historic Old Louisville neighborhood, where several of the impressive Victorian mansions are said to be haunted. The 90-minute tours, based on author David Domine’s books on the neighborhood’s ghostly history, depart Fridays from the Old Louisville Visitors Center at 7:30 p.m. and cost $25 per person. For reservations, call 502-637-2922 or visit www.ghostsofoldlouisville.com.
The otherworldly residents of Bardstown are the subject of the Bardstown Ghost Trek Saturdays from 8-10 p.m. The $15 tours, led by paranormal expert Patti Starr, start outside the Old Stable Restaurant. For more information, go to www.ghosthunter.com/ghosttrek2.htm. Starr is also organizing a Ghost Hunting Getaway Weekend Nov. 6-8, 2009. Call 859-576-5517 for info and reservations.
Experience the Haunted Frontier at Old Fort Harrod State Park, where you will be guided through the graveyard, hear a ghost story and then navigate a large maze, where spirits of long-ago residents of the fort in Harrodsburg may still linger. The volunteer-led tour of the fort’s otherworldly side is $5 per person. For more information, call 859-734-3314 or visit the park’s web site at www.parks.ky.gov.
One of the reputedly most haunted sites in Kentucky is the Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville. Although the former tuberculosis hospital closed in 1980, the spirit world remains rampant. The Waverly Hills Historical Society hosts a haunted house every Friday and Saturday in October from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. To learn more, visit www.ghosteyes.com/waverly-hills-sanatorium.
Get in touch with the spirits at Camp Nelson, a Civil War training facility just south of Lexington, with the help of a mother-daughter ghost-hunting team from Nicholasville, Jessi and Starr Chaney. Friday and Saturday tours for $15 per person provide hands-on experience on how to use ghost-hunting equipment and communicate with spirits from the other side. For more info, go to www.ghosthunter.com.
Wide-ranging information about ghost tales and legends throughout Kentucky can be found at www.prairieghosts.com/hauntky.html.
For more information on the Kentucky Department of Travel, visit their Web site at www.kentuckytourism.com.
*** To Read more about The Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, click the link. I dare you.
